Search Results for: blog letting the child decide when hes done with something

When To Start Solids-Part II

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A couple of days ago, I discussed a little about starting solids with my babies. You can find that article here. When you have issues with food allergies like my children have had, it is important to stick with introducing one food at a time. This will help you determine if there are any issues with the foods you are introducing. Otherwise, with infant led feeding, the idea is that you go slow, and let your child eat what you are eating so that they slowly learn what real food is all about. In our family, we have decided to … Continue reading →

Be Ye Therefore Perfect

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As a member of the church, I’ve always known that the phrase perfection, or some form of it appears multiple times in the scriptures. We need to “be ye therefore perfect”, or “be perfected in Christ”. I am not going to deny that hearing that perfection is the ultimate goal can feel very depressing. An article by, Janet S. Scharman, in BYU Magazine was shared on a friend’s blog. The title of the article of course peaked my interest, “Seeking Perfection Without Being a Perfectionist”. I thought, I definitely need to read that! So, I did. And, it was a … Continue reading →

Chill Out When The Crying Won’t Stop

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It seems my baby blogs have had an underlying theme lately. Crying. But, it’s a part of our lives right now with an almost 4-month-old who seems to want control. Last night and today have been stressful. I’m sick, which doesn’t help matters, and little sweet baby boy decided he didn’t want to sleep last night. So, I thought today, I would surely get in some breaks while he napped, but so far, the crying and fussiness abound, and it’s been easy to get frustrated. But, it’s important that you don’t lose your cool when you have a baby that … Continue reading →

Wild Horses Couldn’t Drag Me Away from You (and Neither Can Dentists)

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Only now do I realize that a visit to the pediatric dentist was much more of an ordeal for my mother than it was for me. Anticipating the protests, torn between comforting the child and ensuring that the necessary things happened, not wanting the dentist to be cast as the bad guy lest we be even more fearful, she took most of the blame herself. She always seemed so sure of herself and of what had to be done. It wasn’t until years later that I realized she hadn’t felt as sure as she seemed. Mom had once asked me … Continue reading →

The Food-Throwing Stage

Inevitably, just about ever toddler reaches this milestone and goes through a period where throwing and dropping food is far more interesting than eating it. Many parents get frustrated and exasperated with pick up and clean up and worry that the child will starve to death if she does not eat the food or will get something dreadful if fed the food that has touched the floor. It can take some creativity and patience to get through the food-throwing stage. First, decide what your tolerance level is—some parents can tolerate letting a child drop or throw food without response and … Continue reading →

Riding Without Training Wheels

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Well, it happened today at about 7:15 EST. Our baby daughter, who is almost 6 years old, rode her bike without training wheels for the first time. Yippee! My two daughters came inside and announced this evening that the 6-year-old was ready for the big moment. My wife and I retreated to the front sidewalk of our addition to cheer her on. I took off her training wheels and guided her about 10 to 20 feet before it was clear she did not need me anymore – boy, I don’t like the sound of that. I’m already starting to have … Continue reading →

If it’s Making You Crazy—Try Easing Up

I do not think it matters how sweet and angelic of a child you have, at some point, there are going to be behaviors and personality quirks that drive you crazy! Whether your cherubic baby develops into a picky eater or will wear nothing but shorts and rubber boots for his entire fourth year (I had one of those)—there are going to be things that come up and you are going to be tempted to battle and battle and battle. The only advice I can offer after two decades of parenting is that sometimes easing up is really the best … Continue reading →

Can They Really Ask You Anything? AND, is That What You Want?

When I talk to parents of young children, many will share that they want a relationship with their children where the kids can “ask them anything.” Talk to parents of teenagers, however, and they might just as likely say something like “there are things I just don’t want to know.” Building and maintaining an open line of communication with our child takes commitment and an openness to dealing with whatever comes, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. If we want our children to feel free to talk to us about anything, then we need to figure out how to … Continue reading →

Letting Your Kids Control Their Free Time

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On weekends, I like to take it easy. When you’re a single mom of a high-energy gifted child, taking it easy can be, well, hard. I generally have to plan activities for Tyler to cut down on his misbehavior. If the weather’s nice, I take him out into the world. However, on days like today when it’s just to darn hot, I prefer to stay inside and enjoy the comforts of air conditioning. On hot lazy days like today, I find it easier to let Tyler decide what we’re going to do. He likes to do something he calls “workshop”. … Continue reading →

Ask a Marriage Blogger: Are You Protecting Your Spouse or Taking Away Their Choices?

A few days ago, I received a private message from a reader and I apologize to her that I’m just now getting around to addressing this question. I have a question and you might be the right person to answer it. I enjoy reading your blogs and I find that many times we are on the same wavelength. A few weeks ago, my husband and I were talking about having children. We’ve been married for two years and his parents are very eager to become grandparents. He’s never expressed a great deal of interest one way or another before, but … Continue reading →