After about 6 weeks of struggle and tripping over ourselves, I finally feel like we're making headway on our bills. 2 miscellaneous debts and 1 full bill paid off, now another 1/3 of a credit card paid, total should be paid off in a month or two. Starting to feel like maybe this won't take 10 years to fix.
Still can't get the kids potty trained. Both are excited to wear underwear but neither will actually pee in the potty. I don't know how to make a kid pee in the potty. Reaching the end of my rope. College in diapers? That's been done before, right?
I am quitting PR for good, effective March 1. I honestly can't keep up the kind of energy it takes to run it and I am ruining it instead. Time to get out. Deep discounts coming soon...
Pants and I are going to spend a few hours the next 3 Saturdays in cleaning out the basement (crawlspace, main room, office) so we can decide what we're gonna do. He's not sold on the framing and insulating, but perhaps when we rip out the bench and he sees there is NOTHING behind it but cinder block.
I am starting to think Kitten has ADD. She failed her kindergarten screening (we are waiting on the referral for additional screening to be scheduled) and mostly because she made silly errors. She has a hard time focusing through an entire board game with me. She finds it difficult to sit still to get changed. She is constantly moving. The worst part is that it's so foreign to me. I can't imagine having that much energy to burn, but I'm trying to adapt. If anyone can suggest more active activities, I'm open to it. I've been doing Lion Hunt with them (twice!) each night, but we're going to have to return that to the library.
14 comments:
Yay for you on progress on the bills! Hooray for moving forward!
We did a potty party with Pumpkin (How to Train Your Child in Just One Day was the book; you can probably get it from the library). Basically we just had a day when where we spent the whole day drinking fancy juice out of fancy cups, "training" a peeing doll, watching potty videos (yay library), reading potty books, and using the potty a lot (thank you lots of juice). It was a nice way to do that final push because when that day was done, the diapers were all gone. No backsliding. She was ready, but why stop playing to use the potty when you've got a diaper on?!
Sorry to hear you're quitting PR, but looking forward to hearing about the deep discounts. ;)
Some random (possibly a$$vice) thoughts about the ADD thing based on what I'd seen teaching K1. Boys tend to be diagnosed with ADD/ADHD more than girls; girls are sometimes missed when they should be diagnosed. Sometimes it's age-related or personality-related, not ADD. I've had parents say that cutting out HFCS/corn syrup or red food dye has made a HUGE difference in their kids. How much sleep does she get? Chronic overtiredness (they need a TON of sleep at this age!) can show up as irritability, hyperactivity, and the inability to fall asleep easily, often leading parents to think their kids are getting enough sleep when they're not. Pumpkin still gets 11 hours and she _needs_ it. Maybe try cutting out as much preprocessed food as possible and upping her sleep time and seeing if that helps? Just some thoughts anyway.
Good luck with it all.
I was going to bring up the HFCS and red dye thing. My brother has said that makes a big difference for his ADD. It is something you should be able to see at home if you try it for a weekend (before you bring it up with your daycare provider)
I've noticed cutting back on HFCS that it has helped me too.
I know how hard the enough sleep vs. time with your kids thing is when you're a working parent. Nothing to input on that other than understanding. It sucks.
Yay! Discounts!
(And yes, I did read the rest of your post, but I have nothing of real value to add.)
Yeah, I was trying to find a way to say that I know it's hard to deal with both parents working & cooking (healthy?) & seeing the kid(s) & getting them enough sleep and all, but it just kept sounding condescending or stupid, so I left it out. But know I was thinking understanding, nice thoughts about how hard that's gotta be. Did it for a little while after Pumpkin was born, before we up and moved, and it can be so. very. difficult.
I have no qualms about putting her to bed when she needs to go, which has turned into 8 pm. Used to be just after 7, but she started staying up in her room until 1 or 2 in the morning. Somehow, the extra half hour up makes her go to sleep right away.
Cooking is a problem, but we're working on it. I will try to cut out the red dyes and hfcs and see what happens. The problem is that I don't really know if I'm just freaking out or if she really has an issue. Both families seem to have a history, so it wouldn't be unheard of.
I need more potty suggestions, though!! I like the training in a day, but what if it doesn't work??
Peanut was kind of borderline ADD when she was younger. Many kids can be controlled with things other than drugs even if they are a bit ADD. I wouldn't jump on a label too early. How old is she?Sometimes I think I'm ADD!
Yay for the bills geting paid down. We're getting there too. Hurrah for restraint.
Potty Training? Are BOTH girls ready to potty train already? Where did the time go?
Okay, my reply was looking like a book. I'll do a post about some potty training strategies that worked for me.
RE: Potty training, I'd focus on one girl at a time. Maybe push the "big girl" angle of it. That might help give Kitten some incentive now, plus later it'll be incentive for Meimei to be big like her sister. I liked the one day thingie - not that it was all done in one day, but as a final "ok, we're DONE" celebration/end point/all the your-size diapers are now out of the house (or the extras boxed up for sis), so you _can't_ wear them anymore.
But, you know, I've only done this with one kid, even though the other one has decided to poop in the potty chair twice in the past week and pee three times in it yesterday. _I'D_ been planning to wait until summer and no onesies and fewer layers to deal with, but we might be starting now. Or maybe this is a blip and then she'll not be interested again next week. I dunno.
I'd say search online for parent reference books about potty training at your library like the one day one and anything others that catch your interest. Scan 'em briefly and see what seems to fit with your girl(s), you, and your situation.
P.S. Oh, before I hit "publish," maybe go over to It's Not All Mary Poppins (link on my sidebar) and search on hers. I find her advice to be sensible, child-sensitive without being push-over, straight-forward, and well-reasoned. She might have something good.
Okay, my post is up.
I agree with Mrs. Huis. One at a time or you'll get completely overwhelmed by excessive amounts of work. If you have anyone sit on the potty who's wearing a onesie PLEASE be sure to snap at least one button from the front to one from the back over the shoulder. It's NOT pretty if the onsie dangles in the....
Christina, who's daughter is Autistic, and thus really hard to potty train, has had some success recently with more creative rewards. Their letting her bake stuff with her dad.
It just goes to prove that it can take different things for different kids.
If you need any help on some unexpected HFCS locations, and what brands don't have it, let me know. Also, let me know about sales... that discontinued model number... broke. I need a replacement.
I'm with Ms. H- we just went to undies all the time and that worked faster than anything else (once she was ready). I also know moms that go for the commando no pants at all method. Same idea. It's lots of laundry at first- but it went quick. Maybe 3-4 accidents the first day, 2 the next, and then only occasionally. You can't make them go on the potty, but you can offer lots of fluids -then reward and praise like crazy. We also had better luck with the seat that goes on the toilet seat rather than the little potty. I am going to e-mail you the 3-day potty training thing I got from my mommy board.
Where does your daycare stand on this? Does she help at all?
Congrats on making headway on the debt! Can't help you with the potty training except to send you some "split pants" if you want them. =) (Few people use diapers here, just pants that are split in the crotch so the kid can squat and pee/poo where ever)
disturbing.
Diplowhat reminded me of what my mom did with me. She used cloth diapers and sometimes none, but could tell when I had to go. However, to actually potty train me, she did it when it was warmer and just had me wear dresses all the time. Which is funny mostly because she never dressed me in dresses that I remember.
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