Pittr Pattr

ChitterChatter: Till When Is It "OK" For Your Child To See You Naked?

pittrpattr — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:15:43 +0000

Definitely not something I had to think about until recently. It started out with the little guy getting curious and asking us about body parts, and now he's still at the giggling stage where if we catch him staring he'll giggle. It's like they're born to know that being naked is a private thing. He's always been around us when we change or shower or even go to the bathroom sometimes, and I know a day will come when we're going to think "ok it's time to close the door!". Some celebrities shared on tv about their toddlers reaching that "awkward" stage and most of them said it starts at the age of 3. Hormones start to take over and they start to get curious about their own bodies as well as mommy's and daddy's body parts. I used to be nervous about having to explain more complicated things to the little guy, but now I find it pretty natural. For me, the key is to just be honest and open and not make it sound like it's something to be embarrassed about. It's actually sad to think about the fact that the day will come when we shouldn't share everything with him. I think that day will remind me that he really isn't a baby any more because he's understanding too many things.Are you comfortable being naked around your kids? If you have older kids, when did it become more awkward, or when did they start asking questions? What funny things have your kids done to make you realize it's "time"?

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chitter chatter

Current Favorites: Crib Bedding

pittrpattr — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:03:16 +0000

One of the funnest parts about welcoming a new baby into a home is decorating the nursery. And bedding plays a big role in setting the tone for the room!

above image: {by Land of Nod} one of my absolute favorites. Polka dots with colorful and whimsical woodland animals. It's got it all!

{by Land of Nod} ah the combination of warm yellow and grey will never cease to dazzle me. With neutral tones around the room and fun pops of yellow, it makes for a modern but fun nursery for your little one.

{by Dwell Studio} I'm loving how girly yet sophisticated this Rosette print is, especially with the maple wood furniture. It brings so much warmth to the room.

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bedding

nursery

decor

Plates Of Whimsy

pittrpattr — Wed, 23 May 2012 22:28:50 +0000

9 melamine plate designs (8" plates) with rich vibrant colors for all kinds of personalities. Designed by Swedish designer Ingela P Arrhenius.

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Say Cheese!

pittrpattr — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:59:01 +0000

Everyone who knows me knows that I love taking pictures. If I could pick my career all over again, I would probably opt for photography and I wish I learnt more about it. I know it's not too late, but with a little one, priorities shift. Maybe some day, I'll be able to explore this hobby and passion a little further. For now, I can just drool over fancy new photography products/tools and use my little guy and our puppy as model guinea pigs! How wonderfully sweet are these La Sardina cameras? I want one in each color!

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photography

hobby

... And We're Back!

pittrpattr — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:46:22 +0000

No, I wasn't on vacation because I would've told you beforehand. The blog server was down and I was panicking the entire week because I had no idea how to fix it. But thanks (again) to my computer whizz buddy, I finally figured out it was a silly problem I could've fixed right away. I swear I'm the most computer illiterate person on the face of the earth. So I apologize profusely for the sudden disappearance.

Weekends can get pretty boring sometimes. So last weekend, I was racking my brain for something to do with the little guy, and his daddy and I decided to get him a water table (which he's played with at his buddy's house and loved). Even though we live in a town house and don't have a yard (yet!), we figured a water table would work on the patio! And work it did! S was so excited to help his daddy put the table together and then he spent most of his afternoon playing with the little toys and water until we found him trying to dunk his entire head in the water because he wanted to feel like he was "swimming". Oy, this boy really loves the water! After he was drenched, he played with some more water in his bath tub.

We bought this water table by Little Tikes

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our life

toys

Painting

pittrpattr — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:31:42 +0000

Yesterday was a painting kind of day. S found a paint brush on the desk and decided it was a painting kind of day :) So we rolled out some paper, taped it down, gave him 5 water paint colors and a bowl of water and off he went - free-style! I love that he tells stories with his pictures now. His favorite being "the ocean, a dolphin swimming, a whale swimming and some fish". Drawing and painting are some of his favorite activities now. What do you think? A new Picasso or DaVinci on the rise? hehe

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activities

Potty Training

pittrpattr — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:37:18 +0000

Some of you have asked about our potty training experience, so I'm sharing our little journey with you hoping that you might find some encouragement when training your little ones. Let me start by saying that just because we've been successful at potty training, it does not, by any means, make me an expert. I credit all the success to our little guy!

