Babysitting- the New Birth Control? OOO, YEAH!

Video Project: How To Make Brownies

2010-04-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

Potty Training Should Parents Enforce It or Wait Until Child Is Ready?

2010-04-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

Potty training a challenge all parents face

Parents deal with different challenges when it comes to raising their children. It is definitely challenging for those who are just becoming a parent or are expecting their first child very soon. New parents are always looking for advice wherever they can reach it, whether it’s from their parents, siblings or friends. The Internet has tips for parents as well. The one challenge all parents come across is the frightful words “potty-training.” For some it can be a battle for others they let it go, but all parents know it is one of the toughest challenges they face.

Books have been written for both parent and child about potty training. Baby dolls made to help make the transition easier. Parents and children can watch videos on the do’s and don’ts of potty training. Parents try to bribe their children with treats and special underwear. Parents tell children they cannot wear the “special” underwear until they use the potty. You still get nowhere with your child. It brings parents questioning whether they should be enforcing potty-training or just wait until the child is ready.

Professional Opinions On Potty Training

Parents.com gives light to many of the potty-training questions; finding one comment from a doctor with the title, Wait until your child is ready. Peter Stavinoha, PhD, author of Stress-Free Potty Training states, “A lot of parents think their child should be trained by such and such an age. Start slow and pique interest.”

Another doctor from Oklahoma, Mark Wolraich warns, “Push it and you might end up back at square one,” and he goes on to say how the age can vary for all children to know when they are ready for the potty.

The experts say to let your child decide when it is the right time for them to use the potty. Otherwise it will end up in a battle you will not win and may cause problems. Along with the professionals it seems that most parents or even pre-school teachers agree on the same ideas when it comes to potty training.

A Parent Opinion On Potty Training

Jenifer Lang, a parent of two girls and also a pre-school educator, shares the same views as the professionals. She believes parents should wait until the child is ready to potty train.

“If you push the potty-training, you will create a lot of issues. They may not want to do it or fight you to do it and in the end they will be scared to use the potty,” says Jen.

She goes on to explain about her own daughter Julianna and how it was when she started potty training her. Julianna was her first child Jen tried to enforce potty training and it just did not work. “I tried to push my daughter around the age of two but she just wasn’t ready yet I was frustrated and she could care less, so I dropped the issue and waited a couple months until she was two and half.”

She feels her daughter by then knew the concept of the potty and was ready. It had to be on her own time, before Julianna would take to potty training. Then there was no frustration and no more battle. She was ready and she wanted to use the potty.

A Potty Training Parent

A parent who is working on potty training with her two-year-old son agrees with the professionals and Mrs. Lang when told what others opinions consisted of.

Jessica Kunsman, who is fairly young mom at age 23, wants to know all tips for potty training that she can get.

“I have been working with Wyatt since he turned two in December, but it did not seem like he was interested in the potty at first,” says Jessica, “I bought him the potty-time books, Elmo goes potty book, and even big boy panties it just did not work.” Hearing others opinions, even reading articles on potty training tips she says she sees that Wyatt will go on his time.

“I was hoping because he is around his older cousins a lot he would use the potty but now I see each child is different when it comes to potty training.” When she was asked again whether to enforce potty training or wait until the child was ready she laughed and said,

“Definitely wait until he is ready, there is no sense forcing him when he obviously is not ready, I will go with Mrs. Lang and the professionals. It takes time and they have to choose that time for the potty.”

Potty Training enforce it or wait till children are ready?survey software

OOOPPPSS! I guess it didn't work

2010-04-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

For a month now I have been feeling nauseated everyday. My body has changed and I have been nothing but tired and would rather sleep all day then get up and go. Well on March 3rd I went to the female doctor for an annual check up. ( Female doctor= gynecologist) I told the assistant how I was feeling and mentioned I have not had a period in the past month. Now, I didn't think anything of it at the time because I believe I was in a state of denial. Well, the assistant asked me if I wanted to take a pregnancy test and I agreed just in case you never know. It is when she came back with the results, reality hit me. She told me the test lit up like a light bulb and it was positive.

I was so scared at first and had so many thoughts running through my mind. How was I going to tell Jim? What was my family going to think? What was his family going to think? What were we going to do? All sorts of thoughts going through my head. I cried for at least a good six to seven hours. When I told Jim he was so excited he was going to be a dad. That made it a little better. But still had the stress of telling the families. His family was notified right away. His family was excited. My family it took another month for me to tell them. I waited for my first baby appointment on April 7th to make sure everything was okay and it was actually confirmed I was pregnant. It was. At the appointment I was 11 week and 1 day.

