Links to Amazon are affiliate links.
We are BACK from Ireland! Since I didn't get any sleep for 24 solid hours I'm pretty beat so thought it'd be a good day to post a blog entry I did as a guest post awhile back regarding how to start independent playtime late! With both of my children I started independent playtime when they were very young. First I started with them on a playmat in their bedrooms and I'd sit in the same room but out of their sight for just a few minutes at a time. Slowly it progressed to longer time and eventually they moved to the pack and play. I would set a timer and they'd play happily for 20 minutes two times a day, then as they got older, 40 min one time a day. I have seen many benefits to independent playtime. It really has helped my children play well on their own, entertain themselves, and especially not have issues with separation anxiety. Since I am a stay at home mom I am with my children majority of the day, everyday. The only time they really are without me is w...
Independent playtime is an important part of our daily routine. From just a couple weeks old I started Britt with her independent playtime on her little baby play-mat in her room. At around four months old I moved her to the pack and play and she's been there ever since! It SHOCKED me how long Britt did so well in her pack and play for independent playtime. Kye had to make the transition to roomtime close to a year old but even at 20 months old Britt was still happy as could be to play in her pack and play! Why switch it up, right? Then the day arrived! Britt was in her pack and play and I was in my room on the computer (shocker) and I turned and saw her standing proudly next to me, beaming up at me with this huge, proud grin. A grin that was not, I'm sure, returned back to her haha! I took her back and put her in the pack and play and told her to stay until the timer went off then went back to my room. And within 5 minutes there she was again, laughing the whole ...
YAY! Kye is FINALLY 24 months old and that means he's TWO and no longer a certain-month-old. I've been pretty pumped about this! I know exactly what you are thinking "that means we don't have to endure Emily's looooong borrrring monthly summary posts every month! yay!" Sorry to disappoint but I have no plans on stopping with these posts. While they may be boring to you (and a pain for me to write if I'm honest about it), I think they are mega important. As Kye grows up these will be the posts I probably refer back to the most as they capture his precious little moments and personality traits. From now on though they won't be as formal and will be one post instead of two. Here's what Kye was up to his last month of being 1! Vocabulary: His vocabulary has literally exploded (okay not literally but you know what I mean!). He speaks in sentences at least 40% of the time. He says things clearly, where other people can understand him. He's u...
When Kye dropped his morning nap a couple months ago I started to feel like I wasn't being the kind of parent I needed to be. Instead of filling the void of time in his day with something predictable for him, each day was what Toddlerwise would call "random chaos" (a playdate here...errand running there...I just kinda did whatever I felt like during the time period when he'd normally be napping). I'm thankful, in a sense, that Kye started to misbehave because it was my wake-up call to pick up Toddlerwise for a second reading. I'm so glad I did!!! This quote from the book made me realize that I needed to get Kye's schedule back on track: "Frequent tantrums, whining, a disregard for rules, inappropriate or aggressive behavior, constant demands, and an inability to share are some of the signs that your child needs more structure." Since Kye was BORN his entire day has been revolved around a consistent, organized, predictable schedule. He has thri...