I started putting S on the potty when he was about 6 months old. Mainly when he was going poopoo. When I saw the "face" I would take off his diaper and stick him on the potty so that he would poopoo in the potty. I wanted to introduce him to the potty early so that he knew what it was for and was comfortable sitting (and going) on it. Then starting at around 12 months, S would peepee in the potty everyday before bath time, and that got him used to peepee-ing in the potty. He was ready for potty training even before he turned 2, but it was winter time and I didn't want him to run around pantless when it was cold (I felt like it would make him need to peepee more), so I waited until spring to officially give potty training a shot. And at 2 years and 2 months, he was potty trained.

What worked for us:

Mommies, daddies and care-takers, put on your battle gear because you need to go into this fully knowing that it won't be pleasant or easy (even though it might turn out otherwise). Just be mentally prepared.
Reward (positive reinforcement): works like a charm and is the best way to encourage your little ones. When they do go in the potty, make a big deal out of it. Sing, dance the whole she-bang. I created a "potty chart" for S and stuck it on the wall next to his potty. Everytime he went #1 I'd let him rubber stamp on the chart and when he collected 20 stamps, he'd get a sticker. We had a harder time with #2 because he was uncomfortable going in the potty at the beginning. He was used to hiding under the table when he had to go poopoo, so he'd wait until he had a diaper on to do it (mainly after nap time). Which is why when he did go #2 in the potty, I all but threw a party. It took us a few weeks to get #2 down, but I'm happy to say that he even poopoo's in the big potty (aka toilet) now. With #2 he either gets a sticker or a big rubber stamp or drawing on his hand (which he LOVES!).
At the beginning of potty training, don't expect your little ones to tell you when they need to go. You need to watch them like hawks. Put them on the potty every hour or so so they can peepee. Once they understand it better, you can stretch out the time interval. Even after they are trained, you will still need to force them to go potty sometimes. Kids get carried away with playing and sometimes choose to play rather than answer their nature-calls. I noticed that we had the most accidents when S had friends over and he'd rather play than tell me he needs to go. By the time he told me, it was usually too late.
Not yelling: Try to remember that they're not having accidents to make you mad. They really can't help it. And by yelling it may actually discourage them. I would explain to S that peepeeing and poopooing is for the potty, and that it's uncomfortable to get his pants wet.. things like that so he knows he should be going in the potty and paying more attention.
One of the clearest signs that told me S was ready for potty training was the first day I tried. When he had his first accident he actually cried and looked really embarrassed. He knew what he was supposed to do and I could see it by the way he looked at me.
I read online that the most effective method is to let your toddler run around pantless all day long. I tried that at the beginning, but stopped because toddlers are always on the floor and his privates got red/irritated because it kept rubbing against the floor/sofa.. etc. In the end, I bought him a bunch of big boy underwear and continued potty training with pants on. Yes it does take longer to get on the potty because you have to take pants off, but it really doesn't make much of a difference. And I found that if anything, it's more uncomfortable for them to wet their pants, which means it's more likely they'll avoid it.
S still wears a diaper during nap time and bedtime (even though he wakes up most mornings with a completely dry diaper). I'm still scared about the whole "wetting the bed" thing. Plus we have lots of diapers left, so we might as well use them!
I'm guessing that the biggest challenge for most is introducing the potty to your little ones. They sit on it and don't know what to do. I personally think it just takes a lot of patience. Say you put them on there 5 times and 1/5 times they finally pee in the potty. You cheer, you clap and tell them how good they are and how proud of them you are. Eventually the 1/5 will turn to 5/5, so keep trying and be patient. Sometimes you may need to just sit there for a long time. Distract them with books or toys or talk to them until they finally go. Once they realize what you're waiting for, it'll get easier.
This might be a little funny, but S has seen his daddy and I go to the bathroom many many times. And I really believe that that's helped a lot with potty training. They're all about mimicking at this age and when they see you doing it as a routine, they become more comfortable doing it themselves. I read about children being afraid of the toilet flushing therefore refusing to go in the toilet. S loves flushing the toilet. After he goes, he takes a piece of toilet paper, wipes, throws it in the toilet, gets off and flushes.

