Kayla At 19 Months
My baby is no longer a baby; recently we realised how "mature" she is now haha. And we also realised how tough educating/teaching a toddler is heh;
Kayla has this huge obsession with ball pits, so papa bought her 2 bags of plastic balls for her to play in her playpen hehe - her expression was priceless when she saw us pouring the balls in lol! To our amazement, this little girl actually learnt how to recognise different colours just by watching youtube videos and playing in the ball pit on her own!
Feeling real blessed that we are able to spend a lot more time with her these days; she has also permanently moved into our room cos the other room that she sleeps in on some days is undergoing renovation - converting it into a full fledged nursery **excited!!!!** We've been going out together as a family almost everyday as well (even if its just a simple trip to the grocery store) since papa is able to stay in SG till baby2 comes and this is the last few weeks we have as a family of 3.
Kayla is a super happy little girl everyday haha, she giggles at almost everything! Took her old tub out for her to play with water the other day cos the weather was soooo hot :D
Us checking out the new Punggol Waterway Point Wet/Dry Playground when it opened last weekend! Baby had diarrhoea and sore eyes the next day though omg, think the water was too dirty cos it was so so crowded.
She's also a lot more sensitive than we realised! Sometimes when she does something silly and we laugh at her, she would actually look kinda hurt - something new for us! And she picks up on our actions so quickly these days; so we started preschool hunting for her as well, think its probably a better environment for her to learn ♥︎
Honestly never felt closer to my Kayla bee than now; hopefully we will still be as close when baby2 comes (:
Enjoy reading your post.
ReplyDeleteRenee
Happy girl indeed
ReplyDeleteMichelle
Such a lovely little girl...
ReplyDeleteKristen
Life is so amazing....
ReplyDeleteYes nothing can compare to watching your child grows physically, socially, intellectually, especially SPIRITUALLY .....
May more joys from your babies overwhelm your family members every day and years to come!
Frank
Hi, a little tip from my current experience:
ReplyDeleteThe best way to get my 19-month-old's cooperation is to spend time with him first. Before trying to cook dinner, we play with blocks or puzzles. This way he's engaged and not clinging. Also, during his lunch or nap, I prep dinner. Then when it's time to cook, I can just throw it together and keep a closer eye on him. (He's always more likely to fall, have a tantrum, or get into mischief at the end of the day when he's tired and hungry.
Kunkle
Hi to make life with a toddler easier:
ReplyDeleteI keep a drawer in my desk stocked with toys so my 18-month-old can just open it up and pick through, and I make sure my home office is very well baby proofed. (For this age, that means having everything on my desk pushed back a foot from the edge).
And I write a to-do list for the week on a dry-erase board. Having everything written down, and crossing things out once they've been done, keeps me from feeling overwhelmed. It also gives my hubby an opportunity to help without having to ask me what to do.
Hope this will help when you are having 2 toddlers at home!
Carol
Mornings can be tough for everyone with children. I've found that if I take five to 10 minutes with my 2-year-old when he first wakes up to snuggle and talk quietly about the day, the whole morning goes much more smoothly. If I slow down, he's able to speed up. If I try to rush him, he usually stops or slows way down.
ReplyDeleteTalor
I always ask my toddler if he wants to help mommy so this way he still feels involved with what's going on. And when I ask he usually says, 'Ya, Momma!' I also give him a little washcloth. We call it his 'dusting rag,' so when he sees Mommy cleaning he can learn to help out too! Plus, he loves when we sing a cleanup song. He usually just dusts the walls or couch but, hey – he's learning!
ReplyDeleteAshley
When I'm cooking dinner, I let my 18-month-old help by pulling out ingredients from the fridge. He digs through looking for the various items I ask him to find. He thinks it's fun, and I see it as educational. I'll ask for a green pepper, and if he grabs an apple, I explain the difference.
ReplyDeleteAlecz
We have 'cleanup time' twice a day – once before my son's nap and again before bedtime. He puts all of his toys away in his bedroom on shelves or in a laundry basket. I occasionally have to tell him where to put something, but he generally knows and tries to do it without my help. My grandmother told me it's never too early to start teaching your kids to clean up after themselves, and I'm glad I listened to her!
ReplyDeleteLela
Yes I can identify with what you are experiencing with your daughter as I am having a toddle at home now..... In fact we all know that:
ReplyDeleteYour toddler's constant motion is doing a lot more than building her muscles (although she is getting a workout!). For instance, walking, running, and climbing on different surfaces helps develop spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination, and balance. At the same time, she is learning about actions and consequences as she solves problems along the way, like how full she can fill a laundry basket with stuffed animals before it's too heavy to carry -- and what will happen if she drops it.... hehehe, so much so say about the fun of having them in our lives.
Sylvia
Hi, I recently learned about this:
ReplyDeleteYour child is a joy to be around as he shares his curiosity and enthusiasm for everything from cardboard boxes to grocery store excursions. But then, one day, it happens: You scoop your son/daughter up into your arms and he whacks you in the face. Or she sinks her teeth into his brother's arm for no apparent reason.
