Author: suburbandaddy

Conversations With A 3 Year Old

Each day I pick up the Things at preschool/daycare and the ride home is no more than 15 minutes, but the conversations are priceless. Thing 2 is very excited to tell me about his day. Any random thought that pops into his head is expressed.

Every sentence starts the same way with “Daddy. Daddy. Daddy.” He will keep saying “Daddy” until I acknowledge him with either a “yes”, or by turning around to look at him.

Today, I tried not responding just to see how many times he would say my name. I counted 9 Daddy’s before I finally said “yes”. To get an idea what that is like, say this out loud: Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Now do that for 15 minutes, the length of our ride.

Here is the gist of our conversation today. Continue reading Conversations With A 3 Year Old

What Were These Parents Thinking?

Thing 1 plays on a soccer team. At this age, it’s more of an organized play time than an actual soccer game. But he really enjoys it. I’m sure it’s a hint of what my life will become in a few years as all three kids get into it.

Each week, it is one parent’s job to bring the snack for the team. Bags of crackers, cookies, or pretzels are the norm. This week, the parent decided to bring frozen fruit flavored ice push ups. It’s like a popsicle, except smaller, fatter, and harder to open without making a mess. Especially when it is half melted from sitting in a cooler for an hour with not enough ice.

All the other parents cringed when they saw the team emerge from the snack huddle with frozen treats in hand. The kids loved it for about 6 seconds. That’s how long it takes for the popsicle to be pushed up too far and fall on the grass.

Maybe it is this parent’s way of playing a joke on the rest of us. Ha ha ha. Very funny.

Popsicle

Parenting Poll of the Week – Allowance and Chores

I was surprised to learn that many child development experts agree that linking an allowance to the completion of chores is not the best approach. I would have thought the opposite, but it kind of makes sense.

Giving money for bigger chores is ok. But regular, everyday chores, like taking out the garbage or cleaning up after dinner, are responsibilities they should be doing without monetary reward.

If daily chores are only done to get paid, then when kids get older, and have other streams of money, they’ll stop doing the chores because they don’t need the money. Makes sense.

[poll=19]

The Gift I Never Wanted

Everyone has their own God given talents. Unique skills which separate them from the pack. Sometimes the talent is, indeed, a gift. Playing the piano is a gift. Hitting a golf ball 300 yards is a gift. But sometimes, the “gift” is not something we want to have. In those cases, we’d rather be like everyone else.

But we can’t escape what we have been given. To quote Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben, “With great power comes great responsibility“.

And so, with great reluctance, I have come to recognize a talent of mine for what it is – a gift. I’m still not sure what I’m meant to do with it, but maybe someday I’ll know.

What is this great talent of mine? I can identify the smell of my kid’s poop. Yes, with a room full of people, when I hear, “Who has a dirty diaper?”, I can definitively claim, “Oh, that’s Thing 2” just by catching a whiff.

It’s not something I wanted. Or that I’m particularly proud of. But I have accepted it as one of my “gifts”.

Take The Animals To The Zoo

What to do on a long holiday weekend with the Animals Things? Take them to the zoo!

The weather was absolutely perfect so we went to the National Zoo in Washington, DC. It’s something we do once a year. It’s only a 45 minute drive, why only once a year? Because that’s about how long it takes to get over fighting the crowds for parking and trying to get through the hot monkey house while pushing two strollers.

Thing 1 got to see a Capybara, which, for unexplained reasons, he finds hilarious.
Capybara

Thing 2 got to see a tiger. He is obsessed with tigers and calls them Shere Khan after the one in The Jungle Book Movie. He stood at the railing, totally mesmerized, watching the tiger pace back and forth. Then, the tiger did something that amused every kid there to no end. He pooped in the water! This remains the highlight of the trip to my kids. I have to admit, it was pretty funny.

Shere Khan Pooping

Thing 3 was just happy to be out and about, shoving cheerios into his face, and watching the crowds of people go by.

At The Zoo

Parenting Poll Of The Week – Does Spanking Work?

Last week I went to Red Robin for lunch. Sitting in the booth next to us was a toddler girl, maybe 2 or 3 years, with her mom. The girl kept standing up and turning around to our table, like toddlers do, but it wasn’t what I would call particularly bad behavior. Believe me, I have seen bad table behavior.

The mom was in a bad mood and wanted the girl to sit in her seat and wait patiently for the food to come. After asking demanding she sit down, the mom said very sternly:

“If you don’t sit down now, I will spank you right here in the middle of the restaurant and everyone will see!”

I wasn’t surprised that, to a toddler, the threat of being humiliated in public would have no effect. I mean, my toddler thinks nothing of skipping, dancing, or singing in public places. Or of being naked while doing those things.

We don’t spank our kids. It’s not so much because I am morally against it. I just don’t see how it actually works in disciplining kids. This mom could have had much better results if she had thought to bring some simple toys or snacks for her kid. Or maybe get up and walk around until the food was there.

Clearly, the spanking method she was using was not effective. I don’t have any problem with parents being allowed to spank their kids. As long as it doesn’t cross the line to abuse, they have the right. I just don’t see how it can work.

[poll=18]

Update On Our Patient

Kick Me SignAfter two weeks + one day of recovery time, Thing 1 returned to preschool yesterday. He still has bandage strips covering the scar, so we haven’t seen what it looks like since the stitches were taken out.

He really is a great patient. He follows all the rules and never complains. He enjoyed the extra attention, though I’m sure he’d rather be back to jumping and climbing and playing like a four and a half year old. Continue reading Update On Our Patient