tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post1466591250796953248..comments2024-03-29T01:05:17.952-05:00Comments on Making Home: My Seven-Month-Old Ate Dirt... (and other true confessions)Jess Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00372282510182101716noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-24963466064532943622008-11-16T15:27:00.000-06:002008-11-16T15:27:00.000-06:00As a mom with now only teenagers, I am loving this...As a mom with now only teenagers, I am loving this post and what some of you younger moms are putting here with quotes and such from your littles. When you are having one of those "my kid ate dirt twice" weeks just remember that this will soon be distant memories that you will enjoy and no longer feel badly about. There will come a day, in a quick future, where these things will be humble reminders of how good our God is and what a blessing these babies are that He graces our lives with temporarily with their presence and that He trusts us with His most precious belongings, even when they are eating bugs and dirt and rolling their little rebellious eyes. :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-54238669462261824542008-11-15T15:52:00.000-06:002008-11-15T15:52:00.000-06:00Love your blog. My 1yo just the other day had a ni...Love your blog. My 1yo just the other day had a nice piece of semi-mashed banana in her mouth... that she had already digested once.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07772806759549891037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-5202187650749192162008-11-13T15:18:00.000-06:002008-11-13T15:18:00.000-06:00Lauren,For starters, I stop him every time he says...Lauren,<BR/>For starters, I stop him every time he says anything, call him over to me, look him in the eye, and let him know, "you don't talk to mommy like that. yes ma'am?" and I'd expect to hear, "yes ma'am." Then, I'd remind him that he's to obey his mommy the first time. Then repeat the request/instruction whatever... and expect an affirmative response. <BR/><BR/>If this doesn't happen, or if portions break down (for example, the non-cheerful response... or running away when you tell him to come), then it's time for training sessions. Everything else gets put aside. Eat oatmeal for lunch. Toys can be put away. Etc. But focus in on teaching the right responses, one at a time if need be. <BR/><BR/>Spend lots and LOTS of time together-- I really take issue with the "send em to the time-out-seat/room/place-to-stew" method. Often, it only exacerbates the problem. A good source for how to deal with this and train is the <A HREF="http://www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com/" REL="nofollow">Raising Godly Tomatoes website.</A> Elizabeth is a very wise woman and subscribes to the parenting style I would say I most closely follow. Close, careful attention by parents-- training and teaching along the way.<BR/><BR/>Check it out.<BR/><BR/>But, essentially, I'd train, step-by-step until he responds appropriately. If that meant losing toys for the morning until he responded appropriately (obediently, willingly, and cheerfully), that's what it would be. If it meant that he needed to help me with a particular job/chore while he worked on changing his attitude from defiance to respect, then that's what we'd do. <BR/><BR/>We'd train as we go... which is what Baxter's been getting these last couple of weeks or so. And he's definitely all but stopped-- but it occasionally creeps in. Particularly when he's tired... sometimes I have to help him change his attitude by giving him rest during the day.<BR/><BR/>Anyhow, I've rambled... but there's the "gist" of how we would deal with back talk.<BR/><BR/>No tolerance of it... and train, train, train, until it's gone.<BR/>~JessJess Connellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00372282510182101716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-21383096035067809032008-11-13T05:50:00.000-06:002008-11-13T05:50:00.000-06:00Jess,Can you tell me what you do to tech/disciplin...Jess,<BR/>Can you tell me what you do to tech/discipline the 4 year old with his back-talking? My three year old has been doing this for several weeks (maybe months at this point) now, and I have NO IDEA what the consequences should be. I try to instruct him, but he is so stubborn and nothing has seemed to get through to him. Can you help???<BR/>Thank you!<BR/>LaurenLaurenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17853087128786664283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-30338956284180111772008-11-12T19:49:00.000-06:002008-11-12T19:49:00.000-06:00Lately my four year old has been saying "No Fanks!...Lately my four year old has been saying "No Fanks! (thanks)" when we tell him to do something. It's been very frustrating! My two year old has a problem hitting or spitting when we tell him not to do something. Sometimes I really feel like I've already failed miserably. I know these stages will pass as long as we take care of them, but it's taking quite a while to accomplish.