The Bad News About Fast Food Never Ends

Dr. Mercola of Mercola.com usually has something of interest to me as I love to study ways to be as healthy as I can. This article,
Seagulls Fat and Infertile From Fast Food, struck me as funny mainly because it brought to mind reminders of my mom's references to white bread as "rat poison" and not fit for human consumption. While I personally do eat white flour products on occasion I know she was probably right and try to avoid them most of the time. If fast/processed food can cull the seagull population in New York maybe it would work on the rat population too. If that works what more proof would we need that we really should not be eating the stuff?

Learning to "Go Potty" - Days Three and Four

Yesterday was not a great day in the potty training department due to a nasty diaper rash Miss T. developed the previous evening. She had gone in her pull-ups while out and about with her parents and no one realized it. When it came to their attention it was too late. It is a terrible side effect of some medication she is on. It makes things odorless and as caustic as battery acid. Poor baby!

The effect of the diaper rash has been to make her very nervous about going. She stays dry fine until she is asleep then nature and unconsciousness take over. So yesterday was the day to apply creams and ointments to clear things up and today was the day to rebuild confidence. I've been discussing with her the benefits of going on the potty with a clear emphasis on "no more diaper rashes." She likes the sound of that. After a couple small tinklings she relaxed today as she realized it was no longer burning her. I am doing my best not to stress her on mastering this new skill and the encouragement of stickers and gold stars are working well with her :)

Learning to "Go Potty" - Day Two

Today has been an exciting one in the "going potty" world! Miss T. made the connection after a successful attempt and is now very happy about the whole thing. Of course, Dolly is now in on the action and getting stickers and praise from Miss T. too. The dog is not as happy because he never gets stickers from going outside. Apparently everyone and everything, except the fridge, is in training this week. I have earned a sticker myself and could not be more proud of it ;)

Sitting one per hour finally yielded a tinkle and after a big hug, stickers, and fuss she is totally into it. She was dry through the morning except for one spot when she started to go but caught herself so we went running to the toilet. We have not yet had a b.m. on the potty but hopefully that will come soon too.

She really wanted to nap in her lovely new under-pants so that is getting a tryout today too. We will see how it goes. I really love how accomplished little kids feel when they master this. It is written all over their happy little faces :D

Yay! Potty Training!

I am somewhat out of my blue funk but still a wee bit stressed about the possibility of leaving sometime soon. It is seeming more inevitable as Miss T. is on course to start at preschool in the fall. It would only be probably 3 days per week but I am not currently in a position to either cut my hours or work nights. As a married woman myself I have duties at home that precede working in the evenings. It is really too bad because Miss T. is turning into a lovely and loving child. I really love working with older toddlers and preschoolers. The shear cuteness is addicting!

In her latest habit she waits until I am seated with her at mealtimes and ask "So, how are you doing?" Her inflection absolutely imitates the way I talk to her and it cracks me up! I do think children need to eat with adults and learn to properly socialize at the dinner table at home just the same way you'd want them to at a restaurant. I start with the basics, "We do not throw our food," "We do not run around while others are eating," and progress to appropriate table talk.

Anyway, on to the potty training! Miss T. has been developmentally reading for a little while now but due to medications she had been on that had rather unpleasant side effects we had to postpone training. Training however I feel is a bit more heavy handed sounding than what I actually do. I go straight to underpants with the triple thickness (no pull-ups please!) and have her sit on the toilet fitted with a toddler sized seat once per hour. She gets a sticker at each sitting to put on a decorated piece of paper I put up in the bathroom. Once she is actually going on the toilet the stickers will get cut back to each successful toileting but for now "trying" counts.

She has not toileted yet but today is out first day so we will see what the rest of the week brings. She is excited about earning stickers though. We also have lined plastic underpants for indoor use when puddles would be more mess to deal with but as it is summer I am attempting to be outside a lot for the next few days. Since she has always worn disposable diapers my first order of business is to get her to connect being wet with the feeling before being wet.

Both disposable diapers and pull-ups generally keep kids so dry they are unable to detect they have gone and therefore are unlikely to make the connection. The only use I have found for pull-ups is in cases in which I am out and about with a little one in the learning phase to prevent unnecessary embarrassment in the likely event of an accident and at night. I generally let night time training happen on its own. I have them sit one last time before bed but wear either a diaper or pull-up at night until they are waking up dry for at least one week. I believe it happens on its own when they are developmentally ready. For many kids the comfort of soft, dry underpants is preferable to them and is its own motivator in the process.

