9 Discipline Alternative Methods

"Stop fighting." 

"Come here!" 

"Sit down!" 

"Leave your sister alone." 

"Give it back!" 

"No!" 

"Stay away from the door." 

"Calm down!" 

These quotes were  all said within a five-minute time frame.  It's been one of those days when you're obviously fussing at the wall because the kids are not listening.  While I do discipline, I tend to turn to alternatives on days like this.  Because when they keep at it, discipline is not doing the trick.  Discipline alternative methods give them some grace and me some peace.  So everybody wins!  The ones that work best for us are based on the concept of redirection.  

1. Play with The Kids - When I'm on the floor with them they don't fight or fuss; We simply eat our pretend cake & drink our fake juice out of a toy pepper shaker.  This is my go-to because it usually works so well. 

2. Enlist Little Helpers- Sometimes there's too much for me to do around the house.  So instead of playing with them, they help me.  My kids absolutely suck at helping; it drives me up the wall.  They put the clothes in the dryer way too slowly, and the table they wiped off usually isn't too clean.  But it gives them a great sense of accomplishment, and they stay out of trouble.  So it's totally worth it! 

3. Give Them Work- Whether it's a craft project, food to make, or just a coloring sheet. Give them something to do on their naughty days.  They'll be more focused on coloring Elmo's head purple instead of the walls. The more my kids have to do, the better they behave.  

4. Bathe Them- My kids love taking baths.  It seems to have some magical effect on them.  They're still wild and crazy when the bath is over, but they listen better.  And the bath gives me a small break to gather my thoughts.

5. Go Outside (Or Somewhere Else)- Let them run, climb, dance, jump, and play all those negative behaviors away.  In general, there are usually fewer rules outside; so there's less of a chance that they'll get in trouble.  And everyone gets some fresh air.

6. Go For a Ride To Nowhere- This is cheating. But my mother-in-law used to drive my youngest around the neighborhood sometimes because that was what calmed him down from his tantrums when I wasn't around.  I figured if it fixed his tantrums, it may fix his bad behavior too.  It does.  And I can get errands done.  If you don't have a car or don't want to drive, you can walk them around the neighborhood.

7.Read a Story/ Vice Versa- I usually begin reading to the boys. But because they're in a mood, they end up not listening.  So I convince them to read to me.  They love it! They get to make up stories and use up all their imagination.  I'll usually cut them off in the middle of their story and promise them that they can read to me later on if they behave.  This bites me in the butt at bedtime when I have to listen to them read for 30 minutes, but they do behave so that they can tell their own bedtime stories. It's a trick that has not failed for them

8. Have a Secret Weapon- Also cheating, but my weapon is a favorite movie.  Every few weeks or so when I've had it and all my options are exhausted, I will pull out The Lion King.  It's their favorite movie of all time, and I do not let them watch it often. So it keeps its undeniable appeal to them every time I play it. And I can just be a lazy parent for the next 1.5 hour or however long I play it.  A secret weapon is anything they love!

9. Talk!- Talking to kids is very effective.  Use short sentences and small words.  Get straight to the point, and they get it! They understand; they respond. They're smarter than we give them credit for. 

To avoid more time-outs, I got on the floor and played with my boys for an hour today, and then let them read to me while I folded laundry.  We then had a nice talk afterward, just to make sure we were all clear.  I can hear them rowdy-ing up again, but it's almost bedtime.  We made it over 6 hours with no need for discipline...That's pretty good.

Kitchen Creations: Garlic Bread Spinach Alfredo Pizzas

Dinner tonight was everyone's favorite.

The super fast. 

Really easy.

Cheap. 

Ridiculously yummy....

These things are filling & versatile.  You can add chicken or broccoli or just have cheese. 

You can also make tomato based pizzas. We just use the alfredo recipe because it pairs so well with  the garlic flavor, and it has the texture of a deep dish,

Ingredients:

Alfredo Sauce

Garlic Bread or Garlic Toast

Mozzarella Cheese

Spinach 

Directions:

You can make these easy meals alone or with the kiddies, and they'll still clean up easily with the use of foil.  The best part about the garlic bread pizzas is that they are very cheap.  I spend around $6 on the ingredients.  Tonight we just added a box of $1 penne noodles and used the rest of the sauce to make alfredo noodles. We spent a grand total of $7 on tonight's dinner! 

