5 Ways To Make The Terrible Twos Easier

My son is in the thick of the terrible twos. He can be my sweet little boy one minute, and on the ground throwing the world's greatest tantrum in the middle of the grocery store the next. He can be stubborn. "No" is his new favorite word. Sometimes he'll want something, and when I go to give it to him, he'll insist on wanting something else.

I'm pulling my hair out!

But a lot of the horrors of the terrible twos can be mitigated with a few easy methods I've learned over the last six months.

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1. Keep your toddler busy. Boredom causes toddlers to act out because they want interaction and stimulation. When I let my son run around outside and play on our newly built playground (more about that in a future post), he's usually well behaved. He'll still get himself into trouble, but I can usually regain my sanity while he's outside.

2. Know your toddler's triggers. I know if my son sees a pack of gum laying around, he'll want it. If he doesn't get it, then I get to deal with a temper tantrum. My solution is to keep the gum hidden. The "out of sight, out of mind" rule applies perfectly for the terrible twos.

I know not all triggers will be some object laying around your child wants. Sometimes it's situational. My point remains the same, though. Once you know his/her triggers, you can take steps to minimize them.

3. Quiet time. He stopped napping shortly after the New Year. It was my worst nightmare come true. But now we have something called quiet time where we both sit on the couch with his favorite tv show on. Generally it lasts about an hour, sometimes more, depending on my mood.

These quiet times give him a chance to decompress a little and relax. It also gives me time to relax as well. Many parents I know have a "quiet time" policy with their child who won't nap.

4. Snacks. Believe it or not having access to healthy snacks throughout the day can make a big difference in how he behaves. It's pretty simple: When he's not hungry, he's generally pretty happy.

Remember the times when you get hungry? You start to feel agitated. The blood sugar drop might make you feel a little sick. All this makes it real easy for you to get into a bad mood. Toddlers are no different.

I'm not suggesting you stuff their faces all day. Just make sure they can have some snacks between meals. I give my son everything from baby carrots, to grabes, cut up strawberries and maybe even some candy if he's been extra good. Variety is the key.

5. Sleep. I know you don't have complete control over this. Some toddlers aren't good sleepers. Sometimes you child gets sick or for one reason or another, doesn't get a good night sleep. There are tons of books out there on getting babies/toddlers to sleep more, so I'm not going to dive into that subject here.a

A tired toddler is a cranky toddler. Making sure he/she is getting enough rest is crucial to lessening the effects of the dreaded terrible twos.

The above suggestions are by no means the cure-all for the terrible twos and won't deflect all temper tantrums. But I've found they do help my son stay happy throughout the day. And when he's happy, I'm happy.

5 Ways To Beat Cabin Fever With Your Toddler

It's that time of year again. Unless you're lucky enough to live in a warm climate, cold weather is here. This means it's getting harder and harder to go play outside with your little ones. And what happens when we stay inside too long? Cabin fever sets in.

This begs the ultimate question: How do we keep ourselves and our kids active during the winter months? Obviously, I'm talking about kids that are toddler age. Older kids are in school, and babies generally don't play outside.

If you live in a crappy place like this, you probably deserve cabin fever.

I'm gonna give you some ideas. Though if you have your own ideas, please share them in the comments below.

Here's a few ways to beat cabin fever:

1. Find a local Monkey Bizness and/or Gymboree

Both places have great indoor activities and toys for little kids. The only downside is that both cost money, making it hard if you're on a budget.

I take my son to Gymboree once a week and we go to Monkey Bizness a few times a month. It costs us less than $10 to go. But it still adds up.

Of course, there might not be a Monkey Bizness or Gymboree close to you, in which case your screwed.

2. The Library

Most public libraries have a kids department. The library we go to not only has a kids department, but also has little activities for the kids (mostly things like puzzles, games, etc). Even if you don't have a library card, you can still go, and it's free!

Also, libraries usually have programs for kids, mostly story times. These usually require you to have a library card.

3. Embrace the Cold Winters

This means going out and enjoying the winter. If there's snow on the ground then go play in the snow. If it's not too cold, go to the park and run around. Cold weather doesn't seem to bother my son. In fact, he likes to take his jacket off after running around for a while.

4. The Mall

Take your little one to the mall to walk around. And if your son/daughter is being good, dust off your wallet and buy them a toy, or something from the food court.



