My wife and I have tried very hard to work with our daughter regarding sharing. Somehow, though, despite our best efforts and our going out of our way to never use this word, her new favorite word has lately become, “MINE!” We truly don’t know where she learned the concept of mine or even the word, but she has grabbed hold of it and is refusing to let go. I have yet to … [Read more...] about The other four-letter word
Call their bluffs
Our daughter has several mostly self-appointed jobs around the house from feeding the dog and putting her toys away to turning on lights in the hall as we walk through. She has other smaller responsibilities like giving my wife and I kisses bye-bye or for “night-nights.” Lately, she occasionally finds herself in a particularly foul or independent mood and decides she … [Read more...] about Call their bluffs
Tag teaming
No matter what words of wisdom come from me or anyone else you receive advice from, two-year-olds will sometimes scream despite our best efforts to stop it. This is a fact. As parents, we simply have to figure out how to deal with it. In our case, I’m finding my daughter’s most significant impossible-to-control melt-downs seem to be due not so much to her wanting something … [Read more...] about Tag teaming
A little choice goes a long way
It should come as no surprise to anyone that a primary source for the overall terribleness of the Terrible Twos is that this is the time a child first starts to exercise his independence. He’s coming out of a time where he was totally immobile and depending on his parents for absolutely everything, then somewhat mobile but unsure on his feet. Now that he’s nearly fully mobile, … [Read more...] about A little choice goes a long way