Toddlers and Technology

Watching my son and his cousins grow up with the technology filled world we live in is simply amazing. The debate over when and if kids should be using things like phones, computers, and tablets is all consuming for some parents. Personally, I think everything in moderation is the best route. 

I know a few parents who have actively make their home technology free. Well, as best they could. I don't agree with this. Kids are going to be growing up and living in a world that is fueled by technology. Allowing your young child access to the devices that are used daily is just not something I can frown upon. There are kindergarten classes throughout the country that are using Ipads as learning tools. Computers are used, and need to be used, throughout a child's schooling. And, as everyone knows, computers in the working world are essential. The idea of shielding your toddler from this part the world seems like postponing the inevitable. Let me also say, many of the women with whom I've debated this subject, I met through online communities for moms. The irony of arguing the technology debate over the internet makes me chuckle. 

So, do I think 8 year olds should be walking around with cell phones of their own? Absolutely not. Obviously, there are some people that allow kids to overdo anything. Phone and computer use just being added to the list. Before there were tablets to complain about, there were videos games. (Not that the argument against video games has gone away by any means.) After tablets, there will be a new technology that people will be up in arms over. Dillan uses the Ipad almost better than I do and he uses it on a very limited basis. Most of what he does on the device is educational. The apps include numbers, colors, matching, words, reading and problem solving. That still doesn't mean he plays with it 6 hours a day. He plays with his toys and uses his imagination more than anything else. I think adding the educational apps early on, especially in adding to physical learning and playing can only enhance a child's ability to learn in a variety of ways. 

Monday Morning Marvels- Take 1

Monday mornings are bittersweet. I love the time I get to spend with Dillan during the week because, more often lately, I realize how quickly everything is flying by. I love watching him take in the numbers, colors and other completely uninteresting stuff I am trying to teach him. It seems like he is NEVER actually listening to me as he doesn't stop moving or looking elsewhere for even one second. But, then out of nowhere, he is counting his cars and talking colors and it makes me feel like I am doing right by him. Mondays, however, also bring the long week of missing Daddy and parenting pretty much solo. I start my countdown to Friday and it seems like it is forever and a day away. 

Our trusty flashcards. 

Last night's bedtime was rough. He was very overtired, even though he was going to bed earlier than usual, and a meltdown ensued. I rocked him for a while ( which I reveled in because he is NOT a snuggler) and he settled down. He was almost asleep before his head hit the pillow. He is getting to the age where he wants to do everything himself and Momma is just cramping his style. His complete meltdown, as unnecessary as it was, reminds me that he is still so little and innocent. 

So, what am I marveling today??

1. My son. I know, its a given. He is just so cute this morning, its not fair. 

2. Pregnancy. I don't feel pregnant all that often. I have yet to gain a pound and have lost 16 lbs so far. But, just last night, Hubster was able to feel the Little Lady move around. I just love her so much already. 

3. Epsom salt baths. Ok, I realize the first two are a far cry from bathtime, but I have been loving these baths lately. My hip is in pain on a regular day, so during pregnancy it has really been the worst. I don't know if its really helping or if its all in my head, but I feel better afterward and that is all that matters to me. 

4. All the new family babies. My brother and sister-in-law had a beautiful little girl last Monday and my sister is due with a little man only 17 days before myself. I love that my babies will have cousins to grow up with. It is so amazing to see the kids interact and it makes me so thankful for family, however crazy as we are. 

Dillan and his cousins. 

Date Night

The Hubster and I started our relationship and life together pretty quickly. We had only been dating for 9 months when I found out I was pregnant with Dillan. We were married a few days before Dillan's second birthday. Seven months later, after trying, we were pregnant with the little lady. Our time before kids and solely to ourselves was limited to say the least. I feel, as a woman, I over-analyze absolutely everything and my relationship with Hubster is no different. I am glad that we didn't rush into the decision to get married and took the time we needed before we took that step. But, some days, I find myself questioning our motives for staying together. Was it for the sake of the pregnancy, and then our son? Or, did we actually have stuff that makes a lasting marriage? This is not me questioning my love for Hubster, or his love for me, just how and why we ended up here.

In a recent post, I talked about how Hubster and I haven't had a night out to ourselves in quite some time. I know, to some parents, a night out every month seems pretty often compared to what they are used to. However, with our limited time before jumping into family life, I think its an important part of keeping us connected. My parents are recently divorced after 27 years of marriage. It is my biggest fear that after the kids are gone we won't be "us" anymore. (Again, can you say over-analyze!) I never want to make my children experience what me, my siblings, and our spouses were forced to experience. It was, and sometimes still is, pure torture.

One of our last date nights, just before we found out about Little Lady. 

