Activities to Blame for Melt-down

Yesterday, Dustin had gym at the First 5 Center in Concord, CA. My, otherwise, delightful child became a crying mess because the class is held during nap time. Wanting to expose him to new things, I figured delaying his nap for one hour would not be the end of the world.

Boy, was I wrong. He did not want to participate in the stretching or sitting or singing. Maybe he has a hatred of activities that start with "S". This may also be why he prefers not to sleep. (Note to self: come up with alternative names for things that start with "S") Anyway, Dustin just wanted to run around and meet people. Since it was not time yet, he became hysterical and got snot all over me. UGH! Once he was finally set free, he was a bit better behaved. However, this experience was just too stress full.

Next week, I am going to try putting him to sleep later the night before in hopes that he will sleep later in the morning and we can avoid the tears and snot all over the place. If this does not work, we will need to find another activity at a more appropriate time. Wish me, Luck!

Is Yelling, the new Spanking?

While perusing TheMotherhood.com, I came across a NY Times article that made me think. For Some Parents, Shouting Is The New Spanking. My husband and I do not do a lot of yelling at each other or our son, Dustin. That being said, I am finding that as Dustin gets older and refuses to pay attention, I am beginning to raise my voice more often.

When we are around other parents who yell at their children, my son will often become inconsolable. He is a sensitive boy, who cries at violence on TV (even cartoons) or Mommy & Daddy play fighting. Now, do not get me wrong, he is not a cry baby. Dustin is a very happy boy, unless he senses stress in his environment.

My son is always more difficult on those days when I am stressed about money, something happening in my life or just got up on the wrong side of the bed. These are the days when I raise my voice the most. Once I take a step back and breathe deeply, Dustin starts acting like the adorable child I know him to be.

The hard part usually is realizing I am the root of the problem.

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Mom Injured While Tweeting

Well, not really, but it could happen. I have been thinking about all the time I have been spending on social media. Am I really making deeper connections with people or just getting RSI trying to get more followers/viewers?

By tweeting and posting status updates, I no longer have to pick up the phone and actually speak to anyone. Heck, if you do not have email, I do not communicate with you. Sorry! Instead, casual voyeurism is the method I use to keep up on my friends and family. Does it mean that these people are not important to me? No, of course not. However, in my busy day of chasing after my adorable demolition crew, it is difficult to set aside uninterrupted time to speak with someone.

My girlfriend and I have been trying to get together since the beginning of the year. She with her busy son and I with mine. It is difficult to communicate with her outside of email. Heck, we have played phone tag for for about almost 3 months. Now, if she was on Twitter or Facebook, we probably would have hooked up by now.

Social media allows me to "drop off the face of the earth" in the eyes of my technically challenged family and friends. Often times, I wonder what important relationships I am missing out on. By the time I get around to picking up the phone, I have forgotten why it is in my hand.

Here is to hoping that the technically challenged will forgive me and call me once in a while. ;)

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Blueberries, crack for babies?

The other day I introduced my son, Dustin to blueberries. Since that day, he keeps going to the fridge and saying, "Baa, baa". He may have traded his coveted yellow fruit (banana) for these new crackberries. I know these beautiful blue berries are good for him, but variety is the key, Child.

Before the blue fruit, I had to limit his banana intake because it was all he wanted to eat. Bananas, as you may know, cause a work stoppage in the digestive system. So he only gets one a day, no more, not less. Apparently, he has a fixation with fruit that starts with B.

At least, he is staying active running to the fridge all day asking for "Baas." Lords know is could be worse, he could be begging for blog votes. ;)

Must find a cheaper place to buy these beloved blues because I cannot afford his $5 a day habit.

Michelle Obama and Bill Cosby Inspire Me to be a Better Parent

Michelle Obama and Bill Cosby were on Larry King recently talking about Childhood Obesity. Both state that school lunches as well as the food available to kids is a serious problem. I find that as children get busier, and I do not remember being so busy as a child, it is harder to not eat food on the run. Dustin is 1.5 years old and has eaten many a meal in the car on the way to somewhere.

I think the responsibility falls on us as parents to set the example for our children. Like Michelle Obama did with her family, we can start by replacing things like processed food, desert only on weekends and get your children involved in the decision. Dustin is usually in the kitchen with me when I cook dinner and we try to eat at the table most nights. So he is already becoming involved.

Bill Cosby also mentioned that schools are providing less recess and physical activities. I do not know about recess, but I do know that many schools in my area are in danger of having schools sports cut. Getting enough exercise is a problem for all of us.

There is a lot more I can do as a mom to keep my child active. However, there is a balance that needs to be kept. As we strive to have active, involved and well-adjusted children, I think it is important to remember that having a healthy dinner together as a family is a start. All it takes is small adjustments over time.

So to my son, I vow to serve more nutritious meals and have healthier options available to you to keep you moving through out the day.

-Love,
Mom

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Manual vs. Powered Toothbrushes For Children

My husband and I have a powered toothbrush, so while doing research I can across this article. Which Is Better For Kids - Powered or Manual Toothbrush? I have found since we started using ours that my dental visits are more comfortable and there is less plaque to remove.

Sonicare has come out with another upgrade since I purchased my last model. In addition, they have a Philips Sonicare for Kids . Since I was thinking about getting a new toothbrush, I was hoping that there was a model that work for both children and adults. Alas, that is not really the case. According to some reviewers on Amazon, the kids toothbrush head will fit the Sonicare FlexCare Plus, kids will not benefit from the lower speeds or the musical jingle to change quadrant. I am just not sure I am ready to purchase a separate powered toothbrush for my child of 1 years old.

Today, I am off to replace the brush he chewed to death. We will sick with the manual ones for now, until he does not need to replace them so often. The cost involved in a powered toothbrush at his age is just not economical.

Dustin, do you want Winne the Pooh or a monkey on your toothbrush?

Check out How do you get your child to want to brush teeth? | MothersClick - A Lifetime Community

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Taking care of those baby teeth

My child has been super charged in the teeth category. Dustin is 16-months old and has 16 teeth. He started getting them at 2-months of age. Currently, I am waiting on the second year molars, which the drooling is any indication, he is already working on them.

This all being the case, I am concerned about keeping his pearly whites from decaying. My mother works in the dental industry and has made her opinion known. "Parents with children who have silver capped teeth are just deplorable." Thanks, Mom. I needed to have another hand up about parenting.

The reason I am so concerned is that I am having difficulty getting Dustin to open his mouth long enough to get the job done. The process is becoming a battle and I do not want him to associate this struggle with getting his teeth clean. Does any one have any suggestions to make this experience better for both of us?

When I started to right this post, it was intended to be about manual vs. powered one. You will have to wait until my next post for that and I promise it will be in the next few days. ;)

Looking forward to speaking with you again. - Dani

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DIY Kiddie Kitchen

Today, I was searching for information on off-gassing carpets and furniture in a baby's room for my cousin and found this totally cool website, http://www.ohdeedoh.com/.

This website is dedicated to Home, Design and Children. The last post was how to create a kiddie kitchen center out of Rast tables from Ikea. I am a huge crafter, but usually of the yarn variety. This website is inspiring me to look into creating a functional, yet stylish play space for my son.

Dustin is getting to an age where he likes to have furniture his size. This website also has ideas for a kid table transformation. I am excited and the creativity is flowing. Hope with site does the same for you.

Good Luck in your projects.