Gee Honeymoon

As I've mentioned before, Ds loves his Gee. We have some strict rules in our house about his lovey, which are:

• it does not come downstairs
• does not go in the car
• gets put away after we get dressed for the day (under his pillow)

Not that big of a deal, I don't feel like a tyrant when it comes to these rules, I don't want Gee dragged all over the house picking up germs, and who knows what else.

So this is our first week at home, and he won't hardly come downstairs! We've been playing with trains, that are set up downstairs, but as soon as he's done, it's back upstairs to "snuggle". I had him writing thank-you notes on his desk in his room, went to check on him, he was on the top bunk, snuggling. Watching movies on my bed for his afternoon chill-time, has Gee wrapped all around him. Now, it's time to play cars, and along with pushing his whole bin of cars into my room, Gee is on top.

Is this an issue? I'll have to keep you posted. He certainly seems to enjoy having Gee with him, and we are both VERY happy to be here, so maybe it's just a honeymoon phase he's in. After he gets used to the idea that we're not going to bolt out the door, he'll be more comfortable just being at the house without his lovey securely in tow.

My brother is a tennis pro

Craig,
originally uploaded by nannyteachermom.

It is taking me quite awhile to figure out how this technology works. I graduated from college in 2001, but I feel like it might as well been 1901 for all the computer knowledge I'm lacking.

My dad & brother have created their own website for making & keeping track of his lessons. They are not quite ready to advertise, and I'm not quick enough to keep up with them anyways! I do want to help promote their website, and eventually use my blog not only as entertainment, but income from advertising. This is the picture they are using on the homepage.

appoitmentmanagerplus.com

Just LEAVE already!!!

Many people have been witness to this event, or been an actual part in this bazaar experience that happens right before you begin your day. You're ready to drop your child off @ daycare, leave home with your child in your nanny's care, and all the sudden your child becomes this crying, yelling, screaming child capable of a death grip around your neck. You panic because you've never seen this before, it's caught you completely off guard. You think, I'll just spend one more minuet, then everything will be fine. Nope, in fact, it gets worse. You are finally forced to leave, and you have such a deflated expression on your face, and your shoulders, that you think that you're the worst parent ever for leaving your child in the grips of such a horrible environment. How can this be happening to your precious child?


Let me tell you, parents, IT'S YOUR FAULT. Yes, you need to wake up and see that this behavior in particular, is directly reflected in how you & your child interact first thing in the morning. And if you don't recognize it for what it is, and address the problem, it will keep getting worse. You can pry the fingers off your neck as a baby, even a pre-schooler, then as school starts, the child will start sleeping later, rushing through breakfast, yelling at you as they go to catch the bus because they didn't remember to put all their books back in their backpack.


The solution? Spend time with your child first thing in the morning. Snuggle, read a story, lay in bed spooning for just a couple of minuets, and everything will be different. If this means that you need to set your alarm 5 min earlier so you have time to do this, then DO it. And, when Day Light Savings time rolls around, and your child is sleeping an extra hour, wake them up, so they have a chance to spend time with you before you leave in the morning. They don't know about the extra hour, they just know that you left, and will use every tool at their disposal to manipulate you into feeling like dirt. It works, doesn't it?

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, try and console your child, reason with them, and if you threaten to leave, then follow through and walk out the door. Remember that you chose the child care provider for their capabilities, and trust in them that they can handle a screaming child. You're only encouraging this behavior if you sit and talk, try to reason, or explain yourself. I once heard a dad try and explain to his wound-up 2 year old that he needed to go to work to make money. Does this compute to the child? I don't think so. Instead, spend those 2 min snuggling first thing in the morning, talking about what you will do when you get home. Remind the child about how much fun there is to have during the day, and that you will return.

A child that waves to his mom/dad as they walk out the door to leave is full of confidence. They know that they will be well cared for during the day, have all of their physical/emotional needs met, AND that mom & dad will return at the end of the day. They are empowered to have fun throughout the day, so they have stories to tell over the diner table. The rhythm of the day makes sense to them, and not only understand it, but feel in control over it.

So, please mom's and dad's, when you're thinking about your day, and all the challanges you have to face there, remember that it has to start with your child. Give them the ability to have a great day also, and it starts with a confident child. Remember that we, as care giver's, have seen it before, and can handle it.

Gee

My son has been a "blanket baby" since he was just about 3 months old. I'm not sure when the exact day was that he picked his favorite, but it has not wavered in the last 4 years. He was offered pacifiers, and small stuff animals, but when his crib was full of different types of blankets, he picked this chenille one with a satin tag, and it was all over.

