12.22.2010
12.20.2010
Attachment Parenting the older child
So, we all know what AP looks like for a baby. It includes things like breastfeeding, co-sleeping, babywearing, ect. It is based on the concepts outlined it the continuum concept. But how does this translate into parenting of the older child? It's easy to foster attachment to a child that rides on your body for much of the day. How do you nurture attachment to a school age child? I struggle many times with guilt over feeling like my son gets so much more of my attention and time than my daughter does. I know it boils down to the fact that he is more demanding with his needs. My daughter doesn't need a nappy to be changed anymore..... I don't wear her (she's 6), she sleeps through the night in her own bed, and when she is thirsty, she can get herself a cup of water. So it's perfectly natural/normal for my son to be a bit more...... needy. :) Here's the thing though.... It is just as important for my daughter to feel that I'm dependable as it is for my son. J-kun knows that if he calls for me, I WILL respond to him. Shouldn't my daughter have the same confidence? So here are some tips to keep our children feeling attached, nurtured, respected, cherished, and secure into their school years.
Here are the 7 baby "Bs" and how I would suggest they translate into dealing with older children
1~Birth Bonding..... Ok... drop 'birth' and what is left? Bonding! How does one bond with someone else? Share experiences!! Bonding is a process that can continue past the point of birth. We bond when life experiences are shared and we are drawn closer together as a result. Do things with your child. Be there when important events occur. Learn with your child. Encourage your child. Cheer on your child. Be at the spelling bee, soccer game, awards ceremony, dentist appointment, ect. Include your kids in what you're doing day to day. Making dinner? Let your kids wash the veggies. Just because a child CAN entertain themselves for long periods of time, doesn't mean they should be left alone while you go about your daily business. You may get everything done that you want, but at what cost?
2~Babywearing....... This is a method, not the underlying principle. The idea is to maintain a high-touch style of parenting. As your children get older, they continue to need this form of affection. Hugs, pats on the back, high fives, snuggle time... all these are ways to continue this concept. I like to rub lotion on my daughter's arms and hands after a bath. My brother used to wrestle with my dad. He thought he was so tough cuz he always won. My Dad was such a great attached father. He still is. He is quick to offer a hug or a shoulder rub. And I'm 26! I still appreciate it. My mom is the same way. So many times, while sitting in church, she would reach over and scratch my back, or massage my hand. (that feels so good btw.... ) Those little touches that nobody else saw made me feel like I had a great "secret" It wasn't done to make herself look like a good mom to onlookers, it was genuine affection meant just for me. Kids love/need the reassurance in a cruel and violent world that there is love and affection available to them. Don't withhold affection because you are angry. Address negative behavior and then hug them. Your love is not dependent upon their behavior.... so prove it in your actions.
3~ Bedding close to baby.....Your child is likely sleeping on his or her own at this point, but if your child is like mine, there are times that because of bad dreams or insomnia, your child wanders into your room. Our bed is always open to a little person in need of some cuddles in the night. Nothing chases away bad dreams faster than the safety of mom and dad's bed. Nighttime parenting does not end when your child sleeps through the night.
4~Breastfeeding...... While your kids will wean at some point, their need for healthy, well balanced eating does not stop. We like our produce to be organically grown, our pasta to be whole grain, our meat to be growth hormone free, and our farmers to be local. We're working towards growing much of our own, but until we get there, the farmer's market is a good option. This is a GREAT cookbook for kids: http://www.doitdelicious.com/
5~Belief in the value of baby's cry...... or older child's words. Listen to your kids. Identify the underlying emotions. Validate their feelings. This doesn't mean you should allow your children to speak disrespectfully to you, but you could try something like this, "I know you feel frustrated and angry right now, and I want to hear what you have to say, but it's hard for me to understand you when you are wining like that. Can you try to say it clearly and respectfully?" Or when your kids are still younger, offer them alternative wording. They may not be able to think of a different way to say it. "Instead of saying, 'I'm huuuuunnnngrrryyyyy!!!' did you mean to say, 'mommy, may I please have a snack?'" Open, respectful communication is soooo important especially as your kids move into adolescence. If your kids don't feel like they can talk to you, they will talk to someone else. Do you really trust a complete stranger to advise your child regarding important issues and decisions in their life? The open communication starts now.
6~Beware of baby trainers...... You are the expert on your child. You can accept advice with grace, but nobody else has the complete picture of your child. Trust in the Lord and the intuition He has given you when parenting your kids. Just because a Dr says you should put your kids on behavior modifying meds doesn't mean you have to. You may think my kid is a handful, but I'd rather my hands be full of love than anything else, any day!!!