With that being said, last night we were able to get out for a quick dinner at a local sports pub. My mom had stopped up and Dillan was so excited to see her, that we able to sneak out for some Mommy/Daddy time. Just the hour away was enough to feel a bit more sane and a ton more content. It never fails, every time Hubster and I get out for a night by ourselves, all my silly worries are put to ease and I get almost giddy to be building our lives together. Cheers to a good night out (with sparkling juice, of course) ! 

It's finally January...

I know its actually almost February, but it finally feels like the holiday season is coming to an end around here. Because Hubster drives for UPS, our holiday season seems extremely long and draining. The exceptionally long hours start just before Thanksgiving and it is just starting to get back to normal now. It has been a rough month for not only this pregnant momma, as I have been an emotional wreck with this pregnancy compared to my last, but also for Dillan who is clearly missing his Daddy. During a normal work week, Dillan will get to see Daddy for at least a few minutes between the mornings before he leaves and the evenings before bed. During the peak season of the holidays, he can go whole work weeks without seeing a glimpse of him. I feel like I have barely seen him. 

With long work weeks, comes tired weekends, for all of us. It makes the whole family a little more on edge and it makes us try to fit way too much into every Saturday and Sunday. In turn, Daddy and I haven't had a date night in a few months. I am trying to stay positive that he and I will still get our time out when the little lady makes her debut in May, but my optimism is starting to waiver. We have a limited availability with babysitters, which makes our options few and far between. Add the attempt at saving a bit with a new baby on the way, and our date nights sound pretty lame and I wonder if I should really be missing them at all.  If it weren't for the good company and it being a necessity for my sanity, I would say I shouldn't. 

The toys are ruining my nesting...

My nesting is in full force and I am beyond ready to get this place in some sort of baby-ready order. I know that we have to wait to buy a lot of the things to change Dillan's room over to a room for both him and the little lady. But, I have the layout of the room entirely planned and I have been pricing out all the items we need to buy from about every store imaginable and making lists galore. It may be helpful, or it may not, but it seems to be sufficient enough to make me more comfortable.

I recently went through all the clothes that we had been saving from Dillan, for our second baby. Since this one is a girl, all the clothes will be going to my sister who is due 17 days before myself, with a little man. Well, all the clothes minus a few Patriots and Red Sox shirts and all the Star Wars stuff that Daddy will make her wear. So, I moved on to the toys....

How in the heck do kids, namely my own, acquire so many toys?!?! I have to admit that my son is extremely organized, but just the sheer quantity of toys in this house for one child is craziness. Our living room is basically a playroom. I dread the idea of adding girls' toys to the mix and hope that we will be in a bigger space before she gets to an age where toys are so valued. I have tried to eliminate some of the toys that are not used all that often, but most of those are the educational toys and I just can't bring myself to toss something that I may want/need down the road. Also, Dillan remembers pretty much every toy that he has and when he decides he wants to play with a certain toy, he will search until he finds it, regardless of how long that takes. If it has been thrown out, I am at a loss. Now, I know that I could redirect and probably get him to move on from that toy with a bit of a struggle, or I could be honest and tell it that it went to another kid that needed it more because they don't have so many toys, but, in reality, I would rather deal with the mess until we can spread out. So, I guess the toys, and in turn the kids, win this time.

Double Duty

Recently, I have been having some fears about going from one child to two.  Being a relatively new mom of only a few years, I often times wonder if what I am doing and teaching my son will send him in the direction I want him to go. Some days, I feel like I have mastered my craft and I am pretty confident in my decisions. Other days, I feel like I am failing my son miserably and maybe I was never cut out for the job of being responsible for another person's well-being. 

Usually, Dillan is super well-behaved and I am totally thankful that he is a pretty easy going kid. However,  he will be 3 years old in just about a month and he has started to really test me.  I thought he had been testing me for a while now, but, evidently, that was just a sneak peak. He has become a significantly more defiant when I ask him to do something or not to do something. He will do things he knows he is not allowed to do, just to see how I will react, even informing me himself that he has done something wrong. He started blatantly saying, "No!" to me, which is not something he ever did before and is not something that is allowed in this home.

 Now, I feel pretty confident that we have the tools and, most days, I have the patience to curb this behavior early on. However, the idea of trying to work with him and deal with a newborn baby scares the living hell out of me. When I express my concern, most people say well so and so did it so I'm sure you will be just fine. I am well aware that plenty of other people do it, and many do it with several more children. My own mother did it with 7 kids. That bit of information doesn't make me feel anymore assured. I want to hear that someone thinks that *I* will be able to do it; that I am a good mom to Dillan and that I will be a good mom to the little lady, not that someone else is a good mom to their kids. For goodness sakes people, don't push the pregnant lady toward tears!