When my DS was a baby I used to take him to the mall and walk around for an hour or so while pushing him in his stroller. It's not the most exciting thing in the world, but it gets you out of the house and is good exercise - which you probably need anyway.

5. Museums/Community Centers/Misc.

This is kind of a catch-all. If you live in a decent size metro area, chances are there will be places, like museums (especially ones for kids) you can go to. Beware though, if the only museum in your area is one for rare art or other expensive exhibits, you might want to keep your toddler away. Curators frown upon changing your kid's diaper next to multi-million dollar paintings.

Also check for any kind of community center. They always have activities for kids. Some will probably cost money, but if you're a lucky cheapskate, you might find stuff for free.

These are the best ideas I can come up with at the moment. Finding stuff to do during the winter is very much determined by where you live. If you're in a metro area or city, then you don't have much of an excuse. But if you live out in the country and you have to drive to your neighbors house because they live so far away, staying active might be a little more challenging.

Photo Credit: NatalieMaynor via Creative Commons

The Talking Game

My son is finally showing an interest in talking. He's quickly expanding his vocabulary and is starting to speak sentences of gibberish - which the doctor says is a good sign.

He's a late talker. With everything else he does great. He understands exactly what we are saying (well, sometimes it's "selective" understanding). He can communicate to us what he wants, usually through his own version of sign language and a lot of grunting. And he's great at figuring stuff out on his own.

My wife and I say that he's using his brain power for greater things than talking. I totally believe that it's true.

The most frustrating part about him not talking is that, well, he gets frustrated easy because he can't communicate what he wants. Like I said above he does pretty good at communicating what he wants, but there's still moments when it's chaos at our house.

I consider talking and potty training to be the last big milestones on the way to childhood-dom. Once toddlers have those down life becomes a little easier. I'm not saying it's smooth sailing, but a child's independence takes a big step forward.

For my own sanity, I pray my son gets there soon.

How I Protect My Son's Online Privacy

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time you know I don't mention my son's name, nor do I post his picture. When referring to him I usually write "my son" or "DS" (dear son).

Why do I do this? After all, I post a picture every now and then on Facebook, but only close friends and family can view those pictures. We even have an online photo album for our family to see him in all his glory and cuteness.

This blog is a little different though because I talk about him differently than on Facebook. The photo album we have of him is just that, a photo album.

Why am I so protective here? Because when he's older and is going to school, I don't want his friends/classmates to find all these embarrassing posts about him pooping, diaper rash and running naked through the house on this blog. That's a recipe for a good ass kicking.

In other words, I share more personal details here than on Facebook. If someone were to Google his name, the results wouldn't bring up this blog.

I don't post pictures here for the same reasons. Only with pictures, I always worry about some pervert or other sicko using them for their own nefarious purposes. I also don't want people using his picture without my permission (which I'd never give) for their own website or other online use. It might sound like a longshot, but I've read horror stories of parents who did see their child's picture being used online in a not-so-clean way.

Is that an irrational fear? Maybe. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I love him like crazy and don't want any to hurt him, and if they do, they'll have to answer to my steal-toed boots.

How do you protect your toddler's privacy online?

Don't Hold A Grudge Against Your Toddler

One of the hardest parts of parenting is when your child acts up and does something bad. It puts you on the spot to get your kid under control and can lead to a full blown temper tantrum.

When my son does something bad like pull on the curtains (he's pulled a few down!) or try to hit mommy or I during a tantrum, it's easy to lose our temper. While we both seem pretty good at keeping ourselves under control during these situations. The hardes part, though, is not holding a grudge.

In other words, I don't stay mad at him in the afternoon for something he did in the morning. It's not fair to him and it's just that much more stress for me. I'm not even sure if a 2-year old can remember why they were in trouble to begin with after several hours.




How long should we stay mad at our kids? It really depends on the situation and what the child did. In most cases, I don't think staying mad does any good for an extended period of time does any good (for the reasons cited above).

My rule is that if he stops, settles down, listens to me and starts being good, I'll forget about the incident and resume play or whatever. And I try to make a little lesson out of it by telling him that when he's good, we can have fun. It also helps to let him know that when he cooperates, it's much easier on both of us.