Seriously, you can't get better than tasty, cheap, easy, AND fast. 

At Home K2 & K3 Curriculum (& Schedule)

I was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday and just could not sit up long enough to post.  But I'm back today!  I've seen that a lot of kids have started or are starting school; Summer is officially ending for the kiddies. (All non-homeschooling parents are celebrating!) Unfortunately, it's ending for my little babes, too.  Starting September 1 (Thursday) they will be enrolling in Mommy Academy.  I'm so freaking excited, especially since this is my first year with them at home.  So pulling from the daycare I used to work at-- they have an amazing curriculum- and from myself, I made my own 2K & 3K curriculum.
I have not finished my syllabus yet but when I do, I will be more than happy to share. But today I wanted to share the new schedule I'll be implementing, and the curriculums I've made. (Please note my kids already know some of the stuff on my curriculum; this is just things they need to know by the end of the "school year".)

         K2 Curriculum

• Count 1-30 
• Alphabet (letter sounds and recognition)
• Sign Alphabet
• Spanish Alphabet
• Spell & Recognize First Name
• Speak in Sentences
• Seasons (And What They Do)
• Months
• Days
• Weather
• Colors
• Shapes (square, triangle, circle, oval, star, heart, diamond, rectangle)
• Following a Schedule
• Following 3-step Directions
• Body Parts
• Senses
• Personal Hygiene
• Manners
• Proper Eating

            K3 Curriculum 

• Writing Letters & Numbers
• Coloring within the Lines (Not Scribbling)
• Matching Letters (Upper & Lowercase)
• What Day of The Week It Is
• Review, Learn, and Draw Shapes (pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, decagon)
• Using Technology
• Proper Eating
• Manners
• Personal Hygiene
• Review Senses
• Review Colors 
• Review Numbers 
• Write, Recognize, and Spell Full Name
• Sign Letters
• Recognize Sight Words/ Translate Sight Words to Spanish
• Write Numbers 1-30

The boys' schedule is from 9am until 4:30pm, but because it is my schedule: I may go over or under the times set.  I plan on using this as more of a guideline.  But honestly, with my kids, the more I have for them to do, the less they get in trouble. 

Daily Schedule

9:00am Breakfast/ Free Time

10:00am- 10:15am Storytime 

10:15am- 10:30am Songs

10:30am- 11:00am Interactive Circle Time 

11:00am- 11:30am Sky class and classwork/ Zai read books or do puzzles

11:30am- 12:00pm Zai class and classwork/ Sky read books or do puzzles

12:00pm- 12:30pm Free Time/ Break

12:30pm- 1:00pm Lunch

1:00pm- 2:00pm Weekly Activity (Pick a different one each day:Science Experiment, Outdoor Activity, Bible Story & Movie, Music/ Art & Movie, Outing)

2:00pm- 3:30pm Nap Time/ Quiet Time

3:30pm- 3:45pm Snack

3:45pm- 4:30pm Exercise/ Movement

Postpartum Pick-Me-Ups

I'm in an awesome mood today, but that is not always the case when you're postpartum.  A lot of women suffer from postpartum depression and/or anxiety, and that's nothing to be ashamed of.
There are obvious things that help: getting a sitter, going out, or talking to your doctor and getting a prescription.   But for one reason or another, some women just can't do those things. So I've put a short list of my personal postpartum pick-me-ups together.

1. Breathe & Stretch
Shallow breath in, deep breath out. Exhale twice as long as you inhale.  Ground yourself: repeat a mantra, state things around you, whatever will help soothe you.
I repeat: My name , my age, who I am.
It's comforting to me. I spent forever figuring out who I am; so knowing that in a time of weakness makes me feel a little bit stronger. If you don't know who you are list off hobbies and likes, even if they aren't talents. For an example, I consider myself a dancer; dancing makes me feel amazing.  But I don't possess the rhythm or coordination necessary to make a skill out of it.
And stretching just feels awesome and relaxes you!

