Remember when I wrote the post about getting Rowan to sleep in her own bed? Well, then we moved and we had to start all over again. This time it was harder and it took more time. I can finally say we did it though. We have crossed the finish line in what felt like the marathon of sleep training. It’s not perfect but she is staying in bed, falling asleep on her own and sleeping through the night. There isn’t much more we could ask for well, except longer naps but I won’t push it. I haven’t done one of these posts in a while so here are our ups & downs from the past few weeks…
UPS:
1. Potty Training. We are basically there. She is fully trained at home in undies and clothes as long as there are no real distractions (aka friends over). We have yet to venture out on errands with no diaper. We still do diapers for naps and bedtime though. I had some girlfriends over yesterday for lunch and Rowan’s little buddies were there as well. There was lots of playing out in the yard and running in and out of the house. Let’s just say we had 2 accidents, but 1 successful acknowledgment about having to go in time. It’s a good start and I’ve really had no frustrations over the whole process yet. I know she is still young, so we have been taking it slow and just working on it casually at home.
2. Her manners have gotten so good lately. She says “please” and “thank you” on command now without having to be asked. She is getting really good at saying she is “sorry” when need be too. I hope this will keep up as she gets older. I think its important to be a polite little kid.
3. The fact that if you say “I Love you” to her she walks around saying “I lub you too Mommy, I lub you too”. Hello melted heart on the floor! It is just about the best thing ever.
4. She is starting to eat more vegetables! Yay! She does the best with raw veggies, so I cut up lots and give them to her with some hummus. She likes dipping them.
5. She is a talking machine. I think she can basically say anything now a days. She copies everything we say so we have to be careful with our tone and how we say things. It is so fun to listen to her string sentences together. Her little questions crack me up and she repeats things like a hundred times.
DOWNS:
1. The short naps are killing me. I guess maybe she is just like me. I have never really needed a lot of sleep. I like sleep but I function pretty well without it. She sleeps from 9pm-7:30am every night pretty much and I am lucky if I get a 45 minute nap from her. It is barely enough time to get anything done.
2. Errands. I feel like over her 2 year life it has been a roller coaster with going out and doing errands. Some months we are up and things are easy and she enjoys being in the cart and getting pushed around and other times it is pure torture. We have hit the pure torture stage again. She refuses to sit in the carts anymore and just yells how she wants to “walk”. The only thing is she is still to young to just follow along beside me. She makes mad dashes when she sees things that spark her interest. Just like every stage I know this one will pass as she gets older.
3. We are still working out what kind of discipline works best for her. I don’t think there is any straight forward answer. I have talked to lots of parents and they have all told me what works for one of their kids didn’t work for the others. We are just trying to meet her needs and her personality. It is tough though. For the most part she is a pretty good listener. As much a 2 year old can be.
With anything in life there will always be ups & downs. Parenting is no exception. I try to keep them all in perspective and move forward from each day focusing on the ups and the joy that comes from it all. And when I can’t I go to bed knowing tomorrow will be a new day. Ha!
What were your ups & downs this week (parenting or not)?
So many ups and downs! Ben is now seven and we have another on the way and I have to say that (other than the first few months which were mega tough due to sleep deprivation), the ups and downs have remained- they just change slightly. Luckily, there are always far more ups on the crazy ride of parenting!Rx
http://sandersonsmithstory.blogspot.co.uk/
Rooney got her first tooth this week! So that has been both an up and a down. It’s very exciting, but for the first time she is in pain and it is so hard to watch!
Congrats on the potty training! That’s awesome. We really have to start being more serious about that. Our daughter, Bridget, is 22 months old.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one with a toddler who won’t sit in the cart. Sometimes if I distract her with food or holding whatever I’m shopping for, she’ll be OK. But it could go either way. My husband has started carrying her back to the car if she doesn’t sit in the cart. He says it only takes a time or two, and she gets the picture. I haven’t tried it yet.
Oh lord, the biting. THE BITING. My 21 month old has turned into a noming demon. It’s insane.
It’s so crazy to me that when we left a year ago she still seemed like a little baby, and now she’s such a KID! My brother was the same in stores, his feet were already moving before you set him down, and as soon as they would hit the floor- he was off and running.
This week was…well, I had to go visit the kitten room at Petco on Wednesday night to make myself feel better. That’s how this week was.
Miss you three tons! xoxo
She is so adorable! Those little curls! 🙂
We are having nap issues too – my little is four and has pretty much outgrown the need for a nap. But mommy still needs that time, so we’he compromised with “quiet” time every day. He spends an hour and a half in his room either watching fantasia or looking at books. So far it seems to be working pretty well. 🙂
Good luck with your nap times! 🙂
She seems like such a great little girl! I love that teaching her manner is so important to you. As a former preschool teacher, I saw that way too many parents don’t value that anymore.
Marissa / treetopnest.blogspot.com
Ups: Being pregnant.
Downs: The first trimester. Ugh.
I’m not yet a mom, but for some reason I really, really needed this post today. I feel like my life right now is a comedy of ups and downs and trying to find the balance. On the one hand, my husband and I just moved into a beautiful new apartment, bought our first bed, and are happy. On the downside we have moving, piles of dirt, car repairs, and the daily challenges of life as an expat. Recognizing the good besides the bad is helping me put things in perspective and prepare for both in the future.
Okay, let’s talk about the sleep thing. My kid also is not a fan of extended naps. I usually get 30-45 min (she’s a few months older than your girl, I think). By the time she’s settled and snoozing, and I’ve recovered from getting her to sleep, settled on a naptime activity, she’s up again.
So, I was wondering, what’s your strategy for getting things done in waking hours. How do you craft, cook, clean, and generally do things to keep the house running while she’s awake?
My kid will NOT HAVE IT if I dare to do something so outrageous as wash dishes while she’s awake.
What sleep training book did you use?
Jen, you have such a good outlook on it all and the bigger picture. We just take it day by day and hope for the best, lol! I am about to take on the potty training adventure with my 20 month old daughter. I’m keeping a positive outlook!
Hi Jen! I’m a first time commenter, but quite a long time reader! I just HAD to comment to tell you that I LOVE your voice on this blog. I thoroughly enjoying reading your honesty, regardless the topic of discussion. Please know that when I’m having ups or downs, I come here to breathe. Please don’t ever stop sharing!
I’d say you’re doing very well for having a two year old! My daughter, who is almost 4 was a bear to potty train. We just finished with night-time pulls up about 2 months ago! My son, who is 6, was a walk in the park. Everyone always said boys were hard and girls were easy…I’d go the opposite! ha!
Just remember for discipline…consistency is key. My kids are QUICK to point out when we are consistent…my favorite being…”you’ll never remember…” We are not good at it all the time and they know when to use it to their benefit! Tricky kids…smart kids! ha!
I just read Your Two Year Old: Terrible and Tender, which about sums it up. I found it encouraging to know why they do some of the more annoying stuff — repeating everything 50k times. I know it’s a phase…
I had to laugh at your shopping scenario about wanting to walk, all my kid says as soon as his bottom hits the cart seat these days. Only quick shopping trips lately!
Reading this post was both funny and comforting. Naja definitely has her moments similar to Rowan. I don’t have any friends with kids, so reading these posts reminds me that I’m not crazy, it’s not just my child, but this is how kids are. Thanks 🙂
I am with you on the discipline! We were doing time out, but now she LIKES her time out chair. Definite “Down” of parenting this week is the use of screaming when upset. “Ups” are all the cute big sister moments! Our oldest loves to include our newborn in everything, and it melts my heart! Rowan is going to love being a big sister!