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10034445818385799623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-46853851192006378772008-11-12T04:46:00.000-06:002008-11-12T04:46:00.000-06:00I used to eat Rollie Pollie Bugs or some like to c...I used to eat Rollie Pollie Bugs or some like to call Potato Bugs. I was 1-2 years old and would flick them so they'd turn into a little ball, pick them up, all the while my mom trying to dig them out of my mouth. I don't know which is worse...bugs or dirt???<BR/><BR/>Psalm 121...Lilli has just learned 121:2!! She LOVES memorizing Scripture...she'll say, "Okay, which one can I do next?!" It makes my heart just sing! But she's also the kid who has started making faces behind my back if she doesn't get her way...grr...lol.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-39356955887128339702008-11-12T01:40:00.000-06:002008-11-12T01:40:00.000-06:00"No, ma'am. Of course I won't."I love it! What a..."No, ma'am. Of course I won't."<BR/><BR/>I love it! What a respectful little rebel you have! :)<BR/><BR/>My 1 year old has single handedly destroyed our carpet. Guess who hasn't been getting his share of tomato staking, lol!Carlettahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07980716707225502492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-21291416040145187232008-11-11T15:40:00.000-06:002008-11-11T15:40:00.000-06:00As a mom of six, I so often feel like people have ...As a mom of six, I so often feel like people have this view that I must be extra special to "manage" this many kids. <BR/><BR/>The truth is that I am so not special, far from it in fact. My kids have eaten dirt, one even his own poop at 9 months. And there have been far worse things, far uglier things that they have experienced with their sinful mom then a little dirt in the mouth. <BR/><BR/>I just posted last night about the way people view me as a mom compared to the reality of who I actually am. I am thankful that my children's hearts are held much more carefully by His hands, then my own feeble ones. Here is a link to my post if I am allowed to do that: http://brazenhusseys.blogspot.com/2008/11/not-she-but-he.html<BR/><BR/>Thanks Jess!<BR/><BR/><BR/>~TashaBrazen Hussey'shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862027305480649279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-73656387687105312652008-11-11T12:25:00.000-06:002008-11-11T12:25:00.000-06:00Thanks Jess, great honest post. Kids are kids, the...Thanks Jess, great honest post. Kids are kids, they aren't perfect and they aren't adults. (And I guess adults aren't perfect either LOL)<BR/>My three year old has been in a bossy phase off and on for nearly 6 months. I think it's some side effect of starting to master language. But if I hear "Mommy get my _____ now." I'm going to scream back. ;-)Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18031256003548447236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-45371580825053698852008-11-11T11:44:00.000-06:002008-11-11T11:44:00.000-06:00Great post, Jess. It is so important that as we re...Great post, Jess. It is so important that as we read these blogs we do so with the proper perspective. It makes all the differences. We can receive encouragement such as you have provided here, but given that all of our families are different, have various needs, schedules, and temperments, it is certainly unwise to compare our lives to what a blogger chooses to reveal about her life. Besides, don't we all usually put our best foot forward when company stops by?Elspeth https://www.blogger.com/profile/17495546895657214080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-70691364754956425242008-11-11T10:42:00.000-06:002008-11-11T10:42:00.000-06:00"half a cricket she wasn't even related to"My new ..."half a cricket she wasn't even related to"<BR/><BR/>My new favorite quote!Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01926184833095262275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-12383512241225568142008-11-11T10:08:00.000-06:002008-11-11T10:08:00.000-06:00Great post Jess!I have recently had to deal with m...Great post Jess!<BR/><BR/>I have recently had to deal with marker on the wall, rocks and chocolate chips up the nose, rice all over the floor, a canning jar smashed on tile floor.....and that was just my 2 year old.<BR/><BR/>My 5 year old just demanded that I carry him to the bathroom because he was just too tired.<BR/><BR/>If my 8 year old gets really upset with my decision about something, she will cry and throw herself on her bed in a very dramatic fashion.