2. Favorite snack (or some other favorite thing) 
I'm not talking about binge eating. Hey, someone's favorite snack may be blueberries! My tip here is: chocolate is not always good for you, neither is a soda, but depression and anxiety are much worse for you. Having something to look forward to puts me at ease. But you can definitely replace the snack with some other favorite- like a movie, a bible scripture, 15 minutes to dance; I usually pick chocolate. My overall point is: take the few extra calories over a panic attack if you have to. And again I'm not endorsing binge eating; I'm just saying treat yourself.

3. Watch what you eat
Yes, I'm contradicting myself. Here's what I'm saying: one snack a day isn't going to kill you. However, if you constantly eat junk food: it's doing more harm than good.   Eat real meals with vegetables and fruit, vitamins and protein. Constant fast food and chips aren't just bad for your body, they're horrible for your mind too.  It's a huge difference in how you feel once you cut the junk down. I've found that I'm more prone to anxiety when we've had more fast, fried, and unhealthy food.

4. Hot bath/shower
You never have time, right? Wrong (for most people anyway). Disconnect from social media and television, and I'm sure that somewhere in your day you will find that you have at least 30 minutes to take a hot, relaxing bath or shower.  I wake up early just to get my "me" time in. It makes a huge difference in how my day goes and how I feel.

4. Be positive
This is the hardest and easiest. I have not always been optimistic. But fake positivity is stronger than real negativity. Even if you don't believe "it's going to be okay" say it anyway, out loud.  If you're just pissing yourself off, keep saying it. Repeat it. Say it louder. Write it down.  Fake it until you make it. This is actual advice I've received from a professional, and it works the best for me on my worse days. I guess it's hard to remain in a negative mindset when you're forcing yourself to think positive.

Postpartum depression doesn't come in a day, so it's definitely not going to leave in one. There are other tricks that aren't listed that you can do to ease the symptoms. But I strongly encourage you to seek help if you need it; don't ever shy away from calling the doctor if you are the slightest bit worried.  Postpartum depression is very common and very real & can lead to causing harm to yourself or others.  I just wanted to share some of my tricks with y'all (& they may not work for everyone), and let ladies know that you are definitely not alone. 

Fun with Boxes

I know you're crazy about the title right? We have a ton of boxes leftover from recent internet buys, I stopped my husband from throwing them out, and swore I'd find something to do with them. This was three days ago. Last night I was told to do something with the boxes or they were getting thrown out. So the boys and I spent the later afternoon crafting with boxes!

We only had small and medium boxes, no huge boxes.  I usually just sit them inside of huge boxes with some markers and let them go crazy.  I see big boxes as an opportunity to clean, and not have them behind me destroying everything.  

I didn't have that luxury today, but we did think of some pretty cool stuff to do with the boxes.
1. Picnics in a box - the clean up was quick and easy, and they got to eat dinner in front of the television. Everybody wins!

2. Backdrop for dinosaurs! - or dolls or farm animals. Make a stage for whatever your child is into. I'd like to take a second to brag on myself for this backdrop. It turned out pretty good and I have zero artistic talent. So I'm going to pat myself on the back. I used green paint and blue and yellow chalk, and it only took me 15 minutes.

3. Decorate and use for storage- It's a no-brainer: reuse the box. I think this would look super neat with random pieces of wrapping paper all over it, but we didn't have that at hand. So construction and computer paper it was! We spent around an hour decorating the box.

4. Make connecting pieces out of the flaps - they painted & colored them with chalk. I cut them out into shapes and cut (roughly) a 1.5-inch slit in them. When they actually played with it only the big non-triangular pieces with the slit in the middle survived. But the rest of the pieces actually proved to be pretty durable!

Do yall have any ideas on what to do with leftover boxes? 

(Sidenote: I have no idea why the text is highlighted.)  

Home Remedy: Onions

My sweet girl has been a little congested for the last week. I've been trying to wait her out, but I finally gave in & pulled out my secret weapon: onions.

