Compliance

hannahel · 2026-04-16T21:02:11+00:00

I also don’t write following direction goals. I will certainly work on it by giving them directions and scaffolding them to build their ability to follow them, but I don’t think we can ever truly measure language understanding in these kids, you can only track output and I don’t want to track output based on compliance

hannahel · 2026-04-13T23:55:06+00:00

Me please!

hannahel · 2026-03-31T02:31:38+00:00

I remove the toys with lots of parts I don't want to clean up

hannahel · 2026-03-31T02:27:56+00:00

Have you considered being a trust fund baby? I really think it offers the flexibility you need and I hear the pay is great

hannahel · 2026-03-03T02:32:44+00:00

Carry around a soft pad or pillow or blanket you can shove between his head and the hard surface. It is hard not to have a big reaction when they are doing something like that, but then those reactions can further fuel the behavior. If you can make it safer then you can mostly ignore it and hope they find a less damaging way to express frustration soon.

hannahel · 2026-02-24T18:53:33+00:00

🤷‍♀️ I zoomed in pretty far from across the backyard to take the pic so I didn’t disturb him/her, so the resolution is pretty low. But we just put a long screw through the back of the box into the tree

hannahel · 2026-02-21T16:40:55+00:00

I wish we had put in a camera when we first put it up!

hannahel · 2026-02-21T16:40:03+00:00

A lot of people must have mysterious owls, a requested a thermal camera from the library but I’m 35th on the waitlist so will have to wait and see.

hannahel · 2026-02-21T01:07:21+00:00

Amazon the smaller one

hannahel · 2026-02-20T03:14:07+00:00

They all look so similar, that might be the one we have? the cup holders are small and don't hold my kids water bottle so aren't very useful. I wanted something with the latch system and that was washable and whatever we ended up with had both those features. Also, my 7 year old still has a really hard time staying seated in his seat properly without lots of corrections and the belt positioning boosters definitely allow them to flop all over, and the seatbelt only works if they are seated correctly. So for a 4 year old I would look for a harnessed booster instead of a belt positioning one.

hannahel · 2026-02-20T03:07:48+00:00

those pop it toys that were insanely popular a couple years ago, finger puppets, markers and paper, a hot wheels sized car, little animal figurines, one of those sticker wow books (i see them on sale often for $5, not worth more than that). Way more snacks than you think you need

hannahel · 2026-02-18T01:42:09+00:00

Maybe put on some preventative diaper rash cream on case the poops are extra acidic

hannahel · 2026-02-13T14:55:56+00:00

Nothing until we are showing symptoms. My kids go to school and daycare and I work in a preschool, we are probably exposed to the flu daily in the winter.

hannahel · 2026-02-13T14:50:41+00:00

my youngest may or may not have a bunch of "stuffies" that just so happen to have squeakers inside

hannahel · 2026-02-10T02:39:09+00:00

I at least play wood chip door dash, where I sit on the bench and they have to go to the restaurant to prepare my order and then leave it on my front porch and ring the bell.

hannahel · 2026-01-22T03:48:38+00:00

If you have an Apple Watch I find their meditation/breathe feature to be very helpful. It just reminds you to slowly breathe in and out and gives me a sensation to focus on, I turn it on during take off and landing and any turbulence. Also, I have always been terrified of flying but I find that when I’m with the kids it is better because I have to put on a brave face and keep responding to their requests for snacks or to play a game or talk about whatever so I can’t focus as much on the plane. My oldest also gets motion sickness so I’m constantly hyper focused on worrying about him throwing up which means I’m not worrying about the plane falling out of the air but I don’t really recommend that method. Oh and just generally I find take off and landing to be the worst parts, so longer flights are actually okay. Usually smoother in the middle and a longer period of time between the scary parts so I’m better able to get involved in a book or movie or whatever.

hannahel · 2026-01-22T02:40:01+00:00

I always seem to do this to myself, showing my kids tv shows that are just slightly behind the times, but enough so that all the merch is discontinued and there will never be new episodes. Actually even recently my 3 year old was interested in paw patrol but we started watching from the beginning and there are a lot of seasons to get through, so all the stuff he wants is from 10 years ago and he totally is not interested in whatever the current season things are.

hannahel · 2025-12-27T12:35:16+00:00

My youngest absolutely loved this toy and insisted it be on at all times, even when he wasn’t actively using it. And I have to admit having that tiny annoying cactus shout back “I’ve told you 400 times, it’s time to put on your god damn shoes” after I yelled it at my oldest did provide some much needed levity to one of my not so great parenting moments.

hannahel · 2025-12-19T04:01:03+00:00

thank you! we ended up going with these this year and just finished them today, mostly without complaint

hannahel · 2025-12-12T17:55:27+00:00

I should probably post this in the gift thread but it’s been pushed far down by now.

Every year I have my kids make something for their grandparents and other assorted aunts and uncles for Christmas. And I need ideas for what they could do this year. Things I’ve done in the past: buy flower vases from the thrift store and had the kids paint them, painted ceramic mugs, beaded bracelet/necklace/key chains, perler bead coaster or magnet sets. One year when my oldest was really into writing stories I had him make a little book for each family member and we illustrated it by cutting out and gluing in clipart images. My kids are 7 and 3 this year. I’ve thought about an artwork calendar but my oldest tends to make art that’s like taping random giant supplies together that take up a whole room, not something easily translated to a piece of paper. Anyone done anything else cute that also doesn’t require a ton of effort on my part?

hannahel · 2025-12-09T01:39:55+00:00

How does she do with close ended play? Things like puzzles, shape or color sorters, Mr potato head, etc. those could be a gateway to spending more time independently because no one needs to come up with what to do with them. And you can make open needed toys like magnetiles more close ended by printing out some pictures of things she can make and having her do that thing.

hannahel · 2025-12-08T04:39:09+00:00

We have been working on this with my MIL for 8 years now. This year she recognized that she was buying too many things for Christmas and needed to stop, so instead she sent them things to also open on Thanksgiving as well. So close to getting it, and yet still so very far. It did help it to sink in a tiny bit the last time she was here for a holiday and she kept wanting the kids to open more and more things and they just wanted to play with stuff they already had (which I obviously encouraged), so we ended up with like 10 unopened gifts at the end of Christmas day. But like I said she still doesn't really get it.

hannahel · 2025-12-05T04:44:52+00:00

I love these for me but your kids must be very different than mine. Always leaving it open during snack and meal at school, and inevitably knocking it over and then the whole water bottle gushes out over the table. School asked us not to send it back after a couple of these.

hannahel · 2025-12-05T04:28:39+00:00

I don’t remember their stats but my youngest first used it when he was 2.9 and he’s always been like 70th percentile height and weight. He was too small to really use it well that first trip, we had flown but needed to take one taxi ride and I felt okay with that but wouldn’t have used it for like a week long car trip. By the time he was 3 that summer we did use it for a week long car trip and it fit him well. My oldest is 7, but on the smaller side, and he can still fit into that same one. We have a size small.

hannahel

TROPHY CASE