The Naughty Step

All children test boundaries. It is their way of learning right from wrong, what is acceptable and what isn't, and how far they can go. There comes a point in time where a simple "no" just won't work and there has to be some consequences for their actions. It is then that you can introduce time-out and the naughty step.
M has a new little kitten and loves to play with him. However, she isn't always gentle with the little kitten. She has to learn that there is a difference between throwing a doll on the floor and throwing a kitten on the floor. She also has to learn to play very gentle with him because he is small. This is an issue of safety that her parents and I have to be very firm on and that is why we use the naughty step.

Nanny's Worst Nighmare

Close your eyes. No wait, open them so you can keep reading. Now, picture this....
You and you're little one are trying to hurry home for lunch. You are in the middle of nowhere and you hear your worst fear. "Wee-wee! Wee-wee!" You're little one has to go to the potty right now and there are no restrooms in sight!

Potty Training

Here we go. I have been debating whether or not to write a post on potty training. It's going to be a long one and involve words like wee-wee and bum. But alas, it is an important part of my day with M and it's been a long journey. So, let's begin.

When I first started working with M in April, she had just turned 2 and her parents had just bought her a potty. They also bought these great books that had potty songs and different stories about Elmo and Ernie on the potty. This was great and M loved singing along to the potty songs. As the weather grew warmer and we were in the wading pool out on the back deck M would be naked and the potty would be close by. We spent a lot of time with M sitting on the potty and I would sit on the ground and read her stories or sing songs. She was getting very comfortable on the potty.

Sharing

Every child needs to learn the word "share." This is a hard concept for most children. M is no exception. She doesn't mind sharing toys that aren't hers, but it's a different story when other children come to play with her toys. It could be because M is an only child and she never has to share her toys. Today a 10 month old baby come for a visit and M didn't want to share with her. It was a good thing the little baby didn't mind and didn't know the difference. M grabbed her toys from the little baby and said "NO." Ms. nicely explained to M that the baby just wanted to use them for a little bit and then was going to give them back. This seemed to calm M down a little bit. Both her and the baby got a toy to play with and everything was great. Hopefully M will continue to learn how to share.

Out of Control

I have experienced the dreaded Temper Tantrum. Yesterday M threw a full on tantrum complete with kicking, screaming, and crying. I thought I would be one of those lucky people who would never have to experience this horror. I have been babysitting for a long time for many different families and this was my first tantrum. Being in the situation reminds me that it's not that easy to follow the advice about tantrums.

1. Stay calm. It's very hard to stay calm when you have a screaming child right in front of you. The pressure builds up because they are usually trying to resist something you told them to do. I found it very helpful to let M scream a little and take some deep breaths. This calmed me down and made the situation managable. It wouldn't have been good for M to get more upset because I was upset.

Terrible Twos

M had her first ballet class today. It was so lovely. All this little girls were running and jumping around in cute, pink, leotards and adorable little ballet slippers. M was so cute with her dancing and the huge smile on her face. She was the youngest in the class by far, but she did so well. And then we went home and ate cotton candy and rode unicorns....

Ya right! As if that was real life. This is really what the rest of my day was like.

First Day of School

Today was M's first day at her new school. She was very excited that both her mother and I were going to be taking her there. We walked right in, said "hi" to the teachers (all three of them) and watched as M walked away to join the other children. She was so excited about everything she had a hard time deciding what to do first. M's Mum (let's call her Ms.) and I started to leave. But Ms. kept on looking back and stopping to make sure M was okay. Ms. was so upset about having to leave M and hoping that she was going to be alright. I wonder if I'll react that way when I have children and I send them off to school. I wasn't scared about leaving M at all. I know that she gets along well with other children and loves to do new things. Maybe it's just a Mum thing and I'll have to wait to experience this. Everything was a good in the end though. We both got huge hugs when we went to pick her up. M loved her class and couldn't stop chatting about how much fun she had.

Why?

Why is it raining?
Why do I have to go to bed?
Why are you going home?

M is at the age where "why" is her favourite question. These questions are both frustrating and time consuming. We might be in the middle of eating breakfast, getting dressed, or running out the door. I know she means well, but I don't always have an answer. I try to give her the most honest answer without having to go into detail that is way above her head or her maturity level. This is hard when she asks why the homeless man is asking for money or why I have to go home at the end of the day.