Anyone know of any good parent or kid-friendly websites? I'd love to hear recommendations for sites that include:
a) parenting and/or medical information
b) child-centered games or entertainment
c) great places to purchase items online
My personal favorite in the kids category is pbs.org. My son loves the Bob the Builder and Curious George links,and of course Elmo.
My favorite shopping site is LLBean.com. If you have an LLBean credit card (no annual fee, and they occasionally send coupons), you get free shipping and monogramming on all purchases. They usually deliver in 2 or 3 days. If you have any problems, you can call 24/7 and talk to a real person. I log on every so often to check the clearance items.
The other shopping site I would recommend is 1800diapers.com or just diapers.com. They have great prices on most brands of diapers, formula and other baby neccessities. Free shipping on orders over $50, which as you know is like nothing when you're talking diapers and formula. This is an invaluable site for mothers who have recently given birth and are finding it difficult to get out and about.
So how about it, ladies? Please take a few minutes to recommend a few sites either as a new post or a comment on this post. Thanks!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Some ideas...
Here's my two cents, for all it's worth. First of all, I agree with Idona that a time out then a processing conversation is useful. Something like "What did you do to get a time out? How could you have handled it differently?" dialogue. I don't use a certain number of minutes in time out. Some people do 1 minute for a 1-year-old, 2 minutes for a 2-year-old, etc. Some people (OK, my mother) felt that using time out with a 1-year-old was ridiculous, but it did work with my son. He was very social at that age and simply removing him from other people was a punishment to him. I would only use it at that age when he hurt someone, usually pulling hair, and didn't stop after repeated warnings.
Another thing I find useful with my son (age 2) is to explain the appropriate/alternate uses for whatever object he is abusing. He went through a rock-throwing phase and after saying "stop throwing rocks!" 350 times, I finally told him that rocks are for putting in piles. It was that simple. Now he puts rocks in piles.
One more thing that works with my son (for now) is to make up a silly song about whatever he is doing. If I ask him to do something and he says no (which is mostly every time), then I sing the "no song" which goes "My name is Isaac and I like bananas and I like diggers and I like to say no,no, no". We keep going, he sings the no,no,no part and he thinks it's funny and usually does what he is supposed to do. I would caution you about doing this in public, unless of course you are at a MOMS Club function where everyone understands that you are in fact not crazy, just a mother trying to get your kid to behave!
That's about all that is in my bag of tricks. Anyone have ideas for getting kids to leave one activity and go to another, like stop playing outside now and come in and eat lunch? I've resorted to bribing with treats, which I am not proud of and Isaac's eaten his weight in fruit snacks. Also, those of you who use reward systems, at what age did you start? I'd welcome any info you can give me. Thanks!
Another thing I find useful with my son (age 2) is to explain the appropriate/alternate uses for whatever object he is abusing. He went through a rock-throwing phase and after saying "stop throwing rocks!" 350 times, I finally told him that rocks are for putting in piles. It was that simple. Now he puts rocks in piles.
One more thing that works with my son (for now) is to make up a silly song about whatever he is doing. If I ask him to do something and he says no (which is mostly every time), then I sing the "no song" which goes "My name is Isaac and I like bananas and I like diggers and I like to say no,no, no". We keep going, he sings the no,no,no part and he thinks it's funny and usually does what he is supposed to do. I would caution you about doing this in public, unless of course you are at a MOMS Club function where everyone understands that you are in fact not crazy, just a mother trying to get your kid to behave!
That's about all that is in my bag of tricks. Anyone have ideas for getting kids to leave one activity and go to another, like stop playing outside now and come in and eat lunch? I've resorted to bribing with treats, which I am not proud of and Isaac's eaten his weight in fruit snacks. Also, those of you who use reward systems, at what age did you start? I'd welcome any info you can give me. Thanks!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Dare I Jumpstart This Topic?
