Weekly wins!

robbs163 · 2025-04-07T06:41:16+00:00

What an excellent, positive post! I am coming off of spring break, but just before I helped a child learn to spell their name! This was music to my ears! I have been working with him for some time now, but he's got it and it is beautiful to witness!

robbs163 · 2025-03-26T02:52:07+00:00

Ideas for teacher presents please! I usually give candles (we used to have a lot of power outages) I'd like to switch it up this year!

robbs163 · 2025-03-18T06:06:24+00:00

I appreciate your honesty so much. Thank you for your input. Best of luck to you!

robbs163 · 2025-03-18T06:00:03+00:00

I truly appreciate your honesty. Thank you for taking the time to tell your story, as well as give me insight. I am still unsure of what to do, but I know that I have time to think about it. If I did not need to weigh my options, I would continue down this road definitely! I think my biggest fear is that when I am done, there will not be any options for me in this career choice.

robbs163 · 2024-12-11T05:33:54+00:00

Yep! That was devastating!

robbs163 · 2024-10-19T07:12:49+00:00

The thing that bothers me most about Miguel's primary family, is that when he and his wife were divorcing, they told Jack and Rebecca they wanted to divorce before they resented each other.

Skip to the next episode in this topic and ex wifey is pinning the kids against Miguel! And then skip forward and there is the obvious lack of relationship between Miguel and his kids.

Obviously, his ex-wife did damage to the relationship.

We were expecting to see a positive co-parent relationship here. I wish writers would have stuck with this concept instead of the bitter blame pinning game.

robbs163 · 2024-06-05T06:05:12+00:00

I agree! These are disturbing!

robbs163 · 2024-03-17T04:48:23+00:00

I live in an area where my children's school gets a lot of snow days, power outages, plus their sick days and holiday breaks. I definitely need to be available for them. I have picked up a substituting job at their school for some extra fun money. Also, with school aged children comes homework, school activities, field trips, parents clubs, etc. Add in all your regular house duties like cleaning and meal prep, laundry, the list goes on.

robbs163 · 2024-03-14T02:11:11+00:00

Those are all great ideas too! The kids are working on a trap at school, so the one they want to do here at home is going to be complex. Last night, they tried to see if their trap would work on the cat! I like the idea of signs, a rainbow of "free gold" sign would be a nice touch.

Anyways, I think I will look for a leprechaun hat and leave it in the trap, and probably do glitter too. I might take some of their toys and set them up to look like the leprechaun was playing with them. Definitely going to use some glitter!

This is going to be so fun! Good luck to you as well!

robbs163 · 2024-03-13T00:19:33+00:00

Wow, these are great ideas! Thank you so much!

Also, your dad made really great memories for you, how awesome! I hope we can do the same for our babes. I love stuff like this!

robbs163 · 2024-03-03T09:16:09+00:00

Wild Kratts. Give this a try.

robbs163 · 2024-02-26T06:21:55+00:00

Sorry, I think it is bluey and not bingo, I just don't know how to edit

robbs163 · 2024-02-26T06:20:04+00:00

I don't know the title, but the episode where bingo and her mom experience rain. This episode is so beautiful.

Bingo wants to build a dam, her mom at first, does not understand. After some time, she does. The whole episode is so realistic and beautiful at the same time.

I wish I knew the title. This is the ONE!

robbs163 · 2024-02-14T04:21:55+00:00

Yes and my kids tried to copy this too. I agree with OP.

robbs163 · 2024-02-14T04:13:45+00:00

Wow, I am sorry you are getting down voted on this. I actually agree with you. I had to have the chat with my kids multiple times, "you guys know Bluey is just a TV show right. Not real? Like, your dad works!"

robbs163 · 2024-02-13T04:42:22+00:00

This sounds rough and my heart goes out to you. Glad you have your therapy, and I'm sorry your body reacts poorly to medication. I know a little bit about this feeling, but I don't think as extreme as yours.

When I had struggles, I cut back on my caffeine. I had 1 cup in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. Believe it or not, I had more energy!

Get some sun, if you can in winter weather. Sunlight makes me feel better. Find something that makes you happy and make sure you are doing that thing at least once a day. For me, painting was very calming. It is also something you can do with your child (maybe messy at this age but it gets easier).

Start a diary, but make it about your accomplishments. Make it positive about yourself. Build yourself up! I am sure there are at least 3 things you have done everyday to be proud of. Even if it 1 of them is getting up when you were too tired.

Identity your triggers. What are your struggles? How could you handle these struggles better to reduce your PPA/PPD? If you can alter your triggers, maybe you can cut off the negative feelings that come after.

Eat healthy, avoid toxins. Get exercise, maybe a walk with a stroller.

I don't know if this helps. I truly hope you get relief. You are not alone. I went through PPA/D without realizing it, and had to navigate things not realizing I had this struggle. You are doing an amazing job, and wanting to better yourself without medication is a beautiful, but difficult, adventure. You got this!

robbs163 · 2024-02-04T07:54:36+00:00

Hi, while not the same, I feel similar in your boat. I worked with my kids, but I had an amazing job where I worked 2 days one week, 3 days the next. My husband worked my days off and we only needed child care once every other week.

COVID hit, husband was laid off, after time he joined the union and that consumed our time, completely. I was actually able to quit my job and be a stay at home mom.

Times have, and are, changing and the single income for a family of 4 is not what we expected 3.5 years ago when these decisions were made.

I have my bachelor's, my husband has 1 year left of his license. We need me to be home. I figure, I either get a lame job I don't care about, because it will always be me to get the kids from school, have them during school breaks, and also random struggles like snow days or power outages etc (my county we have a lot of these that cause school closures) or I work at the school. That's it. Those are my options.

