The king in his castle

Teaching Your Toddler

It's no secret that I had TERRIBLE classroom management skills when I became a teacher. What do you mean the kids aren't going to do exactly what I tell them to do the first time? Luckily, I had the fortune of working with a teacher with amazing classroom management skills and I began to hone my techniques to the point where I didn't need to worry about management anymore. Even though I had this experience, I still expected Leo to listen to me the first time I asked him to do something. hahahafail. Eventually I realized that I could use some of my teaching skills to make this stay-at-home mom thing easier. Planning - I think I've mentioned this is a previous post, but I really feel so much better about the day when I have a plan going into it. Even if we wind up deviating from it, having a morning and afternoon outing, and a morning and afternoon indoor activity provides some structure for my day and for the kids. If I have a plan, I'm much mo...

Dana's Birth Story: Part 1

Dana is three seven ! months old and it is SO hard to believe how speedily these last 12 28 weeks have gone by. It is such a joy to have her here, and she is the sprinkles on what was already quite the delicious cupcake of a family. Both being from families of three kids, we had planned on having three kids from the beginning. There was some negotiations along the way, especially since having three kids in the suburbs is VERY different from having three kids in the city, but one of us finally convinced the other to GO THE DISTANCE and here we are. This birth story actually starts with Seth's birth story. I had placenta previa with Seth which led to a very scary hemorrhage situation, but luckily we both escaped relatively unscathed except for a lot of anxiety with a side of PTSD on my part and a strong stubborn streak on Seth's part. When I consulted with my OB before getting pregnant this time, I was told that there was like a 3.875%...

How to Get a Toddler to Love You: Leo Edition

I have to say, it feels pretty great to be one of your kid's go-to people. I always wanted to be a parent and have my kid come to me instead of someone else when they are sad or hurt or want a banana and, yay!, now my dream has come true and I'm one of a few select people who Leo seeks out. That being said, everyone should be able to experience the joy that is Leo when he feels really comfortable with you. So, for those of you who don't have the privilege of spending all your time with this kid, I thought I would write a bit about how to be a rock star in Leo's world so that when you come over for a playdate (and I take a nap), you'll be ready to go. First, when you come in, it's totally awesome to say hi to Leo, but don't be offended or hurt if he doesn't respond. He's just playing hard to get. So, just toss off a "Hey, Leo" and then... Second, wait and see what he does. The best way to get a toddler to respond to you is to r...

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