April 7th was also the day I told my family. I thought the reaction would be way different then it actually went. One side of me thought, it would all be a big blow up and disappointments. But deep in my heart I knew everything would be okay but still Jim and I were so nervous. I did not even have to say anything because as I begin to tell my mom she said, "Don't even say it Dawn, I already know, I knew for a long time now your dad just did not let me say anything." My mom was upset she said when she first knew but now she had time to think about it she was happy for us and is excited. I told my sisters and brothers and they were excited too. Pheww ... that was a big relief and a lot of stress off our shoulders.

Jim and I are ready to be parents and are very excited and cannot wait for our bundle of joy to come. And letting everyone lets us enjoy it even more and get more and more excited about our baby. Babysitting definitely prepared Jim and I for children sooner then are plans were and what we thought.

However, the reason I am writing this blog, is to let all those female out there who are on the birth control pill to take every caution they can. To let you know if you are taking the pill, make sure to use extra protection when you are taking a Antibiotic. Antibiotics counteracts with birth control and the pill is and will not be effective. Do not ever think if you skip a pill a day or two and you double up the next day it will be effective because it won't. When you are on birth control pill make sure you take it daily and at the same time everyday. There are other birth control methods out there you just have to ask your doctor. The pill is only effective if you take it right and watch for other medications that counteract with it. I would suggest the newer birth control methods out there if you are not ready to be a parent. I thought it would be a while before I become a parent but I know I am ready but you may not so ask your doctor about the newer methods then the pill.

Best Friends!

2010-03-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

You remember when you were younger how you would battle you brothers or sisters or maybe even your cousins over anything. Well when you put two, two-year-olds together you get the same thing. It can be annoying but also funny because they find the strangest things to fight over. Like Zoe and Hailee, who are cousins. They will fight over who gets to watch Dora The Explorer. One will stand in front of the other one (it is usually Hailee Grace) so the other cannot watch Dora. Or they will both have a juice cup but one wants the others cup. As the babysitter or the parent you just have to learn how to laugh at them because I realized no matter how hard you try they are still going to fight over little things.

Although, they do tend to be best friends because one looks for the other one if they are not together. They also have their times where they want to share and get along only if they feel like it!
Plus, looking back on when Mackenzee,5, and Lily, 7, when they were younger one time chose to fight over an imaginary pickle. It is a funny story. They were fighting run around the house and they jumped on the couch where I was sitting and started to like beat me up because I was in between them. I said, "What are you two fighting about." Mackenzee said, "Lily took my pickle," and Lily,"I had it first." When I looked at Lily there was nothing in her hands or in Mackenzee's. So I asked, "What pickle you two." They both said, "The pretend pickle!" All I could do was laugh so hard and tell them they were goofy. The two of them are inseparable when they play together now. Hopefully, Ms. Trouble and Zoe-Boa will be the same!

Hard to leave!

2010-03-25T08:03:00.001-07:00

Have you ever a child make it so hard for you leave for the day? Well my boyfriend and I do, Ms. Trouble always gets upset when we have to walk out the door for the day. Especially, because he plays with her the time she gets to the house until the minute we walk out the door. It was hard for me at first but for my boyfriend it is ten times harder. I believe it is because he feels so guilty leaving her just like I use to feel. Imagine if you are like this with a child that is not your, how much harder it will be if it is one of your own! It is going to be multiple times harder! You have to keep telling yourself you will see them later and they will stop crying or stop being in an upset mood 10 minutes after you are going. Children can make you feel so guilty in an instant, and have you feel that way all day. They just know how to channel that guilt button and keep it on. You have to try to get over this guilt though because when you have your own child you will not be able to leave at all. Reason being, that is your child and you want to be with them all the time but you have to work and be able to provide for them and remember always keep that in mind. You are leaving to work to keep them in a stable environment! Plus, if you feel upset and guilty now imagine how the first day of school will be!

So hard not to laugh!

2010-03-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

I know funerals are for mourning and filled with heartache and tears. When you mix a 2-year-old and funeral together you get a little laughter. There was a family funeral over the weekend, and my sister brought her two girls, Mackenzee (My Ompa-Lumpa) who is five and she has the best manners you could ever find in a child her age; the other one Hailee (Ms. Trouble), who is the 2-year-old, still does not know when she has to be quiet. (Well she does know how but she just refuses too sometimes.) Let me just say girlfriend knows how to shake up things.

During the priest's prayer Hailee would scream "GOBBLE-GOBBLE!" Funny right I talked about the whole gobble thing before, turkey took her bottles and that's how she calls the turkeys to come.

