2) Tried to overcome said anxiety by taking part in a "park crawl" today. 15 adults, 25 kids, 6 parks. We only went to two of the parks because a) I am sleep deprived (thx Mo) and b) it was getting close to poop time. I wasn't wrong tho!! LW pooped when we got home. Mom instinct for the win (How much will he love me later in life for sharing his fecal schedule!?)
3) Block feeding Mo is going great. I am a huge fan and his belly is too.
4) We got a Bob Duallie (Revolution SE) and I am obsessed with it. Bye Valco!! Sorry it didn't work out. I'm just a jogger stroller fan forever.
5) I had to change strategies yesterday on how I parent. It's only day two, but so far so very, very good. Here's what's up:
LW is very strong willed and stubborn. I mean, hello, he's two. In my previous post I mentioned we do tons of TV and iPhone time. I've now learned the error in my ways the hard way because already, after 5 weeks of Mo being around, LW will throw a raging tantrum if he isn't given a screen to stare at. I am embarrassed.
As much as screens have been our method of survival these last 5 weeks his tantrums and methods of defiance have gotten dangerous. As in, running away from me in parking lots or into the street. I feel he doesn't listen as an act of attention seeking and I think the remedy is more kne doing mentally and physically stimulating activities together.
So yesterday I decided to call it quits on screens. He ONLY gets screen time if Simon needs my undivided attention (aka: nursing) and that's when I get screen time too. So all other times my phone is tucked away and the TV is off.
As a reward for surviving the first morning of this, we went to the pool. HUGE success!! Day two we did the park crawl. Another success!!
I am excited to see what will happen long term. I plan on letting us watch movies, etc together but I think I need to start treating them as a special occasion not just "Tuesday afternoon boredom". The weather has helped us with this but a lot of the time we spend together is inside anyway. I've been rotating him from a busy bag activity to his train table, cars, playing catch, red light/green light, going on walks, learning to clean up.
Which brings me to the other part of this new parenting I am trying....cleaning up. LW wouldn't know where his toys went unless you paid him...and that's what I've started doing. He has become a pretty fierce "grazer" and won't really eat meals at all. So now, unless he puts a toy away or its legitimately meal time, he doesn't get any food. He begged for snacks all day yesterday and only actually earned one. You know what...? HE LIVED! I thought he would throw bigger tantrums about it than he did but when I would try to help him earn his snack he proved he wasn't that hungry. It's kind of a win/lose because that means he's not cleaning up either, but it's day two...so I'm not worrying about it. After his nap yesterday I asked him to put away all of the books he threw on the floor (in defiance of the nap) and he did! It took FOR.EV.ER but he totally listened and did it. After that he didn't even ask for or want a snack, he just wanted to play. I'm thinking snacks have been feeding a need other than hunger.
I am learning that him testing my patience by taking his time doing what I have asked (ex: putting the books away for 10 min) is wayyyy better than him testing my patience doing what HE has asked (running away in a busy parking lot).
To be continued!! Can't wait to see how this goes.
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