I've been using onions for my family for about 2.5 years.  Whenever any of us get sick: I turn on the humidifier, slap on some vapor rub, and use onion socks.  Onion socks are onion slices inside your socks.  Pair them with a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar and a cup of Chamomile & Peppermint Tea with lemon, cinnamon, & honey, and we are better within 2 days. (The tea is also pretty good when you aren't sick, by the way.)  The natural way works fast, but it seems as if it immediately attacks the cold not the symptoms.  You are getting better; it just doesn't feel like it.  So I give my kids Tylenol two or three times, just to take the edge off and reduce any fevers. 

Another kind of relevant onion trick is for a teething child. It's rumored that cold green onions help soothe their gums.  Both of my boys actually ate room temperature onions, & they were not fussy "teethers".  Isn't it obvious? I swear by onion remedies. 

But I digress. Noelle is only 3 months old. I avoid giving her unnecessary medicine; and I'm definitely not feeding her onions.  About three hours ago, I gave her a bath in a steamy bathroom- she bathed in the sink while the hot shower ran.  I then used the handy nose sucker thing, and let her smell yellow onions for about 15 minutes. To get her to smell the onions, I put them in a napkin, and placed them on my breast during a feeding.  She did not like the way I smelled at all.  She squirmed, wiggled, and hit me a few times, but latched on after a while. And I'm glad she did! It cleared her nasal passages within a few minutes. Just for added measures, I put onion socks on her feet; the mucus has not come back! I actually feel bad now for letting her go the week with congestion.  Yes, my baby smells like a casserole, and the onions are daddy repellent; but my beautiful girl is now happy and breathing just fine now.  Besides, I rather enjoy the smell of onions. 

Kitchen Creations: Fried Steak Ka-bobs

So I've been trying to find a way to cook steaks and give them the "grilled" taste when a grill isn't available.  I am slowly realizing that may not be possible, but I did find a super cool way to make them: frying them! 

And no, I'm not talking country fried; I mean regular fried.  And we actually enjoyed it more than skillet steak (which is our go-to for steak).  It's not the healthiest, but it is definitely something we will do again.  

Before I begin I'd like to add that I cooked both skillet and fried steak yesterday.  I had the skillet as back up (just in case frying it was a complete failure), but I ended up just comparing the two instead. 

The skillet is juicier and softer; it also had the possibility to range from rare to well

The fried is a bit more tender and more flavorful; it cooks really fast so it was well done after about 3 minutes. 

Here's how I made our fried steak ka-bobs!  (Ingredients are in bold)

First I marinated the steak for 4 hours - you can do more or less. More time= more flavor. Less time=less flavor.  I poke holes in the steak before marinating (see the picture below of me threatening the steak with a knife, haha!) , I think it helps absorb the flavor, but that's optional...

 I'm pretty sure any marinade will work for frying, but my marinade was sweet and tangy if you want to try: 

11/2 Worcestershire 

1/2 Cup Catalina Dressing

1 Cup Italian Dressing

1 Cap full of Lemon Juice

I also used this time to chop up our veggies.  We used green peppers and onions, because I knew that they would take the same amount of time to cook as the steak. Use whatever you want here, but note that if you're cooking potatoes they'll have to fry longer than the steak. 

When to do when it is time to cook:

1. Fill pan halfway with oil 

2. Heat oil- should sizzle and bubble when you add water or a pinch of flour

3.Take steak out of fridge

4. Take steak out of marinade, draining excess marinade off of it 

5. Season steak to taste. We are huge garlic fans. So we used garlic powder, black powder, and salt.

6. Once the oil is heated: add steak & veggies slowly

7. Fry around 3 minutes

8. Drain 

9 "Ka-bob" it however you like (put them on the skewers)   (: 

Adding the onion and green pepper gave my tangy marinade some extra flavor and cut down on the sweetness. It all mixed together really well; my husband even ate a few extra ones!  I now have an excuse to buy the stew meat when it's on sale.

Kiddie Pool Fun

About 2 months ago, I got a little baby pool from Family Dollar for $8.  Summer's almost over, and we've only used it once.  Why? Because I really don't care for sitting outside by the pool and watching them waddle around for hours.  Today I joined them & we had so much fun together. 

