Focus
The following transcript is representative of a whole series of conversations we've had w/ Margaret lately (where $donut can represent any item Margaret wants).
Margaret: Want $donut
Mommy and/or Daddy: $negativeResponse
Margaret: Want $donut
Mommy and/or Daddy: $reasonOne
Margaret: Want $donut
Mommy and/or Daddy: $reasonTwo
Margaret: Want $donut
Mommy and/or Daddy: $explanation
Margaret: Want $donut
Mommy and/or Daddy: $redirectionAttempt
Margaret: Want $donut
Mommy and/or Daddy: OK.
Take it From Me, Parents Just Don’t Understand
We've been working semi-casually towards potty training Margaret. It's really been us that have been dropping the ball by not being consistent. Still, every time we have to drop $20-$30 for a new package of pullups, our motivation gets renewed. We have progressed to the point where M will gladly perform her duties on the potty, providing that you prompt her to do so by taking her there. She's not yet to the point of telling you that she needs to go. So unless we diligently take her every 30 minutes or so, we end up changing wet diapers. For the last few days, every time we change a wet diaper, we ask her "Why didn't you tell us you needed to go potty? We would have taken you to the potty and you could have gotten an M&M!"
Last night, while Liz was cooking, M came into the kitchen, clad only in a diaper, and said "Want diaper! Want diaper!" She then took off her diaper, and peed on the floor right in front of Liz. Liz wasn't 100% sure what to think of it. 30 minutes later, Margaret does the same thing, coming into the kitchen saying "Want diaper! Want diaper!". I was there this time, and I replied "You already have a diaper." She ripped it off, and peed right on the floor in front of me.
We discussed it a bit, and determined that, considering our recent requests for her to tell us when she needed to go, and the fact that she did the same thing twice in a row, that she was saying "Want diaper" as short for "I want this diaper off of me so I can go pee pee in the potty and get an M&M."
Headbutting as a Conversation Starter
Tonight was my turn to put Margaret to bed. She was upset about going, so I tried to soothe her by singing a little bit when we got in the bedroom. A little singing turned into a lot of singing. It became apparent after a while that she was making no serious effort to go to sleep. So I started reminding her that it was time to go to sleep, using a firm voice. In response, she butted her head towards mine, not quite making contact. She started to butt again, so I rested my arm over my forehead to act as a buffer. She made contact 3 or 4 times in rapid succession, the first one being soft, and each subsequent one a little harder. When she was finally satisfied that she'd butted me w/ the correct amount of pressure, she said "I sorry. I sorry, Daddy. Are OK? Be careful. Be careful, Daddy."
Margaret singing along w/ the Little Einsteins theme song
She gets a little distracted mid-way through, but you get the idea.
Margaret’s First Real Snow
Margaret showing off her complete inventory of skills
We just tried to get Margaret to demonstrate all of the stuff she knows at ~17 months of age. We cover most of it here, including:
- Nose picking
- Some sign language
- identifying body parts
- singing Itsy Bitsy Spider (w/ hand motions, and dramatic Eee-Aye-Eee-Aye-Oh finish)
- Flipping
- Identifying foods
- Animal sounds
Fly Before You Walk
Margaret, a few weeks shy of a year old, is just starting to take a few steps but is already flying her Air Hog Havoc heli like a pro.
Slide Before You Walk
Although Margaret shows signs of being able to free stand and walk, she doesn't really want to. Every time we try to let her stand or walk on her own, she'll almost immediately drop back to the floor and crawl instead. When it comes to sliding, however, she'll climb a ladder without hesitation.
Peek-a-Bah!
Margaret is just learning to play peek-a-boo. Her boos are really more like "bah", and are often fairly delayed. When empty-handed, she usually just points to her cheeks and/or eyes, but since she had a baby in hand, she just used that to cover her face.
Margaret’s Pink Lamborghini
This toy has baffled her for a while now. Today she figured it out. You basically have to shake it to rev it up, then put it on the ground and it will go. The more you rev it, the farther it goes. She's got it all figured out now.