Awww that’s so sweet!
I had to get my monthly B12 shot on Monday and brought Pipsqueak with me. I asked if she would hold my hand and she said “dont you get these a lot without me? So you are brave enough.” 
12 Likes
Stone cold, kid.
2 Likes
Dang, that’s tough 
1 Like
I’ve been thinking about a sticker chart for Pipsqueak for something small (using the bathroom without a grown in with her for company). I had been holding off because I couldn’t think of appropriate “prizes” that weren’t sugar based and we REALLY don’t need any new toys with her birthday coming up next month.
But it turns out, she’s totally motivated by picking out a sticker! I offered to set one up and didn’t mention a prize and she was so pumped!
So we have a sticker chart and she’s using the bathroom without someone standing there doing nothing but chatting with her. 
12 Likes
I love it! The process as its own reward 
3 Likes
Had two community-focused trips in a row - road trip to rural CO to see my elderly uncle and introduce him to my kid, and flight to see wife’s best friend and introduce her to our kid, followed by a work trip in another city. We hosted our toddlers best friend for a sleepover last night so her moms could go out, and also made normal plans this weekend. It has been a busy two weeks and I am so tired I want to die, but we did it!
12 Likes
Okay, so this is a huge gold star for me personally even if it seems so small for most people here haha, bear with me:
I’ve been struggling with having any intentional connection with my kid besides bedtime. Like after work it’s the straight into the dinner bedtime rush. Story time and cuddles are always great but from end of work to bedtime it’s a black hole of battles for screen time and various routines.
But today when kid asked for Netflix I said, “you’ve watched alot already, how about we play chess?”
And for 15 minutes we played a very loosely ruled chess until he decided he wanted his grandma to read him his book about birds, which he did until his phone call with his dad.
Yay. We did actually engaging, connected activity where we laughed and cuddled.
13 Likes
That’s not small at all! So good that you can find different ways to connect.
6 Likes
AMAZING!
I have been thinking it is close to chess time but not yet for us and you are out here DOING it
4 Likes
Tonight we were leaving the park and it was getting dark so we wanted to go fast! We told toddler “you can get in the stroller or you can run home” and he chose to run! Then we said “okay! You can run home but as soon as you stop running we’re going to get in the stroller”
Worked like a charm 
and he ran like 3/4 of the mile home. Then barely even fought bedtime!
14 Likes
Story One:
Toddler has been pushing when he’s frustrated. But it turns out he is close to putting thoughts together, he just needs an assist.
TR: Pushes friend who’s over on a playdate, said they were hungry, and was given a muffin.
Me: “Hey, no pushing our friends. TR, what do you really need? Do you need a muffin too?”
TR: “Yeah. Can I have a muffin?”
Story Two:
Spore: (Getting into a tizzy bc toddler is doing toddler shit.) When TR snatches my toys it makes me really not want to be his brother anymore.
Me: Yeah, I get that. We’re helping him learn and we’re giving you your toy back but it takes toddlers a while. You know what? What if we had magic dust to sprinkle on him and turn him into a 4 year old?
Spore: (Face lights up.) Yeah! That would be cool!
8 Likes
My 8yo slammed a car door in anger so I told him to go to his bedroom for alone time.
“WHY?! I’m allowed to slam doors!” (Him trying to tell me, that hes doing anger outlet in non-harming-others ways)
“I’m not sending you to your bedroom as punishment for slamming a door. I’m sending you because you clearly need some alone time. Take the ipad and just chill for 15 minutes, OK?”
Yep kid took himself off and is getting some of that steam off now 
11 Likes
Great job!
3 Likes
He just needs 20 minutes! 
4 Likes
Nice parenting success!
@Ivy i forget where you initially shared this, but you had shared worksheets on getting little kids ready in the morning. One piece of advice was to make a visual schedule. My plan was to do that over the holidays until I hit my head and it threw off my plans.
A friend who is an SLP came over yesterday and drew a little version for us, and it honestly helped a lot! Thanks for planting the seed.
12 Likes
That’s awesome! Kids generally respond really well to visuals and everyone does better when they know the expectation, the next step, the schedule/plan.
4 Likes
I had my mom make Ravioli one and I really need to get it from her!! Glad to hear it is helping
4 Likes
It’s such a great life hack.
I made this one for Larva when we were struggling with the morning routine before school last year. I put it in a sheet protector on the fridge so she could check off the steps with a marker. She called it her “canceler” and loved it.
9 Likes
I have the template file, so if anyone wanted something similar but didn’t have the bandwidth, I could make others.
7 Likes