We started out stomping, splashing, and cupping water on each other. We even shot some bubble guns.  I used this opportunity to practice counting with them: we'd stomp once or splash nine times. When you're in the water fun & education can go hand-in-hand, but splashing got old to me after five minutes (my attention span is short).

So I pulled out the baking soda, and let them dump it in the water.  If the oohs weren't satisfying enough, the squeals and giggles from when I added the vinegar were! I explained to them that we were inside a chemical reaction (which is science) that we called "fizz".  They understood that the water had changed; that was good enough for me.  This was so gratifying and intense, but very short lived.  The 20 seconds were definitely worth it though. 

After that excitement died down, I grabbed the food coloring to keep our water party going. My plan was too pour them in different sections of the pool to review colors, and slowly mix them to make colors. What actually happened, the boys got really excited, and I let them go rogue with the bottles. But they loved the colored water! Put some dish detergent in the mix, and... COLORED BUBBLES!  What kid doesn't love bubbles...especially if they're red?!  Mine love them so much they kicked me out the pool; They said they needed room to play (whatever). 

I was pretty psyched to find that the kiddie pool is actually pretty versatile: it can be as educational or fun as you want it to be. You can mix colors, test your sailboats, fish for shapes, do what we did (which I highly suggest), or anything else. It's really not a bore if you add to it.  And it's pretty easy on the wallet; that's always a plus.  We will probably be going outside again tomorrow.

Tot Party Playlist

Here's the thing: I absolutely HATE to exercise, but I love to dance (even if it looks like I'm stomping roaches). My boys love to dance too, so we have impromptu dance parties all the time. But I just cant boogie down to the cleverly made Choo Choo Soul for an extended period of time. 

My answer:A playlist of old & newer songs. (They are clean and edited, but I would give it a brief listen first. I'm a bit laid back, and as long as the vulgarity is at a minimum I don't worry about it.  But you may not allow your children to listen to what I allow my children to listen to; I understand that.)
Don't be surprised if you're more into it than the kids; that happens to me more often than not. 

My Tot Dance Party Playlist!!!-- press play :)

Song List:

1. Too Close - Alex Clare
2. Work - Rihanna ft. Drake
3. Take Care - Drake ft. Rihanna
4. Comfortable - K Camp
5. Turn Down for What - DJ Snake ft. Lil Jon
6. Bulletproof - La Roux
7. Honky Tonk Badonkadonk - Trace Adkins
8. Get Me Bodied (extended) - Beyonce
9. Country Girl (Shake It for Me) - Luke Bryan
10. Whip, NaeNae - Silento
11. London Bridge - Fergie
12. Wobble - V.I.C.
13. Rather Be- Clean Bandit
14. Monster - Paramore
15. Cupid Shuffle - Cupid
16. Work from Home - Fifth Harmony
17. 1,2 Step - Ciara ft. Missy Elliot
18. Candyman - Zedd & Aloe Blacc
19. Teach Me How to Dougie - South Cali District
20. Walk it Out - DJ Unk 
21. Cat Daddy
22. Get Silly - V.I.C. 
23. Runningman Dance
24. We R Who We R - Ke$ha

My Review: Suicide Squad

Yesterday Jeffrey (my husband) and I got to go on a date (a true rarity).  

We went to a bar, and finally saw Suicide Squad; It was much needed quality time together. 

I was a bit unsure about watching the movie. I've heard and seen mixed reviews, but we decided to check it out anyway. 

So here's my movie review, just to add to the other thousands out there. (I tried to leave out any real spoilers...)

Graphics: could have been better. They aren't horrible, but they aren't the best thing.

Characters: 

Enchantress- She would've been better if the actress was better. She's a witch/ghost who moves in a weird way. I feel like the actress moved her hips a little too hard in the movie; it just didn't look fluid. That bugged me. 

Diablo - This dude was a bore until the end; His story is a good one though.  

Deadshot - Will Smith was a way better version of Hitch-- just with a gun and no powers.  A clever, sarcastic hit man. 

Captain Boomerang - Eh...Just eh. 

Amanda Willer - I've, personally, never been disappointed by Viola Davis. I hated the character, but I think that was the point. 

