a series of Talmage events

My sweet little boy can be really cranky when he wakes up from his nap. He just whines and squirms around on the floor, so we've taught him "smile therapy". You can pretty much guess what this means, and we never knew it would turn out to be so funny...

Something else that helps him "keep his cool" is counting. He is still learning the right order...he gets so excited to say NINE, TEN! that he skips everything after 3...

A few moments after that little video, Talmage pointed to the TV and said, "Pooh?" then grabbed the dvd out of the entertainment center and proceeded to say "POOH!" while handing me Winnie The Pooh in much anticipation...he really loves his movies.

What is a mother to do?


(and here goes my rant..)
Not trying to preach here- what a mother decides to do is totally HER CHOICE. Every parent has a different parenting style based on the personality and temperament of their child. The issue of television is one that Jonathan and I have analyzed & altered over and over again... We used to let him watch lots of cartoons in the morning, and then whatever he wanted after his nap. BAD HABIT. He soon became a zombie to the TV! It's so hard to pull him away when he's so mesmerized!

One morning, as soon as he got out of bed, he went right to the remote and turned on the TV, like it was routine. I guess that was my "Uh-oh" moment. I believe in moderation in all things....So now, I let him watch Super Why and Sesame Street in the morning, then a movie (if he asks for it) in the evening. It still might be too much but we've lessened it week by week. I read in Parenting magazine that 3-4 hours of tv a day is perfectly fine, as long as it is educational and not "white noise". Any normal program for adults is considered white noise. So when he's around I don't watch anything for myself, and Jonathan and I wait until he's in bed before popping in a movie. I try to incorporate more time with puzzles, blocks, and anything constructive with his hands. And we have tried to be more dilligent with books...letting him go through as many books as he wants until he is bored with them (which usually takes at least an hour). I don't know how other mommas do it, but this is what works for us and the tantrums have definitely lessened.

I would love to hear what other moms are doing about this! I think its different when they are little babies, cause they're not really watching the TV--just being stimulated by its colors and sounds. Plus, when you breastfeed 10 hours of the day on the couch, television becomes very entertaining and a great time filler :) I hope that when baby girl arrives I can find some other way to fill the time, though...I'm sure that having a toddler around will change things, too.

In other news, Talmage is a real DADDY'S BOY these days. He loves to snuggle with his dad, anytime anywhere. And he doesn't come crying to me anymore...when I discipline him, he goes right to his dad. When Jonathan disciplines him, he still goes to his dad! I guess its a good thing...since a lot of my attention will be on the new baby after she's born.

Our funny little guy also has a newfound interest in the potty. He likes to sit on it and just think. Nothing ever comes out, of course, but he must feel so grown up on that great white throne :D

Goodness, could we love him any more??!!