Last August, I took Pudge in for his regular 18-month check-up. Like always, I was eager to hear what the doctor would say and was proud to show off my smart little boy.  Since we had recently moved, we were seeing a new doctor. After she asked me a battery a questions about his physical development, she started asking about his speech. He only said 5 words at 18 months, which I knew was less than average. But his comprehension was through the roof, so prior to the appointment, I wasn’t concerned at all about his language. He was extremely communicative in non-verbal ways, and I could tell that he was a very smart boy. But to my dismay, the doctor didn’t care at ALL about his comprehension. She kept saying “That’s nice, but what words does he actually say?” She said that 18-month-old boys should have 20 words (girls should have 50), and since Pudge only had 5 words he—wait for it—needed to see a speech therapist immediately because he is behind the curve.

I was flabbergasted. Sending any 18-month-old to speech therapy seemed extreme but sending a child who clearly comprehends everything and has demonstrated that he can say a few words seemed beyond ridiculous. Of course, I can say that now, but at the time, I couldn’t think so level-headedly, and I left the pediatrician’s office in tears. My husband and I mulled it over and decided not to pursue speech therapy. We just knew that our son was learning and would speak on his own terms in his own time. (I later found out that most speech therapists won’t even see kids until they’re at least 3 years old. And, needless to say, we never went back to that pediatrician again.)

Lo and behold, one cold day in January, Pudge started talking. Not just words, sentences. Between 23 and 25 months, he went from saying about 25 words to every word that he hears. I never kept one of those “word logs” that some parents do. I couldn’t really, because I would have written several pages worth of words every day for those two months. Now, at 27 months, he speaks in paragraphs and his language skills far exceed those of most other 2-year-olds. In fact, he speaks better than many 3-year-olds and is often mistaken for a 3-year-old.

So, why do I tell you all of this? Two reasons. First, for parents who are experiencing similar delayed speech issues with their child, I hope this story brings you comfort. It turns out that kids don’t read medical reference journals and don’t know that they are “supposed to” do things on a certain schedule. Every kid will speak on his/her own timeline. Furthermore, judging by my experience with my son, I think the whole concept of early rolling over/crawling/walking/talking/jumping/etc. is extremely overblown. I don’t believe that reaching these milestones early or late has any bearing on how smart or athletic a child will be. (My son was a very “early” roller, crawler and jumper, but a “late” walker and talker. See? That tells you squat about him.)

Secondly, and more importantly, my son’s speech “delay” has taught me to trust my own instincts. Doctors do not always have the right answer, and they don’t always give the best advice. Clearly, a child who can spell at 2 years old didn’t need speech therapy at 18 months. If your doctor tells you something that runs counter to your own instincts, trust yourself. People often say that children don’t come with manuals, and while true, I think the instincts that parents have are far more useful than any manual would be anyway.

I’ve never been on TV for any reason before, so the whole experience of doing the shoot and actually seeing the finished product on TV has been so surreal.

Anyway, I promise that my next post will be back on topic, but for now, here’s the link to the commercial, if you haven’t seen it.

The study also looked for other correlations with autism. No link was found between diabetes in mothers and autism in children, though a mother’s diabetes does increase her child’s risk of other developmental delays.

I’m glad to see more research done in this area, especially since so many parents blame vaccines for autism. If vaccines are to blame, we needbattle-tested medical research that verifies the claim. But if they are not to blame, then we need to exonerate them as soon as possible so all parents will vaccinate their children and can do so with peace of mind.

Ahh! Time already feels like it flies by, but hearing stats like this only makes it worse. Still, it’s a great reminder to savor our time with our children while they are young—especially on weekends when many families have both parents at home at the same time.