I actually would like to first thank Adrienne(A.) for getting this started! Your words so clearly capture I'm sure what MOST of us are encountering on a near daily if not hourly basis! These discipline 'strategies' are completely 'take them at your own will and execution'. I am not a licensed child professional but I do have (I think similar to your feelings A.) an extensive background in early childhood education in music and piano, and there was even a period where I was teaching at the university...but that does seem like EONS ago. (but for the record: 'it' does come back like OH, I am still a very functioning adult! amidst what sometimes feels like a day full of disciplining small children who are ALL mine 24/7...)
Strategy 1: 'Calmly' Recognize, communicate, and label the 'action' that child should not be doing. Suggest an 'alternate action' and IF child chooses to 'not behave'. I have done a 'myriad of things' such as:
*Take away a story at bed time. My older one (5) has 5 stories at bedtime. But if you asked me the 'last time' she had all 5 read to her at bedtime, well, that's been a while. In fact, nights she has 5 ready to go--she is often tired, and chooses to have 3 read to her instead. But this 'warning' of taking stories away, has seemed to work for ages 4-5. And usually we do read stories throughout the day. So it's not like I'm impoverishing my child of books!
Strategy 2: *Time Out & FOLLOW through- in a corner, or chair, but in a consistent location, for the length of the child's age. (ian is currently getting on occasion a time out for 1 minute, which is not completely working? but i'm crossing my fingers that he will get better with time? he also doesn't seem to be 'threatened' by 'THE look' and a 'stern voice'. arrrrrgh.)
The Follow Through part is tough...my child has to be calm, be in a good physical position (sitting up, vs. lying down on the floor or bed and still upset...) and communicate to mom what was not appropriate to do or say. I tell myself I am reinforcing 'communication skills', that it's ok to be mad at mom, but it's not ok to 'hit' or yell but to talk things out. And in the end, there's always a hug and apology! and a sentence that includes "I will try not to do that ' not polite action ' again".
*Strategy 3: "reward system" - I have to admit this DOES not work with me, but at times, my husband (yes, we see him from time to time...ha ha) will 'purchase' something at the 'start of the day' and then 'agree' with child to have 'good behavior'...um, again, this is not my strategy, and my observation is this is not full proof at all!!!! ha ha ha..maybe that can be another blog entry (how husbands discipline...) OH, except at the diner: yes, there's a lollipop there, and you can 'earn it' AFTER breakfast if you cooperate ALL through our stay here at the diner. And 9/10 times, this works!
I feel like the days when I am most frustrated with how 'disclipining' goes, I have to fairly factor in ??how much sleep my kids have had, ??how much i have had, and ??how much time have i spent with the children, and --just how many moms club activities have I been attending? this really wears them out! Did I read books today with them (besides at bedtime?) How many times was I right there on the floor playing with the piles of toys and interacting and creating play with the kids?! And I have definitely tried to 'let go' a little bit more of 'tidying up'. Don't get me wrong, we still have 'pick up time' at the end of the day (sometimes 2x's a day!) and we have 'time to do errands, that I try to keep at the 'earlier part of the day'.
Take these strategies as a grain of salt or as some 'jump starters' to strategies you already do! It's good to be flexible, creative, and to laugh. LAUGH a lot! Sorry for the long soapbox, it's time to get our homeschool morning started! 'the more structured part anyway...'
Looking forward to reading your thoughts/and suggestions soon! -ic
Strategy 1: 'Calmly' Recognize, communicate, and label the 'action' that child should not be doing. Suggest an 'alternate action' and IF child chooses to 'not behave'. I have done a 'myriad of things' such as:
*Take away a story at bed time. My older one (5) has 5 stories at bedtime. But if you asked me the 'last time' she had all 5 read to her at bedtime, well, that's been a while. In fact, nights she has 5 ready to go--she is often tired, and chooses to have 3 read to her instead. But this 'warning' of taking stories away, has seemed to work for ages 4-5. And usually we do read stories throughout the day. So it's not like I'm impoverishing my child of books!