7~Balance......Keep your focus on Jesus. He can lead and guide you in the best way to be the best for your children. Love the Lord and love your kids. That's what it all boils down to. Chuck Smith says, "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken". Truer words aren't often spoken.
So that being said, I gotta go make a snack for my 6 year old.....
Until next time
Here are the 7 baby "Bs" and how I would suggest they translate into dealing with older children
1~Birth Bonding..... Ok... drop 'birth' and what is left? Bonding! How does one bond with someone else? Share experiences!! Bonding is a process that can continue past the point of birth. We bond when life experiences are shared and we are drawn closer together as a result. Do things with your child. Be there when important events occur. Learn with your child. Encourage your child. Cheer on your child. Be at the spelling bee, soccer game, awards ceremony, dentist appointment, ect. Include your kids in what you're doing day to day. Making dinner? Let your kids wash the veggies. Just because a child CAN entertain themselves for long periods of time, doesn't mean they should be left alone while you go about your daily business. You may get everything done that you want, but at what cost?
2~Babywearing....... This is a method, not the underlying principle. The idea is to maintain a high-touch style of parenting. As your children get older, they continue to need this form of affection. Hugs, pats on the back, high fives, snuggle time... all these are ways to continue this concept. I like to rub lotion on my daughter's arms and hands after a bath. My brother used to wrestle with my dad. He thought he was so tough cuz he always won. My Dad was such a great attached father. He still is. He is quick to offer a hug or a shoulder rub. And I'm 26! I still appreciate it. My mom is the same way. So many times, while sitting in church, she would reach over and scratch my back, or massage my hand. (that feels so good btw.... ) Those little touches that nobody else saw made me feel like I had a great "secret" It wasn't done to make herself look like a good mom to onlookers, it was genuine affection meant just for me. Kids love/need the reassurance in a cruel and violent world that there is love and affection available to them. Don't withhold affection because you are angry. Address negative behavior and then hug them. Your love is not dependent upon their behavior.... so prove it in your actions.
3~ Bedding close to baby.....Your child is likely sleeping on his or her own at this point, but if your child is like mine, there are times that because of bad dreams or insomnia, your child wanders into your room. Our bed is always open to a little person in need of some cuddles in the night. Nothing chases away bad dreams faster than the safety of mom and dad's bed. Nighttime parenting does not end when your child sleeps through the night.
4~Breastfeeding...... While your kids will wean at some point, their need for healthy, well balanced eating does not stop. We like our produce to be organically grown, our pasta to be whole grain, our meat to be growth hormone free, and our farmers to be local. We're working towards growing much of our own, but until we get there, the farmer's market is a good option. This is a GREAT cookbook for kids: http://www.doitdelicious.com/
5~Belief in the value of baby's cry...... or older child's words. Listen to your kids. Identify the underlying emotions. Validate their feelings. This doesn't mean you should allow your children to speak disrespectfully to you, but you could try something like this, "I know you feel frustrated and angry right now, and I want to hear what you have to say, but it's hard for me to understand you when you are wining like that. Can you try to say it clearly and respectfully?" Or when your kids are still younger, offer them alternative wording. They may not be able to think of a different way to say it. "Instead of saying, 'I'm huuuuunnnngrrryyyyy!!!' did you mean to say, 'mommy, may I please have a snack?'" Open, respectful communication is soooo important especially as your kids move into adolescence. If your kids don't feel like they can talk to you, they will talk to someone else. Do you really trust a complete stranger to advise your child regarding important issues and decisions in their life? The open communication starts now.
6~Beware of baby trainers...... You are the expert on your child. You can accept advice with grace, but nobody else has the complete picture of your child. Trust in the Lord and the intuition He has given you when parenting your kids. Just because a Dr says you should put your kids on behavior modifying meds doesn't mean you have to. You may think my kid is a handful, but I'd rather my hands be full of love than anything else, any day!!!
7~Balance......Keep your focus on Jesus. He can lead and guide you in the best way to be the best for your children. Love the Lord and love your kids. That's what it all boils down to. Chuck Smith says, "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken". Truer words aren't often spoken.
So that being said, I gotta go make a snack for my 6 year old.....
Until next time
12.15.2010
12.14.2010
New Friend...
Hello World Wide Web. I would like to introduce you to my new friend. We're still getting to know each other, but I think it's going to be a friendship that benefits my life for years to come.
World, meet Serger. I look forward to many good times!!
Pine cone Christmas tree
C-chan's art project today was really fun. All you need is some paint, a pine cone, and glitter/beads/whatever you want to decorate with.
Until next time~
Stash Shots!