Personally, I love doing fun, exciting, out-of-the-box things on the weekends like traveling to new places. But last weekend, seemingly, could not have been more mundane or in-the-box. We spent the whole weekend mulching our front yard and doing some home improvement projects. But you know what? Pudge had a ball helping Daddy mulch and fix things (for the record, Mommy was there doing the chores right alongside Daddy—nevertheless, the whole week, Pudge talked about how he “mulched with Daddy.” *Sigh* If only mommies were as exciting as daddies…) As it turns out, even just doing chores together can make for great memories.  

With that, enjoy your weekend!

I’ve learned through him how difficult it can be to find glasses or contacts that have the look and comfort that you want but don’t break the bank. Glasses.com is a great resource for people who are looking for new glasses. The website offers free shipping on all orders. They also have a virtual “try-on” feature that allows you to see how you would look in each pair of glasses before you buy them. Click here to see their selection of eyeglasses.

Glasses.com is a sister company to 1-800-CONTACTS, which you’ve probably heard of or used yourself.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Glasses.com. Though I have been compensated to publish this post, the content was written entirely by me.

You have been keeping up with your diet. You not only eat the right foods, you also exercise regularly. Even though you have lost quite a bit of weight, you still have a few pounds you want to lose. No matter how hard you try, these last few pounds just do not want to come off. This can be extremely very frustrating and confusing.

Keeping a Journal
It is a smart idea to start writing down everything you eat. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, dieters who do this will lose twice as much weight than those who don‘t by simply putting it all in perspective. Even if you ate a chip or cracker, write it down. There may be one thing eaten regularly that you never think about. You might be surprised how many extra calories add up.

Make Your Workouts Tougher
There is nothing wrong with making your workouts more intense. Putting the higher intensity work in can help you lose those last few pounds. If you’ve been walking, try jogging. If you’ve been jogging, try doing sprint intervals. If you have been doing 30 crunches a night, try doing 50 or 60. Squeeze in more exercises at home. As you are watching television, do some squats or lunges.  If you have stairs, run up them instead of walking.

Bring Snacks With You
If you are hungry, it can be tempting to get a pretzel at the mall or popcorn at the movie theatre. That is why you should always bring healthy snacks with you. Pack carrots, grapes, nuts and berries in your purse. Whenever you feel hungry, you know that you will always have a healthy snack nearby and keep your portions under control.

Eat More Protein
Eating protein will help your body feel more full and satisfied. If you increase the amount of protein you consume, you will feel less tempted to overeat. Fill your diet with fish, chicken, lean red meats, beans and nuts to help you keep your muscle as you cut the last bit of fat. Also, simply having more muscle burns calories even when not working out.

Cut Some Carbohydrates
One of the best ways to lose those last few pounds is to cut out some carbohydrates out of your diet. Try to eat just lean proteins, skipping the fatty foods, and more vegetables in your meals. You need carbohydrates to have the energy before and after your workouts, but hitting your intake goals will keep you on track.

Putting these tips to practice, you should lose those last few pounds within a few months or even weeks. You will soon feel confident about the way your body looks. Planning meals in advance is also helpful in maintaining a healthy diet.

I think social lessons are some of the hardest to teach children. In particular, good manners are difficult to teach young children because they don’t understand the need for them. They may say “please” and “thank you” out of habit, but they don’t really understand why it’s important to be courteous. But, as I was recently reminded, a heck of a lot of adults don’t understand how to be courteous or why it’s important to use good manners either.

We have a great library within walking distance of our house, and they have several weekly storytime sessions for young kids. Pudge has now graduated through the 0-18 month and the 18-24 month storytime classes, so this week, I took him to the 24-36 month class. In general, my son is a quiet kid. He is very interested in the stories and songs and will listen intently, but he doesn’t like to actively participate until he feels really comfortable in the setting. So, I made sure to get there early, and I chose a spot to sit with him where he could see easily but wouldn’t be front and center. Gradually, the room filled up. The teacher began storytime, and Pudge was quickly enthralled.