Well anyways, and when the priest holds up the wafer that represents bread, Hailee yells, "Mommy I want some chippies, Mommy I want some chippies please, I want chippies." This was only half of what happened but lets just say that church was not quiet during prayer. When my sister was holding the bible, Hailee smacked it out of her hand and said, "All done," when my sister told her no we were not done, Hailee yells, "I'm all done." Now when she yells its not in a bratty mean tone, it is that cute tone when 2-year-old's finally learn to put sentences and words together. I know funerals are meant to be sad but Ms. Trouble really made it uplifting and laughable. And on her behalf the ceremony was 2 and half hours long, that is very long for a 2-year-old. To them that feels like forever.

But I will apologize for those who thinks Hailee was wrong but I believe Hailee was just being 2 and she is cute and funny with the things she says and does most of the time. I laughed about about it at home but hey 2-year-olds don't no better. They especially don't know different situations when you have to be serious and when you can be funny!

Family

2010-03-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

Family. What is family? A family is something that defines who you are and what you do with life. No matter how much you screw up they are always there for you! Blood is also thicker than water and family will always be there. You may make some decisons that do not see eye to eye with you but rememember to always explain you love them and care for them no matter what they say or even think. To have your own family though you can control most things, like when is the right time to have your own family. You know a husband and children. Your own house to be responsible for and you be the one to guide your own children to right paths as much as you can. Sometimes these things happen sooner than you think and there is no telling when it will happen. You can always be prepared but noone ever is. Things fall into with or without a grip on them. You just manage and take what God gives you and run with it. One day I will be ready for it for now I just wait.

Me as a teenager

2010-03-08T18:39:00.000-08:00

I went home and asked my parents, if I was anything like my baby sister she said not actually. She put it this way. The teenager generation now is all about me and I have to be perfect and could careless about anyone else. She said my generation when we were teenagers, we were all about having it, if we wanted it we were going to get it no matter what, whether we had to take it! I asked her was that me she said a little, then I asked because I noticed the teenagers did not care about anyone but themselves, was that me? She said no you cared about people you just had other things like attitude. Thinking back to my teenage years she's right I did have a bit of an attitude. The thing I remember most when I was a teenager was never being home I was always out with my friends we never stayed inside too much just during the snow but even then we were out gallavanting around. There was no getting rides to places we had bus passes and we used them or we walked everywhere the only time we asked for rides if it was late and time to go home! That's what I remember from when I was a teenager, do you remember? Boy, how generations dramatically change, it sometimes make you feel old!

Teenagers

2010-03-08T08:59:00.001-08:00

Today, I would like to talk about teenagers, for many you get the teenager world close up and personal but for others you may see it or just have no clue what I am talking about. Or for those who have children, hope their children stay young forever and don't go through this stage just skip right over it. I would have to say this stage is the hardest when it comes to parenting. All though everyone needs to remember we were all once at this stage whether we think we never acted like the teenagers do now we more then likely did and ask your parents and I am pretty sure they will tell you the truth. You were the same way but not as bad as they are today. Don't get me wrong I love my baby sister to death, Devin who will be 15 in June, but the teenage stage makes you want to start pulling your hair out. There are days I am going to admit I would like to just give her a good one if you know what I mean but you just let it go. There are a few things that drive me crazy living with a teenager and if you can relate to any of this let me know! The tip of the iceberg and major thing that makes me insane is the attitude, they have to have an attitude about everything. No matter if your asking them a question or just asking them to do something reallly quick they have to roll their eyes and give a your getting on my nerves sigh, or perhaps just make a no need comment. Please teenagers, just do what you are asked, there is no need for the attitude!! The next thing that drives me insane is they think they know everything and anything and they will fight you tooth and nail that they are right, what I learned to do is either ignore it or just walk away because it will save your self from being stressed out. Now, I know we probably did the same thing but I don't remember and believe it was this bad. Next thing, is the, I have to be on the computer all the time. I know that the teenager generation now is all about technology but I know when I was that age all would want to do was go hang out with friends and walk around and stay outside all day. Also, it does not seem like many teenagers have too much common sense today and all you can do is laugh because they are pretty funny. For instance, yesterday I was waiting for my teenage sister at the Exxon gas station by Station Square to pick her up and bring her home so my mom could finish making dinner. Well, my boyfriend and I were waiting for her and she knocks on the window when she gets there and I was thinking I know i unlocked the doors. I roll down the window and she says, "Dawn, are you here to pick me up or is mommy coming?" and I just shake my head and say "Get in the car Dev." But all my boyfriend and me could do was laugh because it is amazing how they think and he said his brother who is 16 did the same exact thing one time. Teenagers are all about socializing which i get because I was at that age to but they need to learn they are not always right and they can be proven wrong at anytime. This is what drives me or makes me laugh about teenagers, what about you?

2010-02-23T10:07:00.001-08:00

Which theme song do remember the most from children shows?(polling)

It is hard being 2! Zoe's 2nd Birthday party and Hailee learns the presents are Zoe's not hers!

