Okay mamas...what are you concerning yourselves with these days?

[KrisM]

Hmm. Let's see.

Disipline - he's starting to have a real temper!

Climbing - he's gotten onto the coffee table a couple of times.

Speech - no words here, either. Some sounds that are consistent, but only DH and I have any idea what it means.

[lizamann]

Just wanted to clarify that I am all for enriching activities, but I don't think it has to be with fancy die-your-own wool kinds of crafts, you know? Even the stuff in "Slow and Steady get me ready" drives me bonkers (anyone want my copy?). I'm all for going to toddler day camp, music class, the water park, playing in the kitchen, coloring, stickers, etc. But cutting out 14 different kinds of snowflakes is just not up my alley!

I guess with us, when we get bored we leave the house. So I haven't had to come up with tons of entertaining stuff for inside yet.

[californiagirl]

MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE. OK, I can understand that the daycare is currently working with a couple of kids on saying "Mine!" instead of biting when somebody tries to take your toy away, but this is getting absurd. She says "MINE MINE MINE" if you try to tie her shoes, or if DH puts his arm around me, or if you touch her fork to help her eat, and another thousand times a day it seems. AND she's taken up this occasional piercing shriek.

Sleep -- although oh please let the music keep working! 2 happy going to bed nights in a row!

Her hair. Yeah, I know, hardly earthshattering. But I think it's time for a haircut, except it's just kind of thin and straggly and I can't imagine she won't come out looking more like a boy than she already does.

Keeping her from killing herself. She seems to hurt herself at least once a day -- and that's at home on a daycare day, we can really rack it up the weekends. She fell out of her hammock, ran into a wall, fell down wooden stairs onto gravel, hurt her head by sticking it through the back of a chair and then trying to pull it out, slipped and fell in the bathroom, etc. etc. etc. For all but one of these incidents we were right there, too.

[hjdong]

Sleep - Always at the top of our list. Naps and going to bed. He has gotten to the point where he quite pleasantly stays in his room and doesn't sleep. He stays up until about 11 p.m. and for a while was refusing naps (although now that he's staying up to 11, he's back to napping). He's just so darn crabby.

Speech - Pronouns - Could he please just learn me and you, I and you, etc. (he still has them reversed about 50% of the time) He's getting there but when he's tired - see the above about sleep - he still gets it wrong)? And why does it bother me so much anyway?

Library time - DS loves books. I could read to him at home for a good half hour. At the library however, he will not sit still. I go, because I think it's good for him and I'm hoping he'll learn, but it drives me nuts.

Waiting - No, I can';t help you *right this instant*. Again, something I think is important for him to learn, but truly, it would be easier to help him this instant.

And last, but not least, do it youself - There are so many things that are easier for me to do for him, but he should be doing, and he wants to do. I'm training myself to let him do things himself. Actually, this is also on my what I'm not worrying about - I'm not worrying about when he does it wrong and I am worrying about letting him do it.

[Puddy73]

Food - I think DD eats too much "snack" type food like Cheerios and raisins. Lately she has been rejecting cheese, and she doesn't really like milk. She also still throws food, which brings us to worry #2 . . .

Discipline - DD is VERY willful. She routinely throws things or goes into full-out tantrum mode when she doesn't get her way. I'm reading about gentle discipline and positive parenting, but am finding it hard to implement consistently.

Potty training - a few months ago, she would routinely use the potty. Now she absolutely refuses.

Finding stimulating activities - I think she is watching too much TV and not getting enough intellectual stimulation. I hate to admit it, but some days I am exhausted after work and I plunk her down in front of JoJo's Circus or the Wiggles. I'm having a hard time coming up with fun, inexpensive things to do with her in my small town. Most classes (gymboree, swimming, signing, etc.) are in the morning or early afternoon when I'm at work. When I get home, we tend to play with the same toys and read the same stories and it seems a bit boring.

Jennifer
Mommy to Annabelle 9/03 & a little pumpkin due 10/05

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

[hobey]

DS possibly developing bad allergies or asthma - he's a noisy nose breather while sleeping but I think this only bothers me. No sleep disruptions on his end, thank god. And my wonderful ped understands my maternal neurosis

Making sure he's properly socialized to other kids - DS is one of the most social kids I know when we're out but he's always with either me or DH. I know that shared play doesn't happen until 2-3 but I still can't help worrying.

Taking a header down the stairs - he's a fearless kid and we've caught him trying to step down the stairs without help because he wants to do it by himself

Raquel
Nathan's Mom 12/19/03

[alleyoop]

Ugh, my running list:

-The paci! I have got to just bite the bullet and get him off of it. The problem is that he is SUCH a great sleeper and napper (and, god how I value those synchronized naps) and I don't want to mess with that!

-Potty. Um, will he ever show willingness to pee in the potty?

-Discipline. Now that he has figured out how to unscrew all caps, open all locks and doors and climb on or over everything...well, NO seems to be the only thing I say. Smart, curious and willful is a deadly combination.

-Gentle! Please don't pop your sister's head off, bend her fingers back, roll trucks on her noggin, stick things in her eyes or "help" her crawl. Thanks.


Edited to catch spelling.

[mudder17]

Hmm...good question:

Whether I'm working hard enough to provide her with a varied enough diet so that she won't develop a picky pallette. So far she's great with her meat, veggies, and non-milk dairy, but the only fruit she eats regularly is bananas--I just haven't worked hard enough to introduce her to fruits and lately she's been eating mostly sweet potatoes or peas for veggeis. I feel like I need to offer her more variety.

Am I spending enough quality time with her--I've been sick lately and I feel like I've really dropped the ball with sitting down with her and reading books with her and playing with her. I don't talk that much to her, so she's not exactly verbal although she has been doing a lot of "singing". She imitated a bird call the other day, which I thought was SOOO cute. I feel like I should sing and talk to her more often.

Sleep: She'll sleep through the night for days and then suddenly wake up in the middle of the night for food and I (and DH) sit there debating whether we should go in or let her cry. It's so hard to know what to do. But overall, sleep is going well, I think.


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ies/candle.gif

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...n_gold_12m.gif , 15 months & counting
Kaya's cousin, due October 9th!!!

[wendmatt]

The worry never ends does it!
Speech. DD was diagnosed with apraxia and didn't start to say anything (other than no and Nan) until 27mths. She does quite well now but still struggles and talks really quietly as she is not confident.

Shyness. DD will turn away from anyone trying to talk to her. At playgroup she only wants to play where there are no other kids. I keep taking her though in hopes she'll make a friend.

Do I give her enough attention. Sometimes I don't know if I'm attentive enough. I try but then I find I have to look something up on the computer (not all the time) but I feel guilty about that.

When should I send her to preschool, 3 or wait till 4 as she's so shy or will it help her.

I'm sure there are more but that's it for now. It does help to know other people worry about the same stuff.

[muskiesusan]

Meals-I already have one picky eater who refuses veggies/fruits and now Alex is following the same path. I know it's texture related, but not sure what to do about it. I really hate that they won't eat fruits/veggies straight.

Nick starting preschool as he is so shy/cautious/dependent/attached/etc. I am worried about his adjustment.

Nick socializing with other kids. He is not as "exposed" as other kids seem to be around here in terms of media exposure (doesn't know about Spiderman or Star Wars-those types of things). I worry that this will set him apart from other kids thus them thinking he is weird. I can't stop thinking that he will be made fun of constantly as he is a bit eccentric in some of his ways. Also, the bad habits they seem to pick up, which I know is unpreventable, but I hate it!!!


Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04