Welcome to Toddler World, a place where the natives can be restless, lawless, and downright ruthless.
Between 19 and 21 months, children may hit, bite, scratch, or exhibit other aggressive behaviors not because they're deliberately being mean but simply because it's another way to experiment with "new moves and novel behaviors," explains Armin Brott, author of The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the Toddler Years (Abbeville Press). "Children this age wonder what will happen if they pull your hair or poke you in the eye." Too young to remember rules from one day to the next, a toddler may repeat aggressive behaviors -- even if reactions are negative -- especially if the behaviors elicit an exciting response from you.
In fact, experts say the so-called terrible twos really start by 18 or 19 months, "when hitting and biting become common behaviors for kids," says Blanche Benenson, MD, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician at Montefiore Medical Center, in the Bronx, New York. "Since toddlers have such an egocentric view of the world, they can understand their own pain but not necessarily the pain of others."
To add to everyone's woes, toddlers are long on will but short on skill. Driven by nature to seek autonomy, they don't understand why they can't play with the stove, walk the dog, or try on all of Mom's lipsticks. They become infuriated whenever their efforts at independence are thwarted.
At the same time, they're still passionately attached to their caregivers and are sometimes frightened by their own antics and their caregivers' often surprising responses to them. This exhausting push-pull between independence and dependence, along with a good daily dose of frustration, can lead to intense mood swings, causing experts like Dr. Brown to call toddlerhood "the first adolescence."
Your child's most aggressive behaviors should start to subside as he nears his third birthday and learns to articulate his feelings better. Meanwhile, you can marvel at your child's growing repertoire of abilities.
"When you think about all of the new physical, emotional, language, and problem-solving skills that kids this age are learning at such a rapid pace, it's truly amazing," says Dr. Benenson. "No adult can learn as fast as toddlers can."
Without a doubt, one of the most common battlegrounds between parents and toddlers is the high chair. "Parents are always complaining that they can't get their toddlers to eat," says New York pediatrician Blanche Benenson, MD. Whereas before you might have been able to get your 1-year-old to eat a good helping of veggies and fruit at each meal, your 19-month-old rebel may eat only pasta -- and maybe not much of that.
It's also true that many children this age prefer familiarity to novelty; it might take up to two dozen tries before they'll even consider eating a new food. Adding to the automatic "yuck" response to new foods is toddler taste bud sensitivity, which is much greater than an adult's.
What's more, "Their physical growth has slowed dramatically," says Ari Brown, MD, coauthor of Baby 411 (Windsor Peak Press). Infants gain about 14 pounds and grow by about 8 inches before their first birthday. But between their first and second birthdays, children are apt to gain only 6 additional pounds and add a scant 3 inches.
"You can trust your child to eat when she's hungry," says Dr. Benenson, "so don't fight with her over feeding issues. To a toddler, sometimes the fight is more interesting than anything on their plate."
Regards,
Shawn
Hello, young mama take notice of a 19 months old child at home:
ReplyDeleteYou’ll certainly know there’s a toddler in the house now, with toys and mess strewn throughout. Something will catch your toddler’s eye and become their new favourite item for a little while and then it will be cast aside in favour of the next best thing. Don’t take your 19 month old too seriously or worry they can’t focus for too long. Having a short attention span is characteristic of this age and is entirely normal. It’s also completely age appropriate for your toddler to protest and escalate easily to frustration. This is not an indication that they will always be impatient, it’s just that they don’t yet have the cognitive ability to understand how things work. Blocks which fall over when they’re stacked too high, shape toys which aren’t inserted in their matching holes and even toys which won’t line up and sit as they should do, will all incite a fresh outburst. Try to stay calm and in check of your own emotions when your toddler escalates. They still need your help to learn how to regulate their emotions and not feel overwhelmed by their angry feelings.
But it’s not all rage and frustration at 19 months. This is also the age when humour makes an appearance and you’ll find your toddler has discovered how to giggle. If you pull a silly face and make a little joke, tickle them gently and sing a silly song they will understand the ridiculousness of it all.
Diana
Very interesting stage of your little's girl life!
ReplyDeleteBusy and active are the words to describe your 19 month old. From the moment they wake up to when their little head meets the mattress they’ll be into everything and drawn to touch and examine. Which means you’ll need to be vigilant about where they are and what they’re doing. If you haven’t seen them for a while and there’s a notable absence of sound, be assured that your toddler is up to no good.
Keep gates across doorways and doors closed if you want to limit their access through the house. Teach them what’s involved in safely climbing down stairs and make sure they go down backwards. Show them how to use handrails and encourage them to wait for you to come and be with them. You’ll become very used to hearing your toddler calling you throughout the day (and perhaps the night) which is why many parents develop selective deafness at this time. Constant calls for “mum mum” or “dad dad” at various levels of intensity will make you feel as if you are at their beck and call. Although this is an independent stage for your toddler, they will still need your help to engage in play and be entertained. They will also need comforting when life just gets a little too big for them. Just when you think your toddler is growing up too quickly, they will remind you that they are still very young.
Bina