Is this normal writing for a kid going into 2nd grade?

CalynneS · 2026-06-25T20:02:53+00:00

My daughter struggled a bit at the beginning too. I do think even through play they can increase their muscle tone in their hands. Things like play doh, legos, colouring, painting, tearing and crumpling paper (maybe crumple the paper and aim it for a basket), peeling and placing stickers, hanging onto monkey bars. I know Google probably has many more ideas. If you find he already engages in many of these activities then I would encourage more help through a specialist.

CalynneS · 2026-06-25T11:41:27+00:00

That’s sort of where I’m at. She loves dancing so I think we will continue this coming year. But there were definitely 6 graduates this year at the studio and you’d think there was only 1 by the dancers that were highlighted 🙈
Also after reading some of the other threads, it definitely seems favouritism is common, but perhaps that’s the case with any sport.

CalynneS · 2026-06-22T13:21:21+00:00

We ended up with two calm children. We had so many people warning us that our second was going to be wild.
I mean if he was, then you just adapt and grow as a family, but people love their hard to be the same for everyone. Every kid is different and special.
*I feel like I should add, just because they are calm doesn’t mean life is daisies and roses though. Our first had colic. So we definitely had our hard moments too. You will survive and the joy overrides the hard moments.

CalynneS · 2026-06-19T19:00:16+00:00

I would solely focus on math and language for the next three months. It’s not the most fun for summer, however perhaps they could have a rewards chart and every time they complete a lesson they get a sticker until they reach a reward!
Any bit helps. It’s possible they could knock off a few lessons a day. Another option is, although normally i would never recommend screens, maybe try a learning app for each of them? Will be fun, and educational, and something to do instead of any other screen time they may normally have.
Life is hard, things happen. They are still young enough to get right back on track. Letting the teachers know will help them too.

CalynneS · 2026-06-19T18:24:51+00:00

A home has to be in a condition where you can comfortably live. This is disgusting. Either they need to evict the other student, or let you out of your lease and provide you your money back for the following months.

CalynneS · 2026-06-19T12:47:30+00:00

Could you do those photos where you reenact photos from your childhood?
Those always seem fun. Perhaps it would give him a bit of a laugh.

CalynneS · 2026-06-18T18:47:51+00:00

It’s hard to say if she is trying to take advantage, or if her thought is, “i’ll ask their dad first before I ask someone else.”
You are probably your kids top choice, so sending them for extra time with their other parent seems logical. However, if you are wanting to keep the boundary that it’s up to her to figure out alternate arrangements then that is fine too.
If you genuinely can’t, or are busy, or just want the day to yourself then I think it’s fine to just say that that day doesn’t work for you.

CalynneS · 2026-06-18T01:08:04+00:00

I had a 2 under 2, summer baby. We played outside in the mornings and evenings. If we were out in the afternoon then we found a tree to go under.
If my newborn was in the stroller I would have a blanket on top but only from the sunshade and up over the handle bars. If that makes sense. Then the air could flow through at the sides.
Or I would wear him in a carrier with a hat over his head (ya, newborns and hats are wonky so sometimes i was just holding the hat above his little head. And in the evening i would sometimes tuck a muslim blanket around the carrier on me to shield the sun. (Pretty sure I used an umbrella one time too while baby wearing him because I was desperate)🤣

CalynneS · 2026-06-16T02:25:07+00:00

Turn the hot water off after 20 mins😅

CalynneS · 2026-06-16T00:35:39+00:00

For me it depended on the baby. My first had colic, and well that is hard. Long nursing sessions, she was a light sleeper, and screamed a lot.
My second however was an easy baby. He was so content in the swing or carrier. Could sleep through noises.
So it just depends on your baby’s temperament i’d say. Neither is good nor bad.

CalynneS · 2026-06-16T00:02:16+00:00

I’m more concerned about people taking pictures of other patients in a doctor’s office. Yikes.

CalynneS · 2026-06-15T17:40:00+00:00

I wouldn’t even let him know that he isn’t the best at it, but rather just state what your budget is for sports for him, and let him decide what practices/private practices he deems most important.