For example, he's gotten into the habit of throwing tantrums when I'm changing his diaper. He wiggles and tries to stand up. He cries. He does everything in his power not to get his diaper changed. To try to avoid this, I tell him that the sooner we change his diaper, the sooner we can go do (fill-in-the-blank). It's starting to work.

Not holding a grudge is hard to do, especially when it's been a stressful day or your tired or your child has really been acting up. I'll be the first to admit I've stayed mad at my son longer than I should have. It's easy to do.

If you feel yourself holding a grudge against your toddler, try to remember something cute they've done in the past, or back to when they were helpless little babies. Remembering stuff like that tends to put you child back into perspective, making it easier to be forgiving and move on.

5 Lessons Learned While Flying With A Toddler

Having recently returned from a cross-country trip with my DS to see family, I think this is a good opportunity to share some realities of traveling on a plane with a toddler.

Before I begin I should add that it was just my son and I. My wife was busy with work. So I had the monumental task of flying with a toddler that can't sit still.

1. Flying with toddler is NOT easy - Prepare for the worst.

If you and your partner are flying with you child together, the trip will be a little easier. If you're on your own, however, you'll be in for the challenge of your life.

I had everything I needed: Diapers, wipes, plenty of snacks, toys and an iPad filled with games and a full season of his favorite show, Yo Gabba Gabba. Guess what? The iPad held his attention for probably 10 -15 minutes of the entire flight.

The snacks and other toys didn't do much good either. He spend a majority of the 3-hour flight moving around (including a few kicks to the seat in front of him), standing up on the seat, fussing because I kept trying to keep him in his seat.

Like I said: Prepare for the worst.

2. Don't expect sympathy/understanding from other passengers.

Other passengers want a smooth flight without the annoyance of a fussy toddler. I'm the same way when I travel alone. But I felt especially bad for those who were unlucky enough to sit in front of us. I say the gentleman sitting in front of my DS shake his head in despair several times throughout the flight. I should've bought him a drink.

Some passengers, especially older ones, will smile and comment about how cute your child is, but that's as far as it will go. No one will volunteer to help you keep your child occupied or sit with your child so you can sleep. It ain't going to happen.

Try to stay sane by reminding yourself you will probably never see these people again. Also, the experience will make you more sympathetic to parents in the same situation.

3. Don't expect to relax or sleep unless your toddler does.

I was awake and running on full energy the entire flight. No naps. No time for reading. Nothing. If you're lucky your child might stay occupied with a game. And if you're really lucky your child might fall asleep. Cherish those rare moments and consider yourself lucky.

4. You probably won't have the only child on the plane.

This is one area you can take comfort in. Chances are there will be other small children on your flight. And they might even be more fussy than your own child. The other parents with toddlers will more likely be more sympathetic. Heck, you might even strike up a conversation with them!

5. Carry plenty of snacks and a lot of extra toys.

This didn't work for me, but I've talked to a lot of parents who say it has worked for them. The key is to bring newer toys that your toddler hasn't played with yet so he/she will be less likely to be bored with them. Bring a variety of toys. If you have a smart phone or tablet, load it with games.

Bring a lot of snacks. Don't count on getting any food on your flight. On my flight we got water and/or soft drinks. That was it. Not even a bag of peanuts. In fact, the flight attendants made us give them our food!

A nice selection of your child's favorite snacks will help when they get fussy. Don't forget to bring something to drink. Keep in mind that whatever drink your child likes, you will have to buy it at the airport after going through security. This means you will overpay for all food/drinks you buy. That $10 bottle of water I bought didn't even taste all that good.

Final Thoughts

There's no doubt that traveling with a toddler is a challenge. A lot of people say it's the hardest age to fly with your child because they have a hard time sitting still for so long. Remember that it won't last forever. The flight will end. And when you finally get off the plane you will be a better person for it. These things build character.

Finally, I should add that my son did great while on vacation. I couldn't have asked for a better son and I love him like crazy. And despite the challenge I dealt with on the 2 flights we were on, my love is unwavering.

Plus, I know that as he gets older flying with him will get easier. At least, I hope.

My Son is Hooked On The iPad

My son, who recently turned 2, has discovered the wonders of the iPad. My wife has downloaded a dozen or so children's games for him, and they can keep him occupied for long periods of time.

Further, he knows how to use the iPad. He knows how to turn it on and off. He can swipe between pages. Adjust volume (which he always has on full blast). He knows his favorite games, and how to use YouTube.