So I did a strip of all the diapers and since I had them all out and in one place, I figured I'd snap a few stash shots. Here is the whole bunch together:
Haaaa! Doesn't this picture give you a real clear idea of what all I have and use on a daily basis? Juuuust kidding!
Here is a better shot:
These are the pocket diapers at the top... I usually stuff them with the embellished gerber prefolds that you see to the right of them in the picture. Down toward the bottom of the row, where it splits, you see the covers. These go over the Indian prefolds that are pictured here;
The Indian prefolds are at the top with the orange border. These are the nice, cushy absorbent prefolds that are my workhorse diaper. We use these at night, with a doubler (pictured at the far right) and the wool at night. The colorful diapers in the middle are my All in Ones (or AIO's) These have the doubler sewn into it and are the easiest/most like disposable diapers that we have. I use these mostly when J-kun is going to Grandma's house or the church nursery or anywhere else where the convenience is appreciated. :)
Pictured here are the wipes. I make wipe solution and put these wet directly into the typical wipe container. OR I have spray that I throw into the bucket and spray directly on J-kun before wiping. Depends on my mood which method I choose......
This is that spray.
THIS is my favorite diaper of them all:
Until next time~
Haaaa! Doesn't this picture give you a real clear idea of what all I have and use on a daily basis? Juuuust kidding!
Here is a better shot:
My stash isn't nearly as big as some that I have seen.... but these are just the boy ones... I have many girlie ones saved for when a girl decides to exist. LOL
So to break it down a bit:
These are the pocket diapers at the top... I usually stuff them with the embellished gerber prefolds that you see to the right of them in the picture. Down toward the bottom of the row, where it splits, you see the covers. These go over the Indian prefolds that are pictured here;
The Indian prefolds are at the top with the orange border. These are the nice, cushy absorbent prefolds that are my workhorse diaper. We use these at night, with a doubler (pictured at the far right) and the wool at night. The colorful diapers in the middle are my All in Ones (or AIO's) These have the doubler sewn into it and are the easiest/most like disposable diapers that we have. I use these mostly when J-kun is going to Grandma's house or the church nursery or anywhere else where the convenience is appreciated. :)
Here is my wool shortie and a couple of my snappis. I also use the California Baby diaper cream for rashes since it's safe with the cloth.
That's about it..... I wash them with this:
12.13.2010
Finished Mei Tai!!!!
I am so excited about how well this turned out. I shed a tear to let it go to my friend. If I didn't have my heart so set on an Ergo, I would make myself one of these. It was such a fun project.
Action shot..... C-chan likes to take tilted pictures. Oh well... haha. You get the idea.
I attached a button pocket. It's just big enough for a walet, keys.... stuff like that. The hood can be tucked into the pocket if one wanted it unfolded for easy access.
And this is how it folds up. I didn't tie it for the picture, but normally it ties on the loop on my shoulder. This is great as a head support for a sleeping child or a shield from the rain should it start coming down on ya!
All in all... I'm really happy with it.
On to the next project.........
Here is the front.
This pic is a tad blurry, but you can see how it looks when the hood is not in use.
All in all... I'm really happy with it.
On to the next project.........
12.12.2010
Family Gathering
I love getting together with the fam..... it's the best! What's the point of owning a home if you can't fill it with the people you love right? We had a nice little dinner of Sloppy Joes, salad, mashed potatoes, and brownies for dessert. Yum.
The reddish drink in the pitcher is none other than this:
mixed with this:
one to one ratio.... it's divine!!!
The sloppy joe was a bit... well..... sloppy for J-kun, so he had his very own special dinner.
It was a really fun time.
I love the holidays!!!!
~Regi
The reddish drink in the pitcher is none other than this:
one to one ratio.... it's divine!!!
The sloppy joe was a bit... well..... sloppy for J-kun, so he had his very own special dinner.
I love the holidays!!!!
~Regi
12.10.2010
Mei Tai progress
I only have to attach the loops for the hood and construct/attach the pocket. Almost done! Here is where it stands now....
J-kun liked it so much I couldn't get him to get off of it long enough to take a picture. See?
He approves.
Check back later for more progress!!!~
12.08.2010
New sewing project
See the material? It's gonna be super cute. Check back for progress.
12.01.2010
Fun day with the fam.
We did our first full day at Disney. It was really fun to spend some time with family visiting from Japan. 
Here is J-kun..... he is starting to understand that you smile when someone points a camera at you. We were about to eat lunch.
See? Smile!!
Isn't my little girl beautiful? She had so much fun with her cousin.
C-chan's Thanksgiving hair.
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