June 17, 2013

Toddler Tales (11): Expressing Himself

on 6/17/2013 01:15:00 PM ,
Since he started speaking, Little Dude has been focusing on his language. But more importantly, he is now trying to use his ever-expanding vocabulary to communicate. I think that is a very important development for any child. He doesn't need to cry for everything anymore! He uses a combination of gestures, words and actions to convey things. He communicates what he wants, what he wants to do, what he doesn't want to do (very often!) and also what he likes. It's interesting how he copies certain actions he has seen others do and associates them with something. So, 'dancing' is how he says he wants to watch a video (oh yeah, that's still happening!). He can swing a bat like he sees his dad or other kids. He even imitates how other kids talk or cry. I think this means that he is keen to speak and learn new things, and now he is more influenced by what he sees us and other people do.

(Toddler Tales are snippets of what I'm learning every day from my little one.)

Don't miss the next post! Sign up for my email newsletter or the RSS feed.

June 15, 2013

Bloggy Reads of the week (15.06.2013)

on 6/15/2013 01:20:00 PM
I was in a bit of a fix this week because there were so many fabulous posts and I didn't know which to pick out! So grab a cuppa and settle down for this week's Bloggy Reads...


Adrian at Dad or Alive talks about the Hollywood stereotype of 'Mr. Mom' thrust on dads in his situation. That old stereotype really needs to be put to rest now.

Now, this post at Mommy, For Real made me think really hard about my life before becoming a mother. And I'm sure it will fill you with nostalgia too!

It's very easy to dictate what a 'perfect parent' should be, but hard to become one. This guest post by RJ at Raising Wild Things talks about how we are all members of the Bad Parenting Club some time or the other.

If you're dealing with a toddler, here are some excellent tips. Read the Toddler Ten Commandments on APtly Said.

More tips, and here's one series you must follow this summer. Check out Get Ready for K Through Play at Mama Smiles.

Finally, here's something to make you smile. It's hard not to compare being a parent with being a superhero. Read the list at Let Me Start By Saying.

Have a great weekend and Happy Father's Day to all the rocking dads out there!

See last week's Bloggy Reads.

Don't miss the next post! Sign up for my email newsletter or the RSS feed.

June 13, 2013

Six baffling toddler behaviours

on 6/13/2013 12:47:00 PM , , , ,
The more I think about it, the more I feel that toddlers live in a world of their own. A world which defies all logic and reasoning, at least to the rest of us. Sometimes, I am flabbergasted by some of Little Dude's actions. But I'm sure that every parent goes through these thoughts and then gives up!

Oh, I'm very rational! 
(Pic: Larali21/ Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0) 
In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some Secret Department for Research in Mystifying Toddler Behaviour somewhere (though it makes for a horrible acronym)! We are all aware that they do strange things, these little humans, but why do they do it? Go figure.

Here's my list of six baffling toddler behaviours:
Naked run: It is common enough and no toddler list is complete without this point. But aren't they just a bit too comfortable in their own skin? It gets funnier when they want to accessorize this look with shoes or hats! Or try to strip in the mall.

Eating off the ground: I think toddlers do have some understanding of what 'dirty' is and they also have a
sense of what is not normal. So why do they find everything on the floor so appetizing? Not just the food they throw on it, but the junk too. I've already written about what a hard job it is to stop them from doing this.

Getting stuck in strange places: You hear a funny sound and see your toddler stuck in a drawer or behind the TV cabinet. It really throws you off before you can even react, doesn't it? Normally cautious toddlers will think nothing of squeezing into nooks and crannies.

They're still figuring it out at the SDRMTB
(Pic: Zaiar/ Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0)

Mouthing everything: See point two. I can't understand why, when they come upon something new, toddlers want to taste it? Is this their thought process: "Oh, here's a funny looking thingamajig. Maybe I'll just put it in my mouth to figure it out!"

Fickle desires: How can you like watermelon for two whole days in a row and then spit it out on the third? I'm sure most parents identify with this. Out toddler pals will absolutely love something - food, TV show, game, book - for a few days and hate the sight of it later.

Fighting bath and sleep time: Again, very common, but also the most illogical. What is there to hate about  a refreshing bath and a comfortable bed? I would take up that offer any time of the day!

I'll add a few that are not so common but Little Dude exhibits off and on:
- Playing anywhere except on the grass at the park
- Playing with anything except the new toys
- Standing on my feet when he can easily stand anywhere else
- Waiting for his dad to come home and then refusing to leave my side
- Putting toys in places where he can't reach and asking me to get them, again and again!

Do share your baffling toddler stories!

Don't miss the next post! Sign up for my email newsletter or the RSS feed.

June 10, 2013

Parenting ruined my brilliant brain!

on 6/10/2013 12:52:00 PM , ,
I don't know what else to blame because I can no longer rely on my brain for everything! Now, I was not brilliant in the astrophysicist kind of way before I became a parent, but I could count on it to get through life without goof-ups. Sadly, that is no longer the case. In the beginning, I had scientific reasons for my predicament - there's the pregnancy brain and baby brain. You know, first the pregnancy hormones mess you up and then the new baby kind of turns you into a zombie. But nobody told me anything about 'toddler brain' or that certain neurological connections get permanently damaged in the process of raising a child!

(Pic: HikingArtist/ Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0)
I am a bumbling mess most of the time - I don't remember what I was supposed to be doing a minute ago, I forget days of the week, I lose things and sometimes, I don't even remember what I was going to say. Huh? Allow me to backtrack a little. I was an A-student and a pretty reliable colleague when I got into the workforce. Sorry about the bragging, but I could be depended on to get everything done seamlessly. So, you can imagine my frustration at not knowing what's happening in the world (well, mostly) and not being able to have an adult conversation without talking diapers and teething. This, from a person who used to read half a dozen magazines, three newspapers and a whole bunch of news sites. Frankly, I just don't think I have the mental energy to keep with all that.

Luckily, these goof-ups don't involve anything concerning Little Dude (except burning his food a couple of times!), which is slightly ironic because I remember every little thing that I'm supposed to do for him. I'm not sure if there are any studies related to this, but I think that once attributed with parental responsibilities, the brain does some housekeeping and gets rid of all the boxes labelled 'world politics' and 'financial reforms',  'carefree thoughts' and such!

Someone please tell me I'm not the only one who's lost it!

Don't miss the next post! Sign up for my email newsletter or the RSS feed.

June 8, 2013

Bloggy Reads of the week (8.06.2013)

on 6/08/2013 03:46:00 PM



This mom hits the nail on the head when she applies Murphy's Laws to parenting. Read them at Mommy, for Real.

Here's another list you'll love. On Raising Wild Things are twelve simple pleasures that only a mom can appreciate! I think I'll add 'having hot food' to the list..

You must read this post on The Hodge Podge Diaries about how Megan's son learned the importance of hard work. Sometimes, they have to learn from life itself.

If you're a blogger, there are some excellent tips on Cropped Stories about using images on your blog. Elena also guides you on how to design eye-catching graphics for your blog.

And here's ten ways for your kids to enjoy messy play this summer, on Mess For Less. Because, if it's not messy, it's not really fun!

Have a great weekend!

See last week's Bloggy Reads.

Don't miss the next post! Sign up for my email newsletter or the RSS feed.