When a good Nanny leaves

There is a big part of bringing a nanny into a child's life that most parents ignore. It is the fact that there chances are very, very good she will not be there until the child reaches adulthood. The days are long gone when a nanny gave up a life of her own to raise generations of children in a family. The truth is it is a mother's job to give her life for her children and you can't hire that devotion out to a stranger. Trying to do so sets a child up for a definite experience of deep loss in their young life. It never comes at a good time, because there is no good time for such a thing.

This all comes to mind because a cousin of mine, who is also a nanny, will be leaving her family to marry and start her own family soon. She is already seeing the anxiety in both the children and parents. She has been there long enough for a definite bond to form with the children and is definitely NOT looking forward to that last day when a child will likely have to be pulled, crying from her side. I've been there. It's heartbreaking.

We do our best to help raise happy, well-mannered, well-adjusted children but in the back of our minds is the day that will come when, either by our decision or the parent's, the relationship is cut short leaving a loving little one caught in the air not knowing who will catch them. We try to trust that the parents are there to do that but honestly loss is loss. Someone that child has come to love and trust and usually sees for more hours each day than anyone else is leaving them. It's the nanny who usually is there to make boo-boos better, feed them and knows all their favorite foods, songs, books, clothes.

Sorry to be such a downer but today the reality of it hit me harder than usual. Each day I see Miss T. become more loving, cheerful, funny, and attached the thought of that coming day haunts me.

Helping Little Ones Beat the Heat

Yesterday and today have been hot and humid! I tolerate heat pretty well up through the nineties then I had better cool down. Poor Miss T. loves to be outside but turns flushed, sticky, and not up to much quick. Since her parents haven't yet caught up with the quick change of temperature little Miss T. is still without a kiddie pool to chill out in.

My solution is to find some shade (either in the shadow of the house itself, under a tree, or even in the garage), a bucket of cool water, and anything child safe from which water can be poured. With these meager tools plus some drinking water for the two of us Miss T. has been cooled down and entertained for hours on end these past two days. I dress her in something that can get wet and let her splash and pour to her heart's content. She waters her own head as much as she waters the flowers with her little watering can filled and re-filled from her bucket. At the hottest part of the day I put the bucket at a step for her to sit down and dip and kick her feet in it.

With other families I've used the bathtub as a kiddie pool. I even let the kids put on their bathing suits to get in the tub with tepid water. With three or fewer kids these methods work great and use up a lot less water than running a sprinkler continuously.

A water-play bucket can even be used in conjunction with a sprinkler if there are older kids and younger kids playing in the same area. Children two and under are often afraid of a larger body of water and may not like the cold spray of a sprinkler. A bucket of water is also more easily adjusted in temperature. Most kids like it cool but not cold.

A few bath toys and plastic cups are plenty. Miss T. loves a mixing bowl and measuring cups to make "soup."

Just a few tips for safe water play:

• Never leave a child unattended with even a small amount of water.
• If you use your regular cleaning bucket make sure it is thoroughly rinsed free of any residue of cleaning products even if you use natural, non-toxic ones. It may be easier to simply get them their own bucket from the dollar store.
• Play water gets dirty fast so I discourage children from trying to drink it. Keep a sippy cup with drinking water handy and if it is still a problem give them slotted spoons and sieves rather than cups.
• I also discourage standing in the water bucket or running around with wet feet, both are fast ways to get a good boo-boo.
  
• Dress in something you don't mind getting wet too. You will get wet! If your weather is like mine here in VA you'll find a way to get wet!!

Have fun!

Photp by: http://flickr.com/photos/mydailycommute/40893069/

Grilled Cheese Two Ways

My honey, K., and I have very different ideas about some things. My mom raised me on whole wheat bread only. She actually told me white bread was rat poison! His mom is a classic New England Yankee with a strict preference for "good, white bread," such a Pepperidge Farms Country White. Our ideas about good food are sometimes different to say the least!

On Fridays K. works from home and I have a half-day. Its become a little tradition to have a simple grilled cheese lunch and then a really nice dinner. Of course, with our varied upbringings we can't have the same grilled cheese! So out comes the long griddle and breads from the freezer. I keep bread in the freezer unless it will be used the same day it's opened. I also keep a bag in the freezer for the ends to toast them up and blitz them in the blender for bread crumbs as needed.

His is a solid white (although don't tell him I've been sneaking in some of those whole grain whites made by Arnold's and Pepperidge Farms). Mine is a 100% whole grain, multi-grain bread. His gets buttered on one side each slice. Mine gets grilled dry. We both get American cheese. ;)

He likes his with bread and butter pickles on the side. I love mine with a mug of Cambell's tomato soup, sprinkled with freshly ground black peppers and, sometimes, slivers of fresh basil. In this way we share a lunch we both really enjoy!