Quinn and Her Daddy
All the best,
Tanya
A Happy Day for a Toddler and Her Daddy
Tag Archives: Tanya Franklin
Telling Time with a Toddler
Quinn Playing with the Clock at the Park
How would you like it if you were somewhere having the time of your life and thoroughly enjoying yourself to have someone come and tell you without warning, “That’s it! It’s time to go!” I’m sure would not be happy and may even be a bit irritated that you are being told that you have to leave when you are having such a good time, and it never was established what time you would have to leave. I never gave this much thought until one day when my two year-old daughter and I were at the park, and I turned to her and said, “Okay, honey it’s time to go.” Her response, understandably, was to whine and cry, shouting, “No! We stay at park!.” Realizing that I did not give her a warning, I felt bad and decided to give in allowing her to stay a little longer. Then an idea, which should have been obvious, came to me: why not let her know in advance when we will be leaving? There are some studies I have come across that state toddlers may not understand the concept of time, but from my observation with my daughter, I would say some do. Since Quinn was one, she’s always had a fascination with clocks and watches and will point them out when she sees them. My husband and I even got her a watch for her second birthday as one of her gifts. No, she cannot tell time yet, but she does know how to count, so I will set my stopwatch and let her know when we have fifteen minutes remaining, and when we get to ten minutes, we will count down together, and she will repeat after me, “Seven minutes Mommy!” Counting down has been working like a charm; the crying and tantrums have been cut down drastically. We use it at the park, in her playroom when we are in the store so that she is more patient when I am shopping (This is great because it forces me to get in and out and not dilly-dally too much myself), and anywhere else or with anything else where a countdown can be beneficial to help the transition from one activity to the next go smoothly. Now, Quinn will even initiate the countdown and say, “Mommy, I play with iPad for five more minutes please.” While I am sure this is used in childcare centers and day schools, sometimes parents do not implement these simple techniques in the home because it just never occurred to them. If you have a toddler or child who gets upset when it is time to leave, when it is time for an activity he or she is enjoying to end or even time for an activity to begin, such as nap time or bed time, give this a try! It is not 100 proof, but it most certainly works more often than not.
All the best,
Tanya
It’s a Real Zoo Out There! Fun Activities for Toddlers
Quinn and the Lion
My little two year old has always been fascinated with animals. She loves to mimic their sounds and look at pictures of them, so of course one of her favorite outings is going to the zoo. What a wonderful way for her to learn and even develop her vocabulary by telling me what she sees and for me to engage her even further by asking questions and telling her what I see too. Since the weather has been nice, we’ve been able to take advantage of our membership to the Philadelphia Zoo and visit once and sometimes twice a week for the past few months. While one may think going to the zoo this frequently would become boring, it does not because it just one more way for me to not only bond with my little girl but to observe how much she has learned and grown. I am amazed at how she is able to retain the names of the animals and some of the little facts we have learned along the way. For instance, initially she said, “I see turtle,” but when I explained that he was a tortoise, the next time we went to the zoo, she said, “I see tortoise.” She knows the difference between a lion and a tiger, but thought a cheetah was a tiger until I gave her the name of the animal and discussed how one has stripes and the other has spots. Now she gets excited and points out the cheetah. I just love how she greets each animal bellowing out, “Hello Lion!” or “Hello Sheep!” Sometimes it’s as though they have been waiting for her because the lion or polar bear will be resting or sleep, but after she says hello, they will come closer to where she is standing. If you haven’t taken your child to the zoo as yet, I highly recommend it. A wonderful adventure awaits!
All the best,
Tanya
Little Girl, Little Girl, What Do You See? A Beginner Book Just for You!
Though my daughter is only two, I am so pleased that she loves reading and flipping through the pages of books. I get so excited when I come across children’s books that not only teach my little girl a skill but that she looks forward to reading. One of the books I have been reading to her since she was just a couple of days old is the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Slide and Find) by Bill Martin and illustrated by Eric Carle which is a wonderful book that grows with the child. Initially, Quinn would just follow along with her eyes as I read to her and gradually began doing the slide and find to reveal what colorful animal is next to see. By the time she was a year and a half, she was able to identify all of the animals, and before her second birthday she started associating the color with the animal. (Observing her do this has been so rewarding because grasping the concept of colors is no easy task, as I stated in my previous post: 50 Shades: The Complexities of Learning Colors Toddler Style) I can appreciate that all of the animals are not typical colors, such as the purple cat and blue horse as this stimulates my daughter’s imagination. If you are looking for a book to teach your child about colors, animals, patterns and more, definitely consider picking this one off the shelf.
All the best,
Tanya
Cooking Up Some Teachable Moments with My Little Girl
Quinn Sorting Bowls
I thoroughly enjoy cooking and baking, and it warms my heart that I am able to involve my two year old daughter in the process, even if it is just sitting and watching me or her banging a measuring cup on the table. The other day, when I was preparing breakfast, I observed Quinn identifying and then sorting the bowls not only by their colors but their sizes. I just love how there are so many opportunities to learn all around us. Sometimes, I take for granted all of the “common” knowledge I possess until my two year old reminds me that it once was not “common.” What a blessing it is to learn through her eyes. I look forward to witnessing all that she has cooking up for me in the days, weeks, months and years to come!
All the best,
Tanya
Here’s to Another Happy Mommyversary!
Quinn and Me: Ready for Mother’s Day Brunch at the Please Touch Museum (2015)
As cliché as the saying goes, “There truly is something special about being a mom.” Though my little girl just turned two last week, this is my third year celebrating being a mother, and I feel so blessed to have her in my life. She constantly inspires me and is the reason I started this blog. As I continue on my journey taking baby steps into motherhood, I am bewildered at times because I know I have so far to go and so much to learn. Regardless of the emotions ranging from anxiety, happiness, frustration and joy, the views thus far have been breathtaking and often leave me in awe.
Being a mother has allowed me to have an even greater appreciation for my own mother, grandmothers, family and friends who are mothers, co-workers who are mothers, and even people who are mother-like figures to those without mothers, etc. People often remark that it is one of the toughest jobs that you will ever love and would not trade it for anything in the world. I wholeheartedly agree and hope that my little girl enjoys being my daughter as much as I enjoy being her mother. Here’s to all of the mothers celebrating another mommyversary!
All the best,
Tanya
Happy Birthday to My Little Girl. You’ve Reached the First Twenty Four!
Quinn Age Two (Photography by Lindsay Hamilton Photography)
How many hours are in a day? Twenty-four hours of course! That’s common knowledge. Using the numbers, 4,7,8,8, can you get a solution of 24? This one requires some critical thinking and math skills and can be simple or complicated. Are you capable of predicting all that is involved in raising a child to reach 24 months (two years old) even after reading the books, magazines, “expert websites” and more? Absolutely not! Though the information about babies and toddlers is helpful, every child is different and unique in his or her own way. I learned this from day one with my daughter who celebrated her second birthday today, May 3rd, 2015. While I have plans for her, she has plans for me too. Thus far, she’s taken me on a journey with many curves, hills and valleys, and I have been enjoying the ride despite not always being sure of where we are headed. I am so grateful to have Quinn in my life and consider her and the love I have for her to be priceless. But if I were to use a metaphor, I’d say my love for her is 24 carats: pure gold! Here’s to making each day (24 hours) a memorable one for my daughter and for me.
All the best,
Tanya
To My Soon-to-be Two Year Old Who, at Times, Can be Too Much!
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
You “Go” Girl! Disguising Healthy Food for Toddlers
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!
There 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
Mommy's Baby Steps 