2010-02-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

Zoe's 2nd birthday party was on Saturday and it so good! All the kids got to play together. I hope Zoe had fun, it seem like she did, but being two it was hard sharing her toys at home but we got through it. It also was hard for Ms. Trouble to realize it was not her presents and you can see it in the video below. It is hard being 2-years-old and not be able to have everything your 2-year-old cousin is getting on her birthday. Zoe sure let Hailee know they were her presents and boy those two girls fight not hit or anything(well sometimes) but they use their attitudes and looks that could kill (not really just really cute) and make sure they let each other know who has what and what is mine is not yours!

Zoe Turns 2!

2010-02-18T05:51:00.000-08:00

Zoe Rae turns 2 on Sunday, Happy Birtday my Zoe Bo! Aunt Dawn loves you! It goes to show you how fast the babies you first held in your arms at the hospital grow up so fast! Even though I am not the parent, I still wish they could stay at a certain age forever. The age I would like them to stay would be around 5 months because at that month they are talking well babbling but you can still hold them whenever you want! Once they start moving around you could forget holding them. Well that is not true if they get hurt or are sick they always want held. I guess I will just have to look forward to those days with my own someday!

Babysitting does it really help?

2010-02-18T05:49:00.000-08:00

Do you think babysitting is good way to help with birth control?(polling)

2010-02-17T17:06:00.000-08:00

This is my Trouble when she first started walking at ten months. She is now 26 months and we can hardly stop her from running around but for a second or two I have got a chance to pose with me in picture!
Time sure does fly with children. They make you realize how you much them in their baby days. After the baby days starts the days of screaming, "Mine" and "No" and everything has to be their way!!

My Family Vaction: pictures of my nieces, newphews, sister, and other family members

2010-02-16T10:59:00.000-08:00

Poll

2010-02-16T09:00:00.001-08:00

Nothing but coughing and noses running

2010-01-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

Today, my niece who I call Trouble came to our house with a cold. She constantly coughs, nose running and wants to be held. I hold her and now I feel like I am coming down with something. Number one thing about children that I noticed about children, they need the mother or another female when they are sick. They need that nurturing when they do not feel good ad the father and males are there to just play! When she is not feeling sick she constantly plays with my boyfriend but if she gets hurt comes straight to me to kiss the "boo, boos". I love it though I am not going to lie, I do it makes me feel like a mother.

Delivery, Trouble, and Others

2010-01-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, I was approached by my sister and asked if I could be in the delivery room. (She had asked my mom first but my mom totally refuses to see all that goes on in a delivery room even though she had five kids.) I said "OKAY!" and it was the most amazing experience I have ever witnessed. This experience is so intense and gives you such an adrenaline rush you become overwhelmed with so many feelings and to witness this moment gives you so much to think about. Between all the screaming to push and then the baby coming your mind is everywhere. And you begin to think can I do this one day will I be able be in that much (Ouch) pain! Maybe one day but not right now! But at least I got to see something amazing and life changing to really think about.
This amazing experience brought us, Hailee Grace, who I will be talking about a lot because the nickname I gave her is Trouble and O does she live up to that name! She is now 2-years-old and keeps us all on our feet! She is funny, smart, but loves to tease anyone and everyone she can. She does have a problem though with hitting and when she gets mad she intends to bite. Wait even when she gets excited when playing she bites, that is just how Trouble is. Don't get me wrong we work on it with her but she just does not like to listen from time to time! Hailee does everything her way! She has been throwing temper tantrums since 3 months and I am not lying! Her doctor said her screaming at 3 months was a temper tantrum! When she tries to take her tantrum with me I just let her go and walk away and in a matter of two seconds she stops, gets up and begins to play. However, some people tend to feed in to her tantrums but I will not mention any names. But if you do not want children anytime soon then spend the whole day with Hailee Grace she will prepare you for children or make you not want to have children just yet. I am joking I love her to death and would not trade her back for anything. She is my one and only Trouble!
I have five other nieces ranging from the ages 17 -years-old to 2 months old, and one nephew who is 4-years-old and he is my Baby Boy. He is the one and only boy. I have two other nephew who are not of blood but they are my nephews no matter what anyone says. Trouble is sort of like Baby Boy, except Trouble has the female attitude and temper. I also have a baby sister, well she is not a baby literally but she will always be my baby sister. She is 14-years-old and I love her to death but sometimes we do not see eye to eye because she is a typical teenager. I know I was that age one time but I tend to forget that when we disagree on something, but I love her and will protect her in any means necessary. But I will discuss the things that annoy me about her thinking or the things she does to be annoying from time to time, and wish I when I have children they skip this stage!

No children for me YET!!

2010-01-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome To My Blog On the Babysitter's perspective on children!