Killer Croc - I disliked looking at him, but this dude is no villain. He was actually pretty cool, especially for someone who has a few lines. 

Colonel Rick Flag- I don't love or hate him nor the actor that plays him. 

Katana- She's a total samurai, and her mask was just distracting. I know it's supposed to look like that, but I just could not take her serious.

Harley Quinn- Oh my goodness! Margot Robbie does an absolutely amazing job! She's funny, crazy, sexy, charismatic, flirty, and she carries around a freaking bat! I'm seriously obsessed now. Harley Quinn somehow managed to have an undeniable connection with Deadshot, and still be completely crazy about Joker. I hope and pray that there is a Harley Quinn movie coming soon.

Joker- Heath Ledger will probably always be the best joker I've ever witnessed. However, I thought Jared Leto did great. Instead of heartless, gangster, psychotic, and psychopathic, he was a more romantic and poetically deranged version. Honestly, Heath Ledger's joker would not have made the colorful love story with Harley Quinn as believable as Leto's. My biggest fear for this movie was whether or not Joker was passable, and he definitely was. 

Plot & Action Sequence: It's PG13. There's nothing too gory, but there is a good bit of action. Shootings, bombs, magic, boomerangs, and bats: it's a sequence that works.  Except for Harley Quinn and Deadshot, the individual story lines were a bit rushed. But the plot was interesting and fun. I enjoyed watching the bad guys be the good guys, yet still remain the bad guys. Most of them even seemed to have redeemed from their former selves by the end. 

All in all: I loved this movie. It was exciting and a bit funny. Honestly, Margot Robbie made this movie; she has made a fan out of me! I rate it a 7.8 out of 10. 

The theater seemed to have mixed reviews, just by watching the facial expressions of those leaving . 

And all of my friends or family that have seen it, enjoyed it...well, with the exception of my husband. 

He didn't hate it, but he was not crazy about it. (But he, too, enjoyed Harley Quinn.)

If you follow comic books, the movie is probably a bust. But if you just want to enjoy a movie, it's pretty good. I recommend it. It's not something you have to see in theaters, but it is worth a watch. 

White Wine Mixer

...
Let me start by saying. I'm no connoisseur. 

I love wine; but I love it because of the way it blends with other flavors. 

Unless I really need it, I don't drink wine in abundance by itself. 

That being said: I buy the cheapest wine. 

This bottle of Winking Owl Chardonnay

 was at Aldi's for $2.89 

(great deal!)

In my personal opinion: it tastes the same as the $7- $15 bottles, and the glasses of Chardonnay you order at most restaurants. 

One of my "tasters" says it's a bit more bitter, but he still drank majority of my bottle. So it's definitely tolerable. 

The orange juice gives this mixer a slight fruity taste, but you mostly taste the wine cooler (or the ginger ale).

Here's what you need: 
-Ice
-White Wine (I used Chardonnay)
- Fuzzy Navel Wine Cooler  OR Ginger Ale (I actually ran out of Ginger Ale, which is why I used the Fuzzy Navel) 
- Orange Juice with no pulp 
-Halved Grapes (optional)

I layered it: 

Orange Juice

Wine

Wine Cooler

And another splash of Orange Juice

Stir & Add Grapes.

ENJOY

& let me know what you think! 

Kitchen Creations: Frozen FruitSauce

I could not think of a good name for these. But I promise you they taste better than they sound. 

They are fun, easy to make, and quick to prepare. 

So even if you only have 5 minutes, that's plenty of time to grab your tot and get some quality time in. OR just do it by yourself if you want. 

You need: 
1.Applesauce
2.Fruit of your Choice - cut and drained (I used canned pears)
3. Popsicle Mold OR a Rubber Ice Cube Tray
4. Funnel [optional]

Here's what you do: 
1. Pour apple sauce into mold or tray (with or without funnel).
2. Add fruit
3. Freeze

 I used the funnel to cut down on messes with the applesauce. My boys held it, and I poured the applesauce in. Mommy did not feel like cleaning up any extra messes today! But they did do the fruit by themselves. 

