Top 10 Play Things: February

After reading Our Top 10 Play Things over at Let's Explore also Totally Tots does favorites for Tot School. Both of which I love to read. I am a nosy person and love to get ideas from other. So if I love it maybe you will to. I will be posting Girlygirl's favorite things of the month on the last Monday of each month. I think it will be fun to look back at how it changes and stays the same over the year.

February's Top 10 Play Things

1. Scissors-We got these great scissors that open on their own.
2. Dolls
3. Board Games-so far she has not picked a favorite but games are fun to her right now.
4. Little People
5. Markers-mostly used to trace hands
6. Sesame Street Camping Car
7. Hair and Make up bag
8. Books-Favorite right now Go Away Big Green Monster
9. Magic Mic-Likes it best when mom or dad make music for her
10. Easel

Please share you child's favorites if you have a blog and want to blog it add that here or leave a comment with your child's Top 10. I look forward to reading them. Like I said I am nosy.

Tot School: Week Five

~30 Month~

We did a lot more thab I have picture for this week. I will just talk about the pictures. I will need to keep my camera handi next week.

Sing with Dr. Wonder Workshop. She watch tv this day and we skiped tot school because I had both my nephews here. Playing Letter MatchWe played the Pizza Game. Then she played on her own for a long time.We did an animal sponge capsules. We got them from the Dollar Tree. Play dough is one of Girlygirl's favorites right now.We went to an open gym with a friend.The open gym has so much to practice large motor skills.Sorting foam beads by shape. This is another Dollar Tree find. Play dough again later in a week.Cutting. Last week I saw Carisa use strips of paper so I did the same. If you have not tried it I would Girlygirl was so glad that she could get pieces of paper.Working on the lacing.Looking at one of her baby books. Teaching Cousin One to do Dump and Fill. Well maybe I got more pictures than I thought. If you saw that the trays I used the are just baking pans to see if I want to do the whole tray thing. It looked like good idea but before I put a lot of money in it I wanted to try it out.

Memory Game With the Memory

Girlygirl has loved games this last week. We have a few and some have worked great for her but one that she could get was Memory. I didn't but the game away and say wait until she is ready. I just changed the rules. We played Letter Match. (our game is Sesame Street and ABC game) I laid the pieces face up and found the two that matched. Girlygirl had lots of fun doing this. It was a great way to talk about letters too. This didn't work with Girlygirl yet but worked great with a little girl I use to nanny. We used half of the pieces. That way it there was less choices and the game went faster. Both big when you are trying to do anything with a two year old. Play the game normally.

Remember to play with your kids today because playing is learning. What ever you play make it work for you.

terrible twos: Time To Walk

The comes a time when a mom can't or choices not to care her tot all the time any more. I like to teach Girlygirl when I say something I mean it. This is hard when it comes to her walking when I say. I try my best not to pick her up when I have told her she has to walk. In order to get her to walk I have to get her to think or do something else. Here are some examples of what I do:

1. Walk in a different way: slow then fast, big and little steps, march, walk backwards, be a train, ect.
2. I talk about where we are going then say in a excited voice come on lets go. This works better the younger they are. It is getting hard to use this with Girlygirl.
3. I let her know today you have to walk when we are out. When she wants me to hold her I nicely tell her "Remember you are a little girl now and little girls walk." (I don't say big girl because I needed her to understand that there is a difference between her and the kids I nannied. They can do more than her because the are big.)
4. I know she can't walk that much so that helps knowing her limits. Walking into the store but needs to be able to get cart in the store. I do at time push her a little more then she is willing to do. (this does make her mad and often does cry out of anger but I try to stay up beat and encourage her)
5. When all else fails I stand behind her and hold under her arms and make her walk to the place I said. (tip: don't make this fun. if the laugh or seem to like it stop and hold their hand and try walking in a fun way.)

Take it little by little and some days will be great and some will not. Just remember to have fun when you can by making it a game. Who cares if we look silly we are teaching our kids to be great people.

Tot School: Week Four

~30 Months~

This week was a long one. Both my sitters got the same flu I had last week so we had my nephews this 3 days this week. Luckily not all the same day. We also had MOPS this week. Both Girlgirl and I love MOPS. I had great plans for this week but most of them didn't happen but we still had lots of fun.We cut coupons. Well I did she cut up the ToyRUs ad. She has loved her Little People this week. She got them out everyday.Water paint page. We danced and talked about shapes using our Elmo's Dance and Learn Mat. Glitter Glue. Lots of fun. Stacking buckets. Played Spin and Go from the Dollar Tree.Music at Aunties house.We played Candy Land for the first time and Girlgirl loved it. We tried to play to times in a row but it was to much for her. We played match the letters with one of her Memory games.

Terrible Twos: Tantrums When the Come

Terrible Twos: Tantrums When the Come

No matter what you do all tots have tantrums from time to time. If yours in in like mine some days it feels like they just are not stopping. So here is what I do when Girlygirl just get's do mad and has to tell the world. I believe she has a right to be mad. It is my job to teach her what to do when she is mad.

1. Go in other room to cry: She may have the right to be mad but I have the right not to hear yell about. The first time she got mad because something didn't go her way. I took her to her room calmly tell her, "You can't yell like that. When you are done please come out." Now most the time I just have to tell her to go to her room. I never send her to her as a punishment.
2. Ask child to claim down and listen: This works better when they are a little older. Sometime Girlygirl and I are thinking the same thing but she doesn't know it. Sometimes just getting her to listen if I can will stop the tantrum.
3. Let them know you understand: I often tell Girlygirl something like, " I know you don't want to take a bath. You are having fun playing. Mommy says it is time to take a bath. Can you help we turn on the water." Sometimes she is still mad but a lot of the times she is claims down knowing I understand.
4. Offer a hug: I try to always give her a hug as she is claiming down or when I am talking to her.
5. Rap in blancket: Sometimes Girlygirl can't claim down not often but from time to time. I just get a blanket and rap it around her and hold her tight.