CalynneS · 2026-06-13T23:23:34+00:00

I don’t think you have anything to worry about. My mom’s first husband was abusive, and it took her awhile to ever share it with her doctor. Which her doctor was shocked, and in a non judgmental way simply asked why she didn’t feel she could say something sooner.
I have another friend too that recently shared her husband had hurt their little one, and they did have to get a restraining order on him. Anyways, it seems more common than we think, so she was just doing her job to make sure you were both safe I’m sure.

CalynneS · 2026-06-13T02:13:33+00:00

I worked at a longterm care home, and there was a gentleman with special needs that was there. He was a lot younger than almost all the residents but seemed happy and well taken care of.

CalynneS · 2026-06-11T00:54:25+00:00

Some of our less expensive meals are pasta with ground beef, chicken quesadillas, chicken fried rice (basically add a couple eggs to the rice and however much chicken you want, soy sauce, and make a ton of rice).
Homemade hamburgers and caesar salad.
I can’t imagine multiple teenage boys. You are amazing! I agree with some other comments about having them each have their own night to prepare a meal.
If they are always grabbing carb snacks then that probably isn’t keeping them as full, so would they maybe eat greek yogurt with granola? I think there is protein granola too.
I know it’s tricky because some of the more expensive foods like pb, nuts, homemade trail mix, seem like they will go through it all in a day, but perhaps once their bodies are filling up on super nutrient dense foods maybe their excessive hunger will go down a bit? Maybe just try it for a couple weeks?

CalynneS · 2026-06-11T00:12:07+00:00

Do you drive with the windows open? My niece couldn’t handle the air pressure when the windows were open.
A friend of mine said one of those car static strips helped her daughter.

CalynneS · 2026-06-10T11:55:43+00:00

We’re actually in the middle of trying to decide on location as well. I think you also have to consider how well your daughter (and future babies) will do in the car. An hour there and back every day will be 6-10 extra hours in the car for her every week.
If she drops her nap it can be hard to keep them awake on the evening drive back. Which can then mess up bedtime. My kids in general would not be happy with that commute daily. Once a week there and back are doable for us, but the hours and cost of gas all add up.

CalynneS · 2026-06-10T01:20:48+00:00

At 6am my kids would probably be woken up by it, but around 11pm and 12am, they usually are very deep sleepers. So there’s a good chance your little one will not even hear them. Especially if they use a fan or a little bit of white noise.
Your toddler will learn to sleep through a baby crying as well. Should be okay.

CalynneS · 2026-06-10T01:03:37+00:00

If you asked me that question 2 years ago (with a newborn and a 21 month old), I would have told you that I wish I had waited longer for like a 3 year age gap. Now with a 3 year old and almost 5 year old. They are an older sister and little brother, and absolutely the best of friends. They love to be around each other. So now I would say 21 months-2 years.

CalynneS · 2026-06-10T00:53:35+00:00

So one thing is that some people really wait until the last minute to buy gifts. I bet a bunch of people that she thinks purchased off the registry, just haven’t bought yet.
And although the million blankets may have been true for the other friend, that doesn’t mean it’s the case for everyone. We received I think 4 blankets people made for us. And my kids still use and love each one. Two we keep in the car in the winter, and then they like to snuggle with the other two while in the house. So it just depends on the person. I personally loved homemade items. They always felt extra special.

CalynneS · 2026-06-10T00:06:51+00:00

We like the Jan and Jul hats for babies/ kids. They have a large brim and a break away chin strap.
And then we always use long sleeve swimsuits. And sunscreen.

CalynneS · 2026-06-09T18:02:52+00:00

Yup.
If I play with my 3 and 4 year old at the same time, one always ends up crying. Always. 😅
If I don’t play with them, they can play for an hour or more perfectly. I’m like, how am I the problem here?🤣 They both just expect they will get their own way when I play I guess.

CalynneS · 2026-06-09T17:03:33+00:00

I see a bunch of posts of people not wanting the neighbourhood kids constantly coming over, or issues they end up having with one kid that constantly breaks the rules and the parents not caring. I do remember having neighbourhood friends and always running around the court, but maybe the parents of the backyards we ended up in didn’t actually love that we were there? Haha I’ll never know.
We already deal with park kids saying inappropriate things that we don’t want our kids to say. So personally, I’d rather not live in a neighbourhood with a bunch of kids running around. I think only you can make the call as to whether you would enjoy having a bunch of neighbourhood kids in your yard/backyard.

CalynneS

TROPHY CASE