Strategy 2: *Time Out & FOLLOW through- in a corner, or chair, but in a consistent location, for the length of the child's age. (ian is currently getting on occasion a time out for 1 minute, which is not completely working? but i'm crossing my fingers that he will get better with time? he also doesn't seem to be 'threatened' by 'THE look' and a 'stern voice'. arrrrrgh.)
The Follow Through part is tough...my child has to be calm, be in a good physical position (sitting up, vs. lying down on the floor or bed and still upset...) and communicate to mom what was not appropriate to do or say. I tell myself I am reinforcing 'communication skills', that it's ok to be mad at mom, but it's not ok to 'hit' or yell but to talk things out. And in the end, there's always a hug and apology! and a sentence that includes "I will try not to do that ' not polite action ' again".
*Strategy 3: "reward system" - I have to admit this DOES not work with me, but at times, my husband (yes, we see him from time to time...ha ha) will 'purchase' something at the 'start of the day' and then 'agree' with child to have 'good behavior'...um, again, this is not my strategy, and my observation is this is not full proof at all!!!! ha ha ha..maybe that can be another blog entry (how husbands discipline...) OH, except at the diner: yes, there's a lollipop there, and you can 'earn it' AFTER breakfast if you cooperate ALL through our stay here at the diner. And 9/10 times, this works!
I feel like the days when I am most frustrated with how 'disclipining' goes, I have to fairly factor in ??how much sleep my kids have had, ??how much i have had, and ??how much time have i spent with the children, and --just how many moms club activities have I been attending? this really wears them out! Did I read books today with them (besides at bedtime?) How many times was I right there on the floor playing with the piles of toys and interacting and creating play with the kids?! And I have definitely tried to 'let go' a little bit more of 'tidying up'. Don't get me wrong, we still have 'pick up time' at the end of the day (sometimes 2x's a day!) and we have 'time to do errands, that I try to keep at the 'earlier part of the day'.
Take these strategies as a grain of salt or as some 'jump starters' to strategies you already do! It's good to be flexible, creative, and to laugh. LAUGH a lot! Sorry for the long soapbox, it's time to get our homeschool morning started! 'the more structured part anyway...'
Looking forward to reading your thoughts/and suggestions soon! -ic
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Discipline
Ahhh, the D-word. Discipline is such an easy concept, and yet we all seem to struggle with it at one time or another. It is especially frustrating to me when my children don’t respond to my admonishings. After all, before I became a mother I taught middle school. Discipline was what I did. In 10 years of teaching, I had never had a 7th grader talk back to me when I used my extra-stern “I’m-so-not-playing” voice, and yet my two-year-old finds it hilarious. He actually laughs as he continues the very action that brought about the voice in the first place. My “don’t-even-think-about-it-if you-want-to-live-until-5th-period” look that could stop a middle-schooler dead in his tracks is simply ignored by my son.
I wondered: Could he be hard of hearing? Near-sighted? Have processing issues? Multiple licensed professionals have determined that he in fact is able to see, hear and comprehend. The problem, it seems, is simply that he is a toddler who is learning, growing, exploring, pushing limits, testing boundaries and finding his own way in this big, wonderful world. The solution? That’s where you all come in. Please share with us your best discipline strategies. Try to be as specific as you can. Sometimes it’s a little thing that makes all the difference, so no idea is too big or too small. Thanks, Moms!
I wondered: Could he be hard of hearing? Near-sighted? Have processing issues? Multiple licensed professionals have determined that he in fact is able to see, hear and comprehend. The problem, it seems, is simply that he is a toddler who is learning, growing, exploring, pushing limits, testing boundaries and finding his own way in this big, wonderful world. The solution? That’s where you all come in. Please share with us your best discipline strategies. Try to be as specific as you can. Sometimes it’s a little thing that makes all the difference, so no idea is too big or too small. Thanks, Moms!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)