...

You can layer the fruit and applesauce however you want if you have the popsicle mold. And these make pretty cute bites if you're using the ice tray! 

...

The best thing about these treats is: they are awesome for breakfast- especially in the summer time. 

Healthy, fast, and frozen. Pair it with a granola bar and you have a pretty awesome start to your day!

(Just remember: These are frozen treats; Not so good for kids to take on the go.) 

Potty Time

Every  parent's 4-letter-word: potty training! 

It's messy, & it takes way too much work. But I got my little Azariah [Az-uh-rye-uh] Parker potty trained within a week. (YAYYY! No more diapers for his chunky bottom! )

Here are my methods:

(I should add that I've also worked in the potty training room at a daycare for year; you can trust me.)

1. BE READY

My way is cost effective, but messy & takes consistency. Don't start then stop, it'll take longer & confuse the child. So you have to commit! And ensure everyone around your child is committed as well. 

For an example: Don't start if the daycare can't start potty training them yet. This will confuse most children, and make the process take longer. 

2. MAKE SURE THEY ARE READY

They have to be able to communicate some type of way. And I don't start training kids until they know what pee and poop is. Most children have obvious signs: asking, watching, taking off diapers, peeing in the floor, etc. to let you know they are ready.

3. GET STARTED

My universal tips: 

1.) Clear a weekend (or a few days); once you start you are not going to want to take your child out for a few days, and you probably aren't going to want company.

2.) Buy underwear & pull-ups, and be prepared for a bottomless baby.

3.) Be consistent. I've said it before, I will say it again: you need to be consistent with this. I'm talking true dedication!

4.) Every child pretty much starts the same: 

You tell them to go potty & show them the ropes. You have to be patient waiting for the first pee in the toilet with some, and others will act like they were born to potty (lucky you)! I sent my children (and class) to their first potty about 20 minutes after breakfast. 

Days 1 to 3: I leave my children naked while they get the hang of it, and let them sleep in pull-ups (or diapers). 

Days 4-7: I move them into underwear all day, and allow them to continue sleeping in pull-ups (or diapers). (This step may take longer, I always made sure they had at least 2 good days before moving on.)

Day 8: they are in underwear all day and night.  I suggest cutting off drinks 2-3 hours before bedtime, and sending them to the bathroom before bed. I would also wake them up to potty anytime you're up at night, just until they get used to going to the bathroom when they get the urge. 

4. WHICH ONE IS YOUR CHILD? PICK A CATEGORY (OR 2 OR 3)

You may have to mix and match to see what works best for your child. But these tips will make potty training go more smoothly for both of you! And they help speed up the process...

A. Attention seeker - this kid loves attention. As a wise man once said "any attention is better than no attention" . Good or bad, this kid wants attention

This child will usually respond well to praising the good and ignoring the bad.

When accidents happen: change their clothes, have them help clean their mess, and keep going on like nothing ever happened. Remind them to pee in the potty, but do it in a monotonous way.

When they use the potty correctly, have a bathroom party.

B. Mommy's/Daddy's Baby - Mommy's Boys, Daddy's boys, Mommy's girls, Daddy's girls, even Grandma's boys. (Most children fit somewhere under this category, but there are a few independent babies out there!)

Let them follow their hero to the potty, and encourage them "See, Mommy goes pee in the potty too." or "look Daddy's a big boy; he's going potty", and also try to get them to go after you. Praise is a big one for this one too- especially if it's from the one they look up to the most.

When accidents happen: don't scold. Encourage them to help clean it up, and gently (yet firmly) remind them where we go potty.

My oldest falls in this category, and it is a bit difference if there is a mix of gender. He still sits on the potty, and wipes after peeing. He's been potty trained over a year now. (You pick your battles; I'll pick mine).

C. Praise lovers - Any time there is clapping, stickers, or a prize this child is all for it! They are the easiest to please, and to potty train.

It's simple: love praise, don't like being scolded.

When they potty: have a bathroom party, clap, hand out jelly beans, let them watch their favorite movie, give them milk. Give them stickers, lollipops, candy, fruit loops, cheerios, books, toys, claps, cheers, whatever makes them happy! 