Enthralled, that is, until a latecomer mother and daughter rudely entered the room. Rather than taking a place at the back so as not to be disruptive, they chose to weave their way toward the front of the room…and plant themselves directly in front of my son and me. Those of you who know me know I HATE when things are unfair. I hate when undeserving people are rewarded or when good people suffer. We had gotten there on time—early, even—and had chosen a seat where we could see, only to have our view completely obstructed by a rude latecomer. What lesson is that mother teaching her daughter?!

I was tempted to say something to the mother, but I didn’t want to make a scene during storytime. So, we moved. Grrr…that still makes me mad. But to add salt in the wound, about 5 minutes later, the exact same thing happened AGAIN! Different mother, different daughter, but same situation. They entered late, worked their way toward the front of the room, and plopped down right in front of us. (I don’t mean to sound weight-ist, but neither mother was a small woman, so when they sat down in front of Pudge, there was no way he could see around or over them.)

By this time, I had had it. I was annoyed, the room was filled, we couldn’t see at all, and finding another spot that didn’t block another child’s view was almost impossible. So, we left.

But I’ve been mulling over the situation in my head all day. How do I teach my son good manners when he sees examples of such horrible manners from adults around him? Certainly, I wouldn’t have blamed the 2-year-old daughters if they had sat down right in front of him. I would have expected their mothers to quietly say, “You’re blocking this little boy’s view, sweetie. Please move over here.” But for the mothers themselves completely block a young child’s view is completely unacceptable behavior. Perhaps I should have said something.

What do you think? How do you teach children good manners? And how do you handle situations where adults model completely unacceptable, rude behavior?

I came across this couponing graphic, and I thought you all might enjoy it as well.  I think I began my couponing adventure as the Convert but have since graduated to the Collector. What type  are you? And where do you find the best deals?

Source: coupons.org

If you’ve decided you wish for a home birth, then there are lots of ways to prepare yourself for the big day. First of all, read all you can about homes births: what is and isn’t allowed, what will happen, when to call the midwife etc. Secondly, you’ll need to find a midwife who is comfortable with and experienced in home births. Talk your birth plan through with your midwife and make sure you’re both happy with it before you’re due to give birth. Birth plans could include whether or not you want a birthing pool, what pain relief you wish for and who you want present.

Planning, Planning, Planning

If you’re having problems finding a midwife then you may also want to look into using an independent midwife who is experienced in home births. These are midwives who have chosen to work outside of the NHS. They do charge, so make sure you discuss their fee with them before hand.

To fully plan for your home birth, and you’ve probably been thinking about it during your pregnancy week by week, you’ll need to think about labour techniques. You may want to purchase a birthing ball and practice moves on it beforehand. Also plan in advance the atmosphere you’d like your child to be born into. If you want music, make sure you have the CD or playlist you want playing during the birth ready to pop on at the click of a button. You may also wish for dimmed lighting or extra blankets.

Flexibility

However dedicated you are to the idea of a home birth, it’s very important to stay flexible. You may need to transfer to a hospital if there are any complications during the labour. You’ll want this to be as stress free as possible. Pack an emergency hospital bag. This could include maternity sanitary pads, nightdress, money, drinks, snacks, and a camera. Keep this near the door during the last couple of weeks of your labour, just in case.

Before you go into labour, have a contact on hand just in case you need an extra adult present. Reasons could include someone to distract and look after your other children, someone to keep you company until your partner arrives or just an extra pair of hands. You might want to prepare the area of your home that you wish to labour in. For example, put some extra sheets down to save the carpet from getting messy. It’s advisable to have the birth in a downstairs room so that any doctors or midwives can gain easy access to you.

Pain Relief?

Unfortunately, if you’re having a home birth, the option of epidural won’t be available to you. You’ll need to decide on a choice of pain relief before the labour, but remember to be open to change. Have a back-up plan. Your midwife will be able to help you decide which pain relief is right for you. If you choose to labour without pain relief, then discuss the options available to help you cope with the pain naturally.