Before you berate me for letting my son become addicted to mindless iPad games, I should add that we do try to limit his time on the device. I make sure we go outside to play and that he plays with his other toys. And we still go to Gymboree and all the other activities we have him signed up for.

My trick is to hide the iPad from him when I don't want him playing with it. Out of sight, out of mind. That way, he won't try to reach for it and get all fussy when he can't have it.

His mastery of the iPad makes me happy. It shows he's growing, getting smarter and is a little less useless. Sometimes I forget that he won't be a baby/young toddler forever. Right now it's a big celebration every time he says a new word (his newest words is "fold," which he says when I have laundry to fold). But a time will come when he won't shut up. Every parent with older kids tells me that.

Luckily for me, he has shown little interest in the TV. I keep it on during the day, mostly for background noise, and he ignores it. When he starts watching for more than a few minutes at a time I'll have to come up with a different strategy.

It's all about balance. I need to make sure he spends a lot of time playing and running around, time playing with his toys and time on the iPad/watching TV. I'm guessing as he gets older, balancing his life will become more difficult.

Sometimes The Simple Toys Are The Best

We have a lot of toys for my little DS. Actually, I should say, we have A LOT of toys. Sometimes we feel like our house is being overrun with toys (which it probably is).

I've noticed something with toddler toys: It's always the toys that are most simple that my son seems to take pleasure in the most. A lot of our toys have all kinds of cool lights, buttons, things that spin, things that make very annoying sounds (all of them) and take batteries (all of them).

Yes, he has fun with those toys too. But they break. The batteries die. We have to hide them because they are too annoying. But he still plays with those simple toys we bought when he was younger and less toddler-ish.

For example, the toy below:

Add caption

I can't remember when we bought it, but he still plays with it. We also have a wooden train set that he plays with.

The cool part is that these toys are very durable. He throws them around like rag dolls and they never break.

Most importantly though, they are very inexpensive. Without all the bells and whistles (and batteries) that a lot of toys come with nowadays, the price on the basic ones can be great.

My point is to not feel bad about getting these classic wooden toys. Kids love them (at least, my son does) and they'll last longer than most newer toys. And you can easily pass it down.

We Got Another Word!

My son is rapidly approaching 2. He appears to be developing great as a toddler, except in one area...talking. You can imagine then, that when he does say a new word, my wife and I are ecstatic.

Within the last week he finally learned how to say "car." He pronounces it as "caw" but he's definitely referring to the cars he sees around him.

He already says "go," which of course he pronounces as "gaw." We're hoping the soon he'll put those words together and say "car go" or "go car."

The word "go" is his favorite. As soon as I get him up in the morning he'll start saying "gaw." Even when we're driving somewhere, he'll keep repeating it. I think he likes saying it as much as he likes getting out of the house and going places.

I should add that while my DS isn't talking all that much, he understands a lot. If I tell him to go get socks, he'll go into his room and grab a pair of sock and bring them to me. I can also give him something to give to mommy, and he'll do it.

And yes, he is saying "mamma" and "dadda." Sometimes repeating them over and over again.

In the next month or two we'll be taking him to the doctor for his 2 year check-up. Hopefully she can shed some light on whether or not we should be worried about his speech development.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the words will come more frequent.

One Overlooked Cause Of Temper Tantrums

A lot of parenting is trial and error. I learn the most, not by reading books, but by figuring out what works and what doesn't with my little DS.

The one issue every parent of a toddler can identify with is temper tantrums. They're those awful few minutes where you child acts as if the world is coming to an end. Parents really earn their stripes by dealing with tantrums on a daily basis.

The Cause Of The Tantrum

Most of the time, this can be easy to figure out. With my own son, it's when he can't have something he wants or we take something away from him. He'll even throw tantrums when we're about to leave somewhere he wants to stay (like coming inside after playing outside).

Sometimes, however, there are tantrums with no identifiable cause. They just come out of nowhere. These are the toughest to deal with because they are the most frustrating for a parent.

I've figured out one reason for these tantrums-out-of-nowhere:

Boredom!

Toddlers are people too and they get bored, just like the rest of us. When we get bored we get fidgety and restless. We'll seek out something to end our boredom like watching television or surfing the internet (for example).

A toddler can't communicate what he or she wants very easily. So they get frustrated, which leads to a temper tantrum.