For those of you who aren't sure if your toddler is ready or not, give it a shot and see how he/she responds. If they just don't get it then it's ok. Wait a few more months and try again. There is no rush! I told my friends the same thing, I don't understand why everyone is in a rush to have their kids be the first to walk, first to talk, or first to be potty trained (and reading at age 3? who cares! They'll all read when they need to read!). The point is, every child will develop at his/her own pace and as parents, we shouldn't feel like we need to rush the process. Enjoy babyhood and toddlerhood because soon, they'll have strong enough wings to fly away. They will let you know when they're ready, you're responsible for reading their signs.

As I am finishing up this post, I look over to the living room where S just took off his own pants and sat on his potty. If we can do it, you can too! It's all a matter of timing and you just need to find yours.

Good luck!

{picture of our little guy at 6 months hugging his potty when he's supposed to be poopoo-ing}

Tags:

potty training

Happy Friday + Happy Mother's Day!

pittrpattr — Fri, 11 May 2012 23:30:14 +0000

I can't believe this is going to be my third mother's day already even though my first was when S was only 4 months old. But each one counts, they really do. I always say this, but only when you become a mom can you fully appreciate what all the mothers in the world are capable of and how much they love their children. The sacrifices, the time, the patience, the strength and courage. Amazing doesn't even begin to cover it. Who said super heroes weren't real? And their super power? Motherhood. The power of unconditional love, protecting at all costs, loving another being far beyond loving one self. The power of worrying from the moment your baby is born until forever. YOU are phenomenal, YOU are loved and appreciated, YOU are an inspiration.

Happy mother's day to each and every one of you mama's out there. Know that you're doing a wonderful job by giving it your all.

My hubby asked me last night before bed : "what would you like to do on mother's day? we can do anything you want, just name it." Honestly, hearing that was enough for me. I know my hubby appreciates everything I willingly give for our family, he shows me all the time. I used to wonder what my purpose in life was, I used to wonder what I was meant to do in this life that would make a difference, and I got my answer when we had our little guy. I was meant to be his mama, and I'm meant to guide him to become a good man, like his dada. But my answer to me husband was "let me think about it." hehe and I will. It's a chance to do whatever I want, I'll take it! A long overdue shopping spree perhaps? :)

A special happy mother's day to my mama. The wisest and strongest woman I will ever know. My hero, my conscience and every ounce of good in me (& my sister). I love you mama and I thank God for you every single day.

Have a love-filled weekend!

Green Yet Colorful

pittrpattr — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:09:30 +0000

Now that most grocery stores (and even some stores in the mall) require you to bring your own shopping bags, suddenly everyone is trying to find cute bags they can carry around with them in their purses or leave in their cars. Baggu seems to carry every color in the rainbow, so you're bound to find "your" color! They're reusable bags you can use for all kinds of things because they're designed to be hip.

Some of my favorites:

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ecofriendly

Our Pick: Potty

pittrpattr — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:22:29 +0000

Now that the little guy is potty trained, potty's have become a very important part of our lives. We started out with the frog potty by Fisher Price (above), but since we live in a town house, we decided that having more than one potty in the house would be more convenient. This way when he tells us "I have to peepee!" we don't have to run up and down the stairs as fast as we can, carrying a pantless toddler. So we ended up buying the Baby Bjorn potty as our second potty. I think the Baby Bjorn is well-designed, easy to clean and would work perfectly fine if you had a girl, but with little boys it's a little more complex. The aim is not always in the same place, if you get what I mean. The cover at the front of the Baby Bjorn is much narrower, which means there is more likelyhood of leakage (been there, many times!). I end up wiping his thighs and the floor and around the potty. So now to prevent that, I make sure his butt is scooched all the way back and that he's aiming right in the center (pain the butt? yes sir!!). With the frog potty, I never have to worry about leaking. He can take off his own pants and go on his own and I don't even need to be around (which is why that one is upstairs on the carpeted floor!). I believe they got everything right with the froggy potty. Kids love the frog, it's easy to clean and works for both genders! That's why it gets our vote!!

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our pick