We don't know where the term "gee" came into place, when ds started talking, he named his favorite blanket, Gee. Now, it is more of an umbrella term, all blankets are "gees". For a while, ds had a couple of other gee's, Pink & Yellow, Rabbit, and we had to get a replica of Gee, which is named Go-Gee. Again, a name that he picked out, and we just caught on. We didn't know where that name came from, until just recentlly. We were getting ready to go somewhere, and ds said, "that Gee goes, let's bring Go-Gee".

Gee is a much loved blanket, with Taggie as the best part. Ds used to chew on the satin tag, so now it is gray, and crinkled all together. Taggie, as it's now called, is still gray, no matter how much I wash it. The threads are all stretched around Taggie, since that is the handle of Gee, and where it gets pulled on the most. Often, when I come in to kiss his sleeping face goodnight, he has Taggie clutched in his hand. Dh & I have told ds that he doesn't have to share Gee, and especially not Taggie.

All morning, he'll play with his Gee. He cuddles with it in our bed, sits on it when he's playing cars on the floor, wrapps it around himself, and pretends to wear a "Gee-shirt". We have had to start putting Gee away, so that he doesn't have it all-day-long, because he would. And ds's favorite thing is to snuggle with me, or Dad, and Gee. I remember my special blanket, and when it went up to "blanket heaven" as my mom said. My younger brother wore his blanket out, and I wonder if ds will do that. We're not looking to get rid of Gee any time soon, and I'm happy about that.

Reading to a child

This, by far, is one of the most important things you can do to, or for, any child. They sit in your lap, at first because they can't move, and then later because they want to. You capture their attention, activate their brain, and stimulate and create the use of their imagination. But, there are ways to do it correctly, and if you can, you will forever open their minds.


Growing up, I would always be encouraged by my dad to do the readings at church. This was my first experience of public speaking, and both parents made me practice. And by practice, I mean reading out loud, to them, A LOT. What I remember the most about those sessions, was that they always said the same thing, "Slow down". When I started reading to children, I recalled hearing my Dad saying that to me, so from the start, I read slowly to my nanny children.


Reading to an infant is pretty easy. You can choose whatever you want, and while they are nursing, or having their bottle, you just read out loud. Slowly, and every word. At this point, they are not listening to the content, just the rise and fall of your voice. You can read the sports page, or a trashy romance novel, they don't mind. The point is that you are establishing that what you are saying is important, and you're sharing that with the child you are holding. Therefore the child will learn that snuggle, one-on-one time, face time, can be achieved through books.


Once the child recognizes the book, then you have to switch to age appropriate ones and the teaching begins. The child learns that books mean have some value, that the pages have a rhythm of turning from right to left, that the pictures work from left to right, the book has a beginning and an end, and the words are actually saying something.


As the child grows, you continue reading speaking slowly, and allowing your voice pitch to alter with the climax of the book, or just with the written punctuation. No voices are necessary, although they can be fun. One year olds just like 1 word per page, or just to identify 1 shape or animal per page. Two year old likes quick short stories, and 3 year olds are getting into actual stories. By four, you're reading longer books, maybe even chapter books. Having them repeat back the story to you is a god way to see if they are listening to the words, or just looking at the pictures.

Daily timeline

My day begins early, with the alarm going off @ 5:35. I get up and shower, and am ready to dry my hair by 6:15. I run to Ds's room to make sure he's up, and get him into bed to snuggle with Daddy. He gets up @ 6:20 and if they don't get 5 min together before the start of the day, it's trouble.


I'm dressed and downstairs by 6:25 to start my coffee & put away clean dishes from the night before. Back upstairs by 6:30 to iron Dh's shirt, and ensure Ds is getting himself dressed. Everyone downstairs by 6:40 to kiss Daddy good-bye, and we gather up our stuff, and leave the house @ 6:50. I always leave the house with my purse, backpack, and laptop. Ds has his milk cup, breakfast, and his go-gee (his second-in-command blanket).

We travel 40min to work, up a very boring stretch of highway, but there is no traffic. Arrive @ work @ 7:30, and bring in all of our things, and start reading books, playing, or unloading the dishwasher.

We leave @ 5ish, and drive the 40min back home, this is usually the time I spend on the phone visiting with my family. Ds gets Sesame Street after we get to our house, while I make dinner, scramble to put a load of wash in the washing machine, have dinner, give Ds a bath, and to bed.

We've been going to this family's house for 2 1/2 years, my car has felt the abuse, and the drive isn't getting any more interesting. Ds is ready for a new challange, and I'm ready for it to be just me & Ds for the upcoming summer. It might be time to move on