When my son is throwing a tantrum and there is no obvious reason why, I get on the floor and start playing with some of his toys. 9 times out 10 it's enough to stop his crying and he'll come over to play with me. He was just bored.

The next time your toddler is throwing a temper tantrum try playing with him or her. It's a simple, but very effective way of calming them down while keeping your own sanity.

The "Sharing vs. Not Taking" Toy Dilemma

One of the fun things about letting my DS play with other kids is watching how they interact. Toddlers don't really play with each other, they play next to each other.

There's something I've noticed with parents too. It's the "sharing vs. not taking" toys dilemma. It goes something like this:

My son is playing with a toy. Another toddler comes up wanting to play with the toy and starts to grab at it. I tell my son to share, while the parent of the other child says to not grab and wait his/her turn. It's a no-win situation for the kids.

Every parent wants their child to learn good manners and to play well with others. Yet you have these opposing forces - to learn to share, and to learn not to take things.

Usually these situations end in a toss-up. The kid with the toy relents (usually at the urging of their parent) and the other kid gets the toy.

I still find it awkward. How do you handle this dilemma? I'd love to hear your answers.

There's No Business Like Monkey Bizness

Today I took my son to Monkey Bizness, a place for little kids to run and play around. They have different types of indoor playground equipment, including a huge jumping castle with slides and other fun things inside.

My DS isn't even two yet but he holds his own among the bigger kids (3-5). I still followed him around, just in case, but I didn't stick on him like glue like I used too. He's becoming very independent.

Monkey Bizness is a good place to go if the weather is bad, or you just want to let your kids blow off some steam for a while. They also have an arts and crafts room and a room you can rent out for parties.

For parents, there is an area with tables and chairs. You can buy some little snacks and drinks at the front desk, but if you want a full meal, you're on your own.

Overall it's a good spot if you want to kill some time without dragging your kid/s through the mall or visit your local Target store for the 10th time that day.

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Monkey Bizness in any way and I'm not being compensated for this post. It is my personal, unbiased opinion.

Review: Gymboree Play & Learn Revisited

I've been taking my son to Gymboree Play & Learn since early February. I thought I'd write an update to my previous Gymboree post to tell you how it's working out.

First, my son is getting used to it. For the longest time he was very hesitant to participate in any of the activities. Now, he's pretty enthusiastic about it. I still have to coax him along. Overall though, I think he gets the idea.

His favorite activity is the parachute. At first, all the kids sit in the middle and we drag them in a circle. Then, the kids go under the parachute while the parents stand on the edges and bring the parachute up and down. He loves it! I can always count on him playing with the parachute without any coaxing from me.




Second, there is a social component to Gymboree. While the kids don't actually play together, they still interact. My son is learning to share and wait his turn. He also watches other kids and sees what they're doing. Since my wife and I will not have any more children, it's important he gets a lot of social interaction.

Third, from a parent's point of view, it can be exhausting. It's not one of those things where you take your kid there, drop them off, then fall asleep and drool all over yourself. No, the parents also participate. Further, parents are responsible for keeping their kids safe.

Don't get me wrong, Gymboree is set up to be a very toddler-friendly environment. But I still need to be by my little DS in case he loses his balance on some of the activities, falls down, etc. Don't expect the employees there to be babysitters.

One of the best parts about Gymboree is that it gets us out of the house. And it wears my son out enough that he takes a really good nap on Gymboree day.

The only downside is that Gymboree is a bit pricey. I think we pay something like $70 +/- a month.

Yes, I'd recommend Gymboree to anyone looking for something to do with their toddler besides sit at home and watch TV. If there's one close to you and you can afford the price, go for it!

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Gymboree in any way (other than being paying customer), nor am I being compensated for writing this post. This is my personal, unbiased opinion.

The Best Father's Day Gift My Son Gave Me

I just want to wish all the dad's out there a Happy Father's Day. I know the day is pretty much over, but I figured better late than never.

My son decided to make me a present to celebrate today. It means so much more when they do something themselves, even at 22-months. I know he doesn't understand the concept of Father's Day. Yet this little drawing, complete with stickers, really made my day.

I watched him and mommy working on the table as I sat on the couch. I could see he was really enjoying this craft project. That also makes me feel good - to see him doing something that makes him happy.