<BR/><BR/><BR/>And then I think about all the grief I caused my mom.....Tanyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12392207208831832652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-42460900984070928992008-11-11T08:36:00.000-06:002008-11-11T08:36:00.000-06:00I'm having a good little giggle at Baxter. He just...I'm having a good little giggle at Baxter. He just sounds so innocently matter-of-fact. Of course he is. Ha! ;-)<BR/><BR/>You know my daughter, the one with the curly hair, the big blue eyes, the ever so girly-girl? When she was a little over a year old, we found her with a cricket in her mouth. OK, that's not quite true. We found her with half a cricket in her mouth. She'd already eaten the other half.<BR/><BR/>We still remind her of this. She won't share a drink with her dad or brothers, but she ate half a cricket she wasn't even related to.*~Tamara~*https://www.blogger.com/profile/06459404172856021413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-4946620484744792282008-11-11T07:13:00.000-06:002008-11-11T07:13:00.000-06:00Regarding the futility of comparing yourself to ot...Regarding the futility of comparing yourself to others, here are some words of wisdom I read once:<BR/><BR/>"Your child does not compare you to other mothers. To your child, you are the best mother."<BR/><BR/>Laurie BAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-21471745409952509802008-11-10T23:33:00.000-06:002008-11-10T23:33:00.000-06:00Great Post! Thanks for being real in a blogging w...Great Post! Thanks for being real in a blogging world where all too many moms seem like the perfect, gentle Christian mamas with angelic little ones. I have pen markings on the wall, a sinkful of dirty dishes, and 3 very demanding little ones 3 and under. Tonight afforded me two shocking things. One, I was holding my 3-month old and standing near the stove and he kicked his bare little foot out and touched it to a hot pan briefly. It's not red or blistered or anything but he screamed like crazy and I felt HORRIBLE! Two, my 3 year old just out of the blue said to me, "If you don't give me more corn for supper I'm going to scream at you!" As if that would work!<BR/>Even though some days are tough, I love being a mom!<BR/>Thanks for your wonderful vulnerability.LShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06922592892646378973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-42823863416052841642008-11-10T23:03:00.000-06:002008-11-10T23:03:00.000-06:00Yeah, this isn't a transition issue; it's an attit...Yeah, this isn't a transition issue; it's an attitude issue. We do give more than adequate heads up about things when warrented.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the advice though.Jess Connellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00372282510182101716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-13500146622268970602008-11-10T21:14:00.000-06:002008-11-10T21:14:00.000-06:00Eating dirt isn't so bad! Sure, you wouldn't set o...Eating dirt isn't so bad! Sure, you wouldn't set out to give your baby dirt, but some people think we keep our houses too clean, and that's why our modern western kids have so many more allergies. I've read that farm kids rarely have allergies.<BR/><BR/>I second Kim's suggestion on transitions. We call it "closing out play." As in, you can play with that one more time before we clean up, or you can choose three more songs before it's time to get in the car, or we can play one more card game before it's time to get ready for bed. Those warnings can be really good for preventing tantrums/meltdowns. (Though four-year-olds seem to inevitably go through a talking back phase.)<BR/><BR/>Laurie BAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-36616369208564928092008-11-10T19:38:00.000-06:002008-11-10T19:38:00.000-06:00Hi Jess - I realized that I have made a habit of a...Hi Jess - I realized that I have made a habit of always checking your blog and would like to add you to my blogroll, if thats ok. You can check me out, so to speak, at sanetransitions.blogspot.com<BR/><BR/>-Sheilascarphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11739443078497005864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-61046171194369882502008-11-10T19:05:00.000-06:002008-11-10T19:05:00.000-06:00Oh, yours sound just like mine! Except I m/c the ...Oh, yours sound just like mine! Except I m/c the one that would be six so mine are 8, 4, 2, and 10 months. Thanks for being honest.Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00396716408304381802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-41878822732821878982008-11-10T18:26:00.000-06:002008-11-10T18:26:00.000-06:00From an older mom...dirt eating is no big deal. B...From an older mom...dirt eating is no big deal. But the eye rolling can be a big deal. My unsolicited advice is to remember that children need to remember that rolling the eyes is exactly the same as saying, "You're wrong Mom and I'm right." It is disrespectful and should be addressed as a serious issue. It's sighing, whining, complaining, arguing....silently. Doing any of these things would result in Bible memorization, removal of enjoyable activities and probably spankings. Why does a six year old think he knows better than his parents? Just my two cents.The Pennington Pointhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00396822511615580906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-6306981127419806132008-11-10T10:40:00.000-06:002008-11-10T10:40:00.000-06:00We will not be held accountable, as parents, for w...We will not be held accountable, as parents, for what our kids do...we will be held accountable for how we direct them when they do what they do! They WILL "do stuff"...and it is our responsibility to point them in the right/biblical direction and correct them accordingly. Our kids aren't perfect any more than we are perfect. But we have been given the big job of training them. <BR/><BR/>Several years ago my husband and I were teaching a class of little children. One of the girls was very disruptive and disrespectful. Whenever I would correct her, she would roll her eyes! I ended up bringing it to the attention of her mom, who proceded to make excuses for her daughter..."she's A.D.D." Her daughter ended up not wanting to come to class because she didn't like me. Her mother never corrected her behavior and wasn't used to being corrected, so she didn't like me. Well...that young girl is now a teenager. She is still the same way. In the middle of church she just gets up and leaves. She wanders around outside. She doesn't pay attention. she hangs all over her boyfriend...and she is still not being corrected. They are still making excuses for her. <BR/><BR/>We don't laugh at bad behavior or make excuses. We are supposed to be in constant "training mode", and constant "praying mode". It's the long, hard haul...but that is what we will be held accountable for!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07075313642309338412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-1870426729940535812008-11-10T09:22:00.000-06:002008-11-10T09:22:00.000-06:00My fifteen-year old won't study for tests and is g...My fifteen-year old won't study for tests and is getting F's because of it. <BR/><BR/>My 19-month old has been sat in front of the TV too often lately in order to give me time to focus on homeschooling the 15-year old. <BR/><BR/>My 6-month old decided she was not only going to crawl, but pull herself up to standing and has hit her head on every conceivable piece of furniture and the floor more times than I can count.<BR/><BR/>Big hugs from another Mommy trying her best to be there for her kiddos and hating to admit that she is all-too-frustratingly human. :)<BR/><BR/>JenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-31277986577251712652008-11-10T01:42:00.000-06:002008-11-10T01:42:00.000-06:00Maria said:"No, ma'am. Of course I won't."At least...Maria said:<BR/><I>"No, ma'am. Of course I won't."<BR/><BR/>At least he's polite!</I><BR/><BR/>That's one of the things that absolutely cracked Doug & I up. He doesn't realize how funny his "refusal" sounds. :) Sometimes it's really hard not to burst out laughing when our kids are being ornery.<BR/><BR/><BR/><I>BTW, Jess, I'm thinking about corporeal punishment (ie spanking) and alking to different moms about their views & experiences. Have you blogged about this? What do you think?</I><BR/><BR/>I haven't blogged about it, that I can remember. But I think the Bible is very, very clear about it. It's not "p.c.", and many modern moms think it's not clear, but I believe God's Word speaks very plainly about it. <BR/><BR/>Feel free to e-mail me about it (that invitation is extended to anyone) if you want a more frank discussion about it (thoughts, how-tos, why-tos, etc.). <A HREF="makinghome@pobox.com" REL="nofollow">makinghome@pobox.com</A> It's a controversial thing and right now I'm not prepared to have a public discussion about it. Perhaps at some future point, but right now, I am quite willing to discuss it in real life or via e-mail, but not so much (for now) in this public forum.<BR/><BR/>Thanks,<BR/>JessJess Connellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00372282510182101716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-61723965945236689232008-11-09T23:49:00.000-06:002008-11-09T23:49:00.000-06:00I have played the game of comparisons so many time...I have played the game of comparisons so many times in my life, and as you said, it truly steals joy from the heart. Thanks for the reminder that no one has it perfect! :)Rebekahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17225411889838800415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32444916.post-2903231872507456922008-11-09T23:15:00.000-06:002008-11-09T23:15:00.000-06:00Oh, and I have quite a few crayon and marker marks...Oh, and I have quite a few crayon and marker marks all over my house. If we ever try to sell, we'll HAVE to repaint.Serenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00959242204818975269noreply@blogger.com