Tot School: Week Three

~30 Months old~ Our school time and planned learning by me didn't happen this week. As Grammy and Poppy where here and then I had a bad flu. But I did get some unplanned learning in photos. Reading!! I am glad she loves to read so much and that she doesn't care if someone reads to her or if she reads on her own.This weeks favorite. Go Away, Big Green Monster!Bouncing on the big ball. Great to kick too. I mostly just sit her on it and help her bonce or roll her froward and back. Playing with Vtech - Tote 'N Go Laptop Plus, after doing Grammy's hair. Don't you think she looks great. I learned a great way to sign stories with Girlygirl from one of the yahoo chat groups I am in. It works out great. She has been pick up so much more sign now that she can see the stories I sign to her.Making valentines for friends and family. We will mail them out soon. We went to a Winter Carnival in Lombard. It was free. She love the glitter glue. I will have to get her some.Bye Grammy and Poppy we will miss you!!

Terrible Twos: Avoiding Tantrums

All moms with young kids know what it is like to tell their little one no or it is time to do something they are not ready for and the crying to start. Each child has different things that make them go into a tantrum but when they get there many of us don't know what to do. Lucky for me I got to learn things that worked as a nanny and teacher's aid long before I had Girlygirl. Here are a few of my thoughts about avoiding tantrums.

1. Give them a warning before it is time to clean up, go to bed or leave the house. Just telling Girlygirl in 5 minutes it is ______ works great. No she doesn't know when the 5 minutes are up but it helps her know that she will have to change what she is doing soon.
2. Try to keep your days the same most days. When changes will come in let your child know. On days we go out to do something Girlygirl and I talk about it. I am say "Today after we eat we have to get ready. We are going to go shopping today." That way she know we will not play for two or more hours after we eat.
3. Teach your child as young as you can to be able to play on their own. Don't run to your child every time they start to get mad wait a little bit to see what they will do even as a young baby.
4. Let your child help you do what you are doing. Girlygirl has a place she can come in the kitchen when I am cooking. If she does I try to find something she can do to help me or just talk to her about what I am doing. She has her own cleaning stuff to help when I clean. Sometimes I feel if she was not helping what I was doing would go faster but then the times I tell her no she ends up getting mad because she loves to be with me or making an other mess I have to clean.
5. Move your toys around. Even if you don't keep toys to rotate you can move the bed room toys to the living from or even to a new place in the room and the child will like to play with them more.
6. Don't have tantrums your self. If you get mad and yell when things don't go your way what makes you think your child will not.
7. Plan things to do each day. Your child will get broad if they are just left to play all day everyday. Some days of just all day free play is good but most days should be broken up with planned things. Bring out the play dough, have them sit at the table and play for at least 15 minutes a day, go outside, go do something, or make a craft just to name a few ideas.
8. Take time to play with your kids EVERYDAY. If they don't have to be be bad for you to stop what you are doing to talk to them they will enjoy you more.
9. To do this say what you mean and mean what you say. Don't say I am going to throw you outside if you don't stop yelling because you know you can't do that. Maybe say if you don't stop mom is going to put you in your room because that hurts my ears. Or if you say if you do that again I am going to spank you then when they do spank them. In the same way don't tell you child if they are good at the store you will buy them a candy and then not buy one when they are good or worse buy them one after being bad.
10. Teach your child your are the boss. We all have bosses in life and for now you are your child's. Tell your child , "I am the Mommy (or daddy or _____) you most listen to me." I have taught Girlygirl I am the boss. Sometimes now all I have to say is "Who is the boss?" Girlygirl will say "Mommy, Daddy". I say "Yes you have to do _____ because I am the boss."

Remember what you teach your child today is the steps to the whole life. I will be talking more about tanturms in the next few weeks. Come back to see my other thoughts.

Tot school week two

~30 months old~ This week I read Noah's Ark to Girlygirl everyday. I have 4 different books with the story in it and I read them all to her. Here are the pictures of other learning fun we had this week. WeWe made a snake with Girlygirl's name on it. She loves to glue. I taught her to play laundry basketball. She loved it and we did it everyday. We had our paints out most days. She loves it. It is cute that she is now saying that her picture is things. Often people we know. She gave her baby a bath. We cleaned the whole house.She loved the string cards this week for the first time. We have tried them before and she just got mad at how had it was. After she leaned how to do this day she was so happy to show Sweet Dude when he got home from work. Again in our jammies we played with play dough. She does the often but after reading about Tot School I sat down and played with her for a long time. Although she did play for more than an hour so I did get up to make lunch. Yea lunch in our jammies.Dancing with NuNu. (her name for her blanket) I cut out a Noah ark and pictures of a rainbow and animals for a magazine and we glued them on blue paper. Well she glued I read to her about Noah. Pointing out that she was make his big boat called an ark. I am not sure she got because she told me,"No not Noah's! POPPY'S!" We painted coffee filters and the made them into butterflies (picture below).We brushed the dog. We made a boat with blocks and filled it with the animals. And then we got out our Noah's boat. Fixed Daddy's hair. Helped make lunch. Mac and Cheese. End our week with Grammy and Poppy coming. She is looking out the window waiting. They are here!! We had a great week. Lots of fun. I can't believe how good I was at getting picture thought the week.