I'm planning on keeping all his drawings and craft projects in a box so he can see them when he's older. My parents did that with me and it's fun to see all the things I did when I was so young.

How did you celebrate Father's Day?

My Son Discovered Street Running

My son's new bad habit is running into the street when we're outside playing. Luckily, our street is very quiet with only residential traffic, and, we have a lot of kids on our street so cars generally go slow. But it's still something we're very strict about.

Before I get into that though, I should say it is kind of cute. He has a little toy lawnmower he likes to pull around and takes it with him into the street. He usually runs towards our neighbors house. He looks like he's proud of himself. I guess he probably is. He's escaping from mommy and daddy.

Cute or not, it is dangerous. Since he can run fast for having such little legs, I have to run to catch up to him. Once I have him in my grip, I lead him back to our yard.

"Olympics, here I come!"

I go by the strike system. Three strikes, your out. Each time he goes into the street is one strike. After we hit three we go inside.

It seems to be working. Now he'll run to the edge of the driveway and stop. I still panic when he does that, but at least he's not actually in the street.

I told my wife we should get one of those 'invisible fences' that people use for their dogs. The dog wears a collar and if they go outside the fence, they get a little shock. I'm kidding of course. If you really did that, you can expect a visit from your county's child protective services.

This is just one more hazard of nice weather. When toddlers play outside more and more, they will get into more mischief.

Does your toddler run into the street? If so, how do you handle it?

Photo Credit: Nina Matthews Photography via Creative Commons

What Books Do I Read To My Son?

Reading is probably one of the best things you can do for your child (besides feeding, of course). I read to my DS every day when I'm putting him down for his nap.

Sometimes I read long stories, sometimes I read shorter stories. I'm not sure if he even pays attention while he's laying in my arms, drinking his bottle. I don't think it matters, though.



With some books, especially the tactile ones that have stuff for kids to touch, he reaches his hand out to play with the book. This can complicate things a little. It's hard to read while I'm holding him in one arm, holding the book in the other and keeping him from grabbing it. There have been a few times I've just given up and put the book down.

What do I read? Good question. There's no shortage of children's books. I like to relive my own toddler years and read stuff I remember my parents read to me.

Here's a short list of my favorite children's books:

• Miss Nelson is Missing By Harry Allard, James Marshall (illustrator)
• Best Nest By P.D. Eastmon
• Goodnight Moon By Margaret Wise Brown
• Guess How Much I Love You By Sam McBratney
• Everybody Poops By Taro Gomi, Amanda Mayer Stinchecum

Okay, I'll confess that I don't read Everybody Poops to my son, at least not yet. When it comes time to potty train him though, it will be all poop all the time!

"This book is a pretentious piece of crap."

When we go to the library to check out more books, I'm often overwhelmed by the large selection. I usually look for board books that are short, but still have some substance to them (i.e. don't have just one word per page).

I try to avoid books from the library that have pop-ups because my son will rip them right off the page. I also avoid the tactile books because I don't his hands where other germy toddler hands have been. Like I said above though, tactile books are fine when we buy them from the bookstore.

I'm hoping to instill good reading habits. My parents taught me a lot by example by reading every night before bed. I still do this, and often have a hard time sleeping if I don't read before bed. If my own DS does this when he's older, I'll be more than happy.

What books do you read your child before bed?

Photo Credits: smoorenburg Used under the Creative Commons License


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What Causes Most Temper Tantrums (And How I deal With Them)?

99% of my son's temper tantrums are caused by things he can't have, or things that we take away from him. Take yesterday for example: I had to go somewhere and I had my water bottle (he LOVES my water bottle) because it was pretty freakin' hot outside. When he realized I wouldn't give him my bottle he completely broke down into a full-blown classic temper tantrum, right in the driveway.

I left before he quieted down. My wife was with him. I've dealt with plenty of tantrums to know the best way to deal with them is to not give in. In other words, ignore it.

"Give me your iPad or someone is getting hurt!"

Toddlers are trying to get a reaction that will eventually lead to getting what they want. If we give in, then they'll learn that "Hey, this crying and screaming and rolling around on the ground thing gets me anything I want. Cool!".

Sometimes it takes a lot of guesswork on my part to figure out what he wants. Since he's not talking yet, he relies on vague hand signals. If he reaches up to the kitchen counter, and there's a million things on the counter, I could spend hours trying to figure out what he wants. I'll offer him his water bottle (the one thing I'll never take away). And if nothing works, I scoot him out of the kitchen and shut the children's gate.