The third stage of labour is often sped up in hospital. There are health risks associated with the placenta taking too long to deliver so make sure you discuss your choice with your midwife. If you decide to deliver the placenta without drugs then include this in your birth plan and always be open to change in case of an emergency.

Planning a home birth is more complicated than planning a hospital birth, but you should find support from your midwife. Where you give birth is your decision and when planning a home birth don’t let other people’s opinions put you off. You should, however, stay open minded at all times and consider what is best for you and your baby, whether that is giving birth in a hospital or in the comfort of your own home.

Since the weather was a balmy 65 degrees today, Pudge and I decided to head to a local playground. We normally go to the ones near our house, so I thought I’d try a different one that in the center of a large, upscale shopping center in our area. To Pudge’s delight, this particular playground was transportation-themed, so he loved to bounce from car to train to plane, excitedly finding a steering wheel in each one.

I suppose I should have been tipped off that something might go awry from the moment I saw the place. The playground itself was inside a circular fence, and there were a few benches outside it. Despite the fact that the sign clearly said that children should be supervised inside the play area, almost all of the parents chose to sit outside on the benches instead.

That’s not my style, so I ventured into the play area with Pudge to find it already crowded with lots of children. That’s ok, I thought. This will give us lots of opportunities to learn about taking turns. After a few minutes in the plane, Pudge decided to venture over to the truck (a very popular attraction). I was proud of him when he waited patiently for other kids to finish their turn before climbing in.

Once inside, he was in heaven. Clutching the steering wheel, spinning the dials—if he could have spent the whole day there, he would have.

But he had only spent about 30 seconds in the truck before I noticed two big boys whispering nearby. They seemed to be plotting something, so I kept an eye on them. All of sudden, they both jumped toward my son shouting “Take back the truck!” and had their hands inches from my son’s throat—that’s right, throat—before I lunged at them, grabbed their hands, and pulled them away from him.

First of all, these boys had no business being in this playground in the first place. They both appeared to be about 8 years old, and the play area was specifically labeled “For Toddlers Only.” There was a clear sign showing a height limit, and they were each over it by at least 6 inches.

Second of all, my son just turned two. TWO. He was beyond scared when he saw two giant boys leaping at him. It’s so sad to me that these 8-year-olds had the poor judgment and ill will to gang up on a two-year-old. Clearly, they did not see that I was with him because when I pulled them off of my son and very sternly told them “NEVER jump on a baby,” they were in shock.

But as angry as I was at those boys, I was far angrier at their absentee parents. These boys are clearly bullies in the making, and while they were creating and carrying out a plot to bully a child a third of their size and a quarter of their age, their parents did nothing. This incident could have been a great opportunity for their parents to teach these boys right from wrong and about the importance of compassion and patience. But their parents failed them.

Sadly, this kind of thing happens all the time on playgrounds. For some reason, many parents treat the playground as a babysitter for their children. If you go to most playgrounds, you will see mothers lining the benches chatting and fathers surfing the internet on their smartphones rather than watching their children play.

Perhaps some parents think that their children are old enough not to require constant supervision. Certainly, I’m not saying that parents need to hover over their children. But if you choose to sit on the bench, then watch your kids. Watch how they interact with other kids. Praise them later for the good things they do, and step in immediately when they are doing something wrong.

Maybe other parents have so many children that they figure, “Well, I’ll keep an eye on the youngest, but I can’t monitor all the kids.” To them I would say, you chose to have all these children; it is your responsibility to watch them. If you can’t do it alone, then bring another adult along to the playground with you. If you can’t watch all your kids and you can’t bring another adult, stay home. Both your children and the other children on the playground deserve better than such lazy parenting.

Bullying is such a pervasive issue in modern society. But we parents have many opportunities to teach kids how to behave long before they enter the school system. We can’t blame teachers and school administrators for condoning bullying when many parents themselves have turned a blind eye to it from very early on at the playground.

It’s so sad to me that any parent needs to hear this, but parents: you are responsible for your children, so be responsible and monitor them on playgrounds.