Monthly Archives: April 2015

To My Soon-to-be Two Year Old Who, at Times, Can be Too Much!

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Quinn Standing Her Ground and Making Her Demands Known

Quinn Making Her Demands Known

Alas, the moment has come. To prepare, I’ve read books, asked family and friends for advice and researched information online, but I am still anxious. Though I knew this day was imminent, especially with it being a week away, I still feel unprepared. While I hope that I will be up to the challenge as my soon-to-be two year old asserts her strong-willed nature and declaration of independence with resounding “no’s” to eating vegetables, putting on her clothes in the morning, getting her hair done, etc, I am a bit nervous. Sometimes, it is difficult to remain calm and patient while reining my little girl in from one of her major meltdowns, which are beginning to happen more frequently and in public settings. Just today, she became extremely upset and cried and screamed because we were leaving the mall when she wanted to get on one of the motorized rides for young children. Eventually, I had to carry her out of the mall with her kicking, crying and screaming because she refused to go back in her stroller and would not allow me to hold her hand so that we could get back to our car. It can be embarrassing while other shoppers in the mall give me the, “get your child under control” looks as my daughter carries on, but I know for the most part, Quinn is a pleasure, and will listen. Nevertheless, when she throws fits, I am tempted to just give in as she continues to test the limits, but I know I need to stand my ground. In the long run, we will have many more fun moments ahead of us than tantrums, so I will not give in to all of her demands so that my soon-to-be two year old knows that she is not too much for me, and we will have so many good times together as she continues to grow, learn and become her own person.

All the best,

Tanya

Who Wouldn’t Leap at the Chance to Read with Violet and Cookie Monster?

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Quinn Using Violet Tag Junior

Quinn Using Leap Reader Junior

Even though my soon-to-be- two year old enjoys when her father or I read to her, she really loves feeling like she is reading to herself and controlling what she is reading. She loves flipping through the pages and has even begun to give her own interpretation or variation of the story. I’ve observed her doing this with the Very Hungry Caterpillar, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Five Little Monkeys by describing what she sees going on in each picture in the book.  When she was about fifteen months, I purchased her the Violet Leap Reader Junior (Scout, the boy dog is available too). Initially, she was more fascinated with Violet and carrying her around like a toy (She has Read with me Violet and just the dog Violet who can be customized to sing certain songs and include her likes and dislikes as well) and not using it to read along with stories, but lately, it has been one of her favorite activities. Quinn enjoys being able to select what aspect of the story she wants to read. For instance, she has the Sesame Street Numbers Book, which is recited by Cookie Monster, and she is quite discerning when it comes to which number she wants to read and hear about. I had some ambivalence when deciding if I should purchase this device for my daughter because I did not want it to take the place of me interacting with her and reading stories with her. On the contrary, I have found that it is a terrific way to allow her to exercise some independence, to see what she knows by asking her to point to certain objects using the Violet Leap Reader Junior and to see what her interests are as she looks through the stories, and I am able to still be fully engaged with her. This is one device I would certainly recommend to parents of young toddlers, and am sure Quinn would too! Here is a video below of Quinn using her Violet Tag Junior.

All the best,

Tanya

You “Go” Girl! Disguising Healthy Food for Toddlers

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Quinn looking for Go! Bars

Quinn looking for Go! Bars

As it becomes more and more difficult to get my daughter to eat vegetables, I have become more and more grateful for healthy food options that have nutrients that are disguised as treats my little toddler will enjoy. While shopping at Walmart shortly after Quinn turned one (she will be two in a few weeks), I came across the Go bar made by Plum Organics. This bar actually contains veggies, less sugar than the typical granola bar and many other vitamins and nutrients. Though it is my preference that my growing toddler eat actual healthy veggies, sometimes it is an ongoing battle that seems like it will never end. As she eats her Go bar and says, “Mmmm good,” I smile to myself knowing that she is getting some of the nutrients she otherwise may refuse to consume. Of course, this is not an everyday snack, (Quinn loves pears and pineapples) but it is great when I am on the go and my little girl utters an emphatic “No!” to healthier options, and I can reach for the Go bar knowing she will willingly eat it. Are there any healthy treats in disguise that you give your toddler? Please share.

All the best,

Tanya

Let’s Keep it 100 Baby Girl!

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Tanya and QuinnThere are so many associations with the number 100. It is the basis of percentages, the boiling point on the Celsius scale and the perfect score on an assignment. It also represents how many weeks my daughter has been on this earth. Being her mother has been a wonderful journey and experience, and I only hope that her 100 weeks has been a wonderful  journey for her as well. What intrigues me is that in 100 weeks she has grown, learned and mastered a series of skills that some people may not grasp in a lifetime, and for this I am grateful. Though I do occasionally find myself reaching a “boiling point” as Quinn pushes the envelope, tests the limits to see what she is capable of doing (she loves jumping off the last step on the stair case) or can get away with by saying, sometimes yelling, “no” or throwing a tantrum now and then, which have become more frequent in the past month, I love how passionate she is and admire her ability to give 100 percent at whatever she is doing, even when she’s crying and refusing to let me do her hair or refusing to eat her vegetables. Of course, my little girl is not perfect, but she is perfect for me. Within these past 100 weeks, I have grown immensely through my experiences with Quinn and thank her for helping me keep it 100!

All the best,

Tanya