Usually my strategy is to keep him out of the kitchen in the first place. There's too many dangerous things in there. He tries to turn the stove on. He opens drawers were knives are kept. He's a tall toddler so a lot of things are within his reach.

Slowly I'm learning what objects he wants and will cause him to break down if he doesn't get them. I keep those things out of sight. In parenting, prevention really is the best method.

How do you deal with your toddler's temper tantrums? And what causes the most tantrums?

Photo Credit: Mindaugas Danys Used under the Creative Commons license. 

My Son's Mystery Cough

Let's not overreact.

My DS has a weird cough that's been going on for over a week now. It only seems to manifest itself at night when he'll have these coughing fits for upwards of 10-minutes. And then during the day he's fine.

The only other symptom we have noticed is that we can hear some phlegm rattling around sometimes when he breathes.

The symptoms are common and probably are nothing to worry about. I'm taking him to the doctor on Monday, and hopefully we'll get a diagnosis.

It's not surprising that he picks up these little bugs considering we're always going to Gymboree, play groups, library story time and other public activities.

If anything, it's building up his immune system. And he's building character.

Photo Credit: AndyBullock77 Used with permission from the Creative Commons.

How Do You Punish A Toddler That Can't Be Punished?

I don't expect that my toddler son will be a perfect angel all the time. He has his moments where he just won't behave. It's frustrating, but it's part of being a parent.

However, this begs the question: How do you discipline a toddler?

My DS doesn't understand that he's being punished. He doesn't make the connection between what he did wrong and how we (my wife and I) react to it. For example, if we give him a time out, he'll just sit there and laugh and move around, thinking it's a game.

Today when he and I were playing outside he kept running into the street, which is a huge no-no. I gave him 3 chances, and then we'd go inside. He used up those 3 chances pretty fast and we went inside. Yet it didn't bother him in the least.

The only punishment that has any effect on him is taking things away. He likes cups of ice. He'll chew on the ice, suck on it and play around with it. No big deal. But he also likes to dump the ice out on the floor, which is also a no-no. I give him a chance not to do it anymore and let him keep his ice. Then he does it again and I take it away. He then goes quickly into full temper tantrum mode.

However, most the stuff he does cannot be taken away. So how do you punish a toddler that doesn't respond to punishment.

I don't know. If someone figures it out, please tell me.

But I do know that it's important to be consistant. Hopefully as he gets older he'll begin to make the connection between being bad and being punished.

Review: Step 2 Waterwheel Play Table

Now that warmer weather is here it's time to start thinking about outdoor activities. And since the temperature in the Chicago area is hitting the 80s, it's perfect weather for water sports.

Since we don't have a pool, or even a koi pond, we had to get creative.

We decided to get the Step 2 Waterwheel Play Table. It's just that, a table that holds water. Here's my review:

Kids on the box not included.

Assembly

I didn't assemble this toy, my wife did. It didn't take her very long so I can only assume it went together easily. So I don't have much to say here.

Durability

After only about an hours worth of use it seems to be very durable. No leaks. No legs broke off. It didn't explode. Nothing. It feels solid. And considering it holds water (which gets heavy very fast) it's some pretty strong plastic.




I'm not worried about this water table falling apart anytime soon. If I was a betting man, I'd say that my DS will outgrow it before it falls apart.

Playing Fun

My son loved it. He loves taking baths and splashing around. The water table comes with little sailboats (that do fall apart easily) and a cup. He spent most of the time splashing in the water and playing with the sailboats.

Yes, that is my son's arm you see.

He also like taking cups of water and dumping them onto the pavement. I guess the weeds in the pavement cracks need some watering.

The thing I like about this toy the most is that it keeps my son in one area. I was actually able to sit on the steps of my deck and watch him play, instead of chasing him all over the lawn (and sometimes down the street). This is a big plus in my book.

Verdict

I'd certainly recommend this product, especially if you live in an area where it tends to be hot and humid during the summer months.

The only downside (and it's not a very big one) is that it has no plug to empty the water out. So you have to dump the thing on its side. Not a deal breaker, but still a minor annoyance.

I don't think this will make your toddler the coolest kid on the block. But it will keep him cool!