kideos.com

This is a kid friendly website that plays short videos to keep your kids happy. The videos are approved for each age group, so there should be no worries of bad words or bad behavior. Very funny. Parents will laugh along. There is even an app for that! Peace!

Saturday Dilemma

Any parent that brings their little ones to the grocery store with a shopping list as long as the declaration of independence knows to say a prayer before getting out of their ultra deluxe, ultra sexy mini van. The overwhelming anxiety as to how the next hour or two may go can sometimes be unbearable. In fact, I know moms that avoid going to the grocery store with their children at all costs. These moms hold out for shopping on the weekends, leaving the unpredictable 3 footers at home with their dads. With their dads? Wait a minute; is that really the better choice? Personally, I find this to be a dilemma. Here’s the question, grocery store with the kids or the fear of the unknown with daddy? Now guys, lets not judge. Hear a mama out.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what your thinking. What’s the big deal right? If you are a smart mom, you will be prepared. A smart mom will fill up the sippy cups, pack a couple of zip locks with cheerios, and maybe throw in a stick of gum for good measure. A really smart mom will take it to the next level and make each kid their own special shopping list so they feel included in the process. A really, really smart mom will teach them all about nutrition, the value of money, etc,etc. Sounds good in theory. In reality, all of the preparation ends up lasting for about 20 minutes. Here’s what happens. The milk is gone, the cheerios fell on the floor, and the gum is now stale. The shopping list got boring and the kids are too young to understand the value of money. (Admittedly, it took me 25 years to really learn that one.) And the worst part about this whole experience is that you haven’t reached the checkout counter yet. You know, 2’ by 4’candy bar lined esophagus that swallows you into the stomach of doom. That part always gets me. I end up having flashbacks of my own childhood and remember thinking how mean my mom was for never getting me anything. So I give in, trying to avoid my children from feeling the same way about me. Then when you do get them something, they expect it every time. Now, the clerk judges you, the grandma behind judges you, and you end up feeling like putty in your children’s hands. Bottom line, it’s a bad scenario. With all that ranting and raving, you might say leave the kids home with their dad. This is my fear.
The kids stay home with dad. A very good dad. A dad who is not only handsome, but smart and funny too. A dad that puts his family at the top of his priority list. A dad who is loved and appreciated very much. But even this dad can’t stop the fury of what comes next. The toys are taken out of every closet and never returned to their proper place. The lunch menu becomes a bowl of cereal. The sink gets loaded with unrinsed dishes, there are crumbs all over the floor, and somebody always ends up with a bruise. There could be blood, vomit, or poop, all of which will lead to another stain on the light beige carpet. Upon returning home, this mom is now in for some serious clean up time. So what if the grocery store was peaceful, the destruction that happened while mom was gone canceled out its success. Get out the violins. This mama is whining! But this is all so true. Its an unavoidable situation of parenting. Even really good parenting. This is my conclusion. Alternate option 1 and option 2 and hope for the best. Or, convince daddy to come to the store with you. Two parents are always better than one!

Don't Tree-Train

You have a three-year-old boy who just became potty-trained. Congratulations! No worries. No butt to wipe and one less thing to worry about, right? Wrong! Little boys have an extra extension off their bodies than us girls do. Do you see where I'm going with this? It's all too easy for these little guys to go potty where ever they want. The easy access to a tree, bush or wall is very appealing. When you are in the mindset of a three-year-old, who has the time to leave their toys, go in the bathroom, sit on the toilet, flush the toilet,and wash and dry their hands? With this being said, are kids that potty in trees really potty-trained,and whats a mommy to do?

The answers to these questions are very simple. No, and don't let him do it! Put a pull-up on that kid and frequently ask him if he has to go to the bathroom. When he says yes, take him there and guide him through all of the steps. After consistent repetition of this process, you and your little guy should be good to go! You can put him back into those spiderman undies feeling confident that your work paid off.

The trials and tribulations of potty-training are tough, especially when you can see where the little guy is coming from. For him, it's very convenient to go wherever he wants. However, this should not be general practice for any young man, so hold your ground as a mommy. And if you see your kid peeing on a tree, it doesn't mean all the recognition for potty-training your son is taken away. But it means something. I would say there is a diffrence between potty-trained and tree-trained! You never hear mom bragging that she tree-trained her kid. How embarrassing! Don't be that mommy!

This is a test post. I want to see if I set this blog up right the first time.