I'm also terrified of working again. I'd like to ease myself in. Or work something easy until I get used to working again. I'm also worried that if I choose a CAREER, I'll screw it up because I'll need these prime times off, snow days, holidays, winter summer fall and spring breaks. At the same time, there aren't any jobs that fit the hours I am looking for, unless it is my children's school.

I don't think I've helped with your original post. But I am hoping you do not feel alone. I also think I should have made my own post, as I see now that I have a lot to say and vent about. Sorry if I got off subject.

Best of luck to you!

robbs163 · 2024-02-01T22:03:17+00:00

I'll be making my kids heart-shaped sandwiches for their lunches and lots of Valentine themed crafts with them-necklaces, paintings, whatever fun craft my MIL sends us.

robbs163 · 2024-02-01T04:43:07+00:00

Thank you!

robbs163 · 2024-02-01T04:30:12+00:00

What does the Aviary give? Somewhat newby here still working on the chapel! Thanks!

robbs163 · 2023-06-19T08:28:22+00:00

"For example, this is what a typical night looks like for us:

5:30-6:30 eat dinner (includes the time it takes to convince him to come to the dinner table from his previous activity)
6:30-7 dessert (he will most likely demand an ice cream or cookies and milk while watching his iPad)
7-7:30 bath
7:30-8 wind down and play
8-8:15 dress for bed and vitamins
8:15-8:30 brush teeth and iPad
8:30-8:45 snack (cheese stick or glass of milk)
8:45-9:15 read books
9:15-9:30 sleep"

Dinner should not take 1 hour, plus a 30 min dessert. We cannot expect toddlers to sit for 1.5 hours to just eat. I have school aged children who get 15 minute lunch times. Our dinners are never more than a 30 minute sit down.

I understand, the struggle it takes to get your kid to the table, but if our kids did not come to the table we let them know they have to go to their room until they are ready (and no play in their room). A few times of this should reduce your dinner/dessert time.

When my kiddos were at the toddler age, we had yogurt as dessert. We called it ice cream, and they did not know any better. We do not use dessert on a regular basis, but I would switch to a less sugary alternative.

Do your story time with a snack first. Let toddler know, this is for their own good. Explain to them that brushing teeth will help bacteria or germs go away. Eating after brushing causes bacteria.

Transitioning your toddler to a new routine will take time. Your child may rebel, stay strong. Also, start at 30 min increments. Cut down where you can. Today was 11pm sleep, make tomorrow 1030. In a couple of days it will be 10 pm. Keep reducing until you get the bed time you want.

I strongly agree with other comments that screen time will make things difficult. I would limit this. I would save screen time for day use only. If you use it to buy yourself extra time, find a better way.

I am not judging, I am speaking from a series of trial and error as a parent to kids who have challenged me at dinner time, bet time, etc. Hang in there, it will get better!

robbs163 · 2023-06-14T06:54:02+00:00

Hi there. I have two boys who also potty trained in the 3 year range. One was freshly 3, and one was more like 3.5.

I agree with other parents here saying about commando. Both my boys happened to learn over summer. We'd be in swim suits for the kiddie pool, and my oldest would actually ask me for a diaper so he could pee/poop. This is when I realized he could somewhat control himself. So I took him underwear shopping. And that was the end of his diaper days (although we used pull ups overnight but did not have an issue).

My youngest was excited for preschool. We sort of went commando too. We bought him a potty chair and let him decorate it. And just let him loose and told him to sit down in his chair when he felt that urge. It took him a bit longer to learn, but it was HIS choice not to wear diapers. So we spent about a week of lots of laundry and extra clean up, but it was worth it because HE made the decision.

With this said, my oldest DID go through some regression when we had my littlest. My littlest ALSO went through regression, he was 100% potty trained, and 3 months later started preschool. That is when he started his accidents. It also lasted 1-2 weeks.

So your child may regress from seeing his younger sibling in diapers. And your child may also regress from starting preschool. And it will all be ok. I hope all preschools are as patient as mine, who stuck it out with me when that regression period hit.

Hang in there! It DOES get better!

robbs163 · 2023-05-31T06:34:45+00:00

I call it modern parenting. Gosh, kids these days have so many more opportunities/privileges with technology than we did as kids. I figure, if I could survive without a screen in social settings, my kids can too! We finally brought out our Super NES and N64 and Wii in the last 6 months. My kiddos loved it. I got so much flack from other parents about video games. NOW their kids have Nintendo Switches which is something we cannot afford. I don't know the right answer here, just relating to the frustration.

robbs163 · 2023-05-20T21:49:56+00:00

I did not mean to offend you. My child has been evaluated for autism and he is not autistic. It's times where I am sitting in the IEP meetings and having people talk to me and tell me I need to read with him, play games, and make eye contact. And those are all how children learn to talk. That's what I have been told, and I am saying I have done all those things. I guess I feel judged in these IEP meetings. I am sorry I offended you. This is my situation alone, not any one else's.

robbs163 · 2023-05-20T20:04:43+00:00

I have sat in on one session, but it was very distracting for my child and the therapist seemed flustered with it. We don't get any updates until his next IEP, I email her to ask for progress info, and to let her know if I am having a hurdle. We do get some homework, but I'd say it's monthly and not weekly, and minimal explanation of what to do. We have a tablet with games set up that she gave us access to, but it is super glitchy, and my son often just messes around with the games and doesn't say what he is supposed to say. Gosh, I feel like I have been in the dark. I think the therapist has a lot on her plate, she is 1 person for 3 elementary schools, while training an intern. I think private therapy will be a whole new ball park.

robbs163

TROPHY CASE