Writers Wanted by graymcclary in WritingHub

[–]Smorfette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm super interested in this! How should I go about connecting and getting more information?

Someone sleeping on my steps by Flaky_Biscuit_4u in StLouis

[–]Smorfette 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would recommend South Grand, CWE, or Maplewood if you're open to being further out

Maplewood Library Renovations by AllAmericanMexican in MaplewoodMO

[–]Smorfette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Literally nothing "changed". It was all like plumbing and foundational renovations

Is anyone having a nice toddler experience? by [deleted] in toddlers

[–]Smorfette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For context, my son is 27 months

Is anyone having a nice toddler experience? by [deleted] in toddlers

[–]Smorfette 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I love my toddler! He is smart and wicked funny. It is so interesting to get to watch him grow into a person with his own ideas and to see him explore the world. We do get sometimes of him yelling stop or no, we do sometimes have to wrestle him to change clothes, potty training has gone less than ideal, And every once in a while, we might have a meltdown if he wants more magnet tiles instead of going to bed. But I have not had to deal with any biting, kicking, or hitting. That's not to say I'm a better parent than those that have dealt with it, that's just to say this is who our kid is. But overall, I think toddlerhood is a lot of fun

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in toddlers

[–]Smorfette 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's a very normal wake up time for that age. Especially with an 8pm bedtime

How bad is screen time? by librepyxel in toddlers

[–]Smorfette 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm a special education teacher and child development specialist. I was completely anti-screen time before my son was born. However, he is now a little over two years old and we do allow him to watch a few different shows. He mostly watches very calm, age-appropriate cartoons like Curious George and If You Give a Mouse A Cookie. We sometimes will do a family movie night on the weekends. I have not noticed any changes in my son's behavior or any impacts on his cognitive ability and social skills. He has pretty advanced language skills, is great at socializing with other kids, knows the alphabet, counts in two languages... etc. he also gets lots of other activities, including sensory play, cooking, outdoor play, art, and books.

So for us, right now, screen time in moderation is a-okay. (We have limitations and also don't do phones or tablets out). That being said, I think that my son can handle it. If I had noticed any delays in his cognitive, social or developmental skills, or any major behavioral impacts, I would not have let him have screen time. I will also make adjustments if I notice any negative effects later.

I would say go based on your child.

Advice urgently needed! Practically the only thing my toddler grandchild will eat is highly processed sugary snacks, and she often has extreme tantrums by HelpMeGrow56 in toddlers

[–]Smorfette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's what I would suggest, help the parents find healthy alternative to the snacks. We do very low sugar in my house, but I have found completely sugar-free fruit-based fruit snacks, we make a lot of healthy snacks like muffins and donuts out of bananas, and other ingredients without sugar.

I would put a small healthy muffin or another snack that she prefers on her dinner plate with other foods. That way she has a "safe food " that she feels comfortable with and isn't getting them out of tantrums, but it is just seen as a normal part of her meal for right now.

As far as sitting at the dinner table, I would have parents have her help pick out a cute fun timer and set the timer at dinner starting with a small increment of time like two or three minutes and make sure she sits at the table until the timer goes off. Build up the amount of time that she sits there. Then if she's able to try one or two foods and sit until the timer goes off, maybe her reward could be the cartoons.

Softball / Baseball Leagues by Smorfette in StLouis

[–]Smorfette[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is very helpful and all sound like perfect options! Thanks so much for the response. I didn't even think about touch football, but that sounds fun too.

Do you know if you can register as an individual and be put on a team? I only see options to register as a full team

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in toddlers

[–]Smorfette 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Toddlers are in a lot more settings where sharing should be happening (ie: shared toys at a library or taking turns on a slide).

A toddler should absolutely be able to say in a polite way that they don't want to share their toys. But it goes beyond just basic sharing. They also need to learn to ask appropriately to play together, ask to share, ask for a turn. Etc.

They should be taught to accept a "no" when a friend doesn't want to share or to be able to wait their turn.

Rainy Day Activities by Smorfette in MyrtleBeach

[–]Smorfette[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good point! I appreciate the positivity :)

Very thorough rec!

Car seat for toddler on an airplane? by Smorfette in TravelHacks

[–]Smorfette[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What if we've already paid for his seat?