At the daycare, my students loved to dance! I've literally played songs after they went potty! Get creative, and use whatever works for your child.

For accidents: scold & make them help clean.

D. Independent - Whenever they can do something alone, they are pleased. This child is the hardest to potty train

Sadly, no bathroom parties here.

Independent children are usually independent learners. You are basically going to show them the ropes, and let them go on their own. Ask them if they have to potty, and then send them. Ask follow up questions "did you wipe?", "did you wash your hands?" and give them encouragement & small praises such as stickers, high fives, or an "awesome job!"

Be interested and encouraging, but laid back.

With messes, say things like " try to make it to the potty next time". From what I've seen the independent child has the most messes, and, sometimes learns a bit slower. But the look on their faces when they finally get it is priceless. So be patient.

E. Anxious - Some children show anxiety symptoms when it's time to actually use the potty

Be prepared to talk and encourage.

The same method you would use for talking someone of the ledge, you will use for them. They may require for you to be with them every step of the way. So go potty with them, praise them when they do go potty, and remind them of past times that they've gone. Phrases like "see, it's not so hard." and "I knew you could do it!" really take flight with them.

During accidents: ask them to help clean (even if they enjoy cleaning), and encourage them to keep trying. Phrases like "accidents happen" help. If the child is anxious, scolding will only worsen their anxiety.

But the more they potty, the more they will come out of it.  They just have to adjust. 

F. Hard headed - I myself have one of these. The opposite of what I say, Azariah does.

My little Parker threw this former daycare teacher for a loop, so I made another category. I'm going to go over what worked for him.

He had to be escorted to the bathroom, because he told me "no" or "I don't want to" every time I asked. So for this child, I recommend paying attention. Escort them to the bathroom door, and keep an eye on them. But you don't  have to go in with them; they'll appreciate the trust (even if it's completely false). I was close enough to praise correct potty usage, and scold him trying to throw toilet paper in the tub.

For messes: he cleaned them up alone, and then sat on the potty for 2-3 minutes. (While he was on the potty, I'd go behind him and clean his mess up correctly.) Making him sit on the potty made him realize he was going to have to go potty either way. I'd also ask him, over & over; " where do we pee pee?" & "Where do we poo poo?" . Paired with consistency, repetition helped a lot with him! But now we have conquered, and moved on to dressing ourselves ( yeesh)! 

There is no "easy" way to potty train, and accidents will happen! I woke up to a wet toddler this morning, but it comes with the territory.  If you're anything like me you would happily trade daily poop diapers for an occasional load of soiled laundry. So don't give up!!

Umm... A Brief Intermission???

Have you ever posted from an iPhone? This is aggravating!
Currently, I am having technical difficulties (UGHHH!)
But the laptop will be up and running tomorrow, and  I WILL have 3 more posts up!
I'm covering: potty training tips, a cheap wine mix, and a fun snack that the kids can make.


Yesterday, I said it gets better, but you have to stick with me just one more day. But I do sincerely apologize for my inconvience, y'all...

Prelude

I'm actually a nervous wreck behind this laptop.  My fingers are slipping, and I can't seem to get my words together. Add a breastfeeding infant and a sleeping husband that has me cuddled beneath him... I'm an extremely uncomfortable, nervous wreck; But you can call me Kayla. I suck at introductions, but I'm giving it a shot anyway.

I'm not the greatest writer, and my grammar is average at best; but I am interesting. I'm an amateur chef, a hilarious crafter & stay-at-home mother of 3 (3&under - see picture).

 On a daily basis I'm asked EVERYTHING! Advice (I'm qualified to be a psychologist at this point), toddler activities, hair tips and everything else between. So I decided to try my hand at a blog & see where it goes (be forewarned that it will go all over the place). But just hang in there with me: I promise it gets better.

Skipping along...

I drink cheap wine, I read, I write, and I roam the house in floral nightgowns circa 1960's (think granny). I don't have it all together, but that's what I enjoy about life! Being messy, creating disasters, making mistakes, & learning lessons. To be honest: I walk to the beat of a broken drum with imaginary flowers in my hair.