kyle and the art of whining

thank god for parenting.com and i am somehow prepared for the whining sessions. i admit even if i prepared myself for this, it is still quite annoying and irritating. but dealing with it comes easy.

to share a few tips and tricks:

> give them a few mintues of your attention or time. give them more hugs, tickles or even a cracker or two. the whining may just be a small bout of hunger or boredom.
> let him hear that the whining sound he makes is not nice and turn it into a funny scene. in short laugh it off, your toddler might not notice that he is in fact whining. (this one works between kyle and i)
> do the exact opposite of what they're doing, if they're whining loudly, answer them back in a whisper. or as if you're telling a secret. this would hold your toddler's attention.

or just give it to them straight. let them know that when they whine, you can't understand them and the only time you can talk to them if they stop whining. this one also works for me and kyle. just keep your calm voice so that your toddler can replicate your mood and everything will flow smoothly. but there will be days that you do get to slip and cave in to the anger and answer back to your kid and a war ensues. it's ok, we're moms, they're kids, we're just human. it's part of the mommy-kids cycle. we get to live with it.

and of course, you have to reward your kid for the good behavior be it an affirmation of him being able to follow your instructions or a hug or a kiss. something that reinforces their good behavior/attitude.

but you won't get it the first time. it's a trial and error thing until you and your toddler gets used to it and before you know it, the whining is over and you're conversing with your toddler like an adult. :)

8 ways in raising a happy child

From BABYCENTER.COM :

8 ways in raising a happy child

As a parent, we want our kids to be happy, tantrum-free, and worry-free. we all have this idea that as much as possible we want the kids to be the perfect little angels. but really, isn't the idea of perfect kind of boring? there isn't much to keep you on your toes and expecting the unexpected. personally, i don't find that fun at all.

i have two toddlers, two different personalities, two quirks, two likes and dislikes. so, what would help in raising them to be separate happy kids most of the time? babycenter.com has a few tips to share to mommies.

Learn to read the signs
Make room for fun
Help them develop their talents
Healthy bodies equal happy children
Let them struggle with problems
Allow them to be sad or mad
Be a role model
Teach them to do meaningful things


here are my own thoughts on the tips:

1. learn to read the signs:
> kids aren't expression deprived individuals. if you're in tune with your kid, you'll know what makes them happy, sad, fearful, etc. i remember kyle has this great fear for this novelty item, which we call poopoo man. it's literally a man sitting on a toilet bowl and with a face that's trying to push out one big chunk of poo. (think constipation).

we as parents should also know when to play with the kids. kids also want their own quiet time. a time for themselves in their own little world. i would often catch the two side by side playing but doing two different things, minus the fighting.

2. make room for fun:
> there's always a time in injecting fun no matter the situation. especially during mealtimes. what i do is, we do pretend play. my mom would often frown upon this since this is not within her parameters of table manners. it's not that we throw around food or whatever but we make use of the moment to come up with games, songs, stories etc to get kyle to eat, especially if he's having a bad day. this does not apply to keon for now since he's up for eating - anytime.

3. help them develop their talents:
> this is what i noticed with kyle and keon when it comes to their talents. kyle has this ability to get the melodies of songs after hearing it twice and tries to get the lyrics right and sometimes makes up his own. he also has the potential when it comes to memorizing songs, info etc. he may not show that he's listening but when you ask him, he gets it right.

keon on the other hand, at 1 and a half has showed interest in cars, and other modes of transportation. as long as it got wheels, he's going to study it and its details. same as his kuya, he has the talent in picking up things quickly.

so what we do is as much as possible expose them to the things they like and introduce them to different alternatives that would interest them as well. so far, things are doing great. i'm just happy that the kids are very much open to educational toys we give them. And of course, encouragement is key, you may not like what your child chose as a talent but, it’s better to nurture than to repress.

4. healthy bodies equal happy children:
> i think there's no need to expound on this. we mothers want the best for the kids and it’s non negotiable when it comes to providing the healthiest meals for the kids. But personally, I let them indulge in junk food once in a while so as not to deprive them.

5. let them struggle with problems:
> i totally agree on this. this helps in nurturing their independence and thinking. It may be heartbreaking for you to see your little tot, cry out in frustration and run to you for help. But sometimes, we just have to let them go and let them figure it out for themselves.

6. allow them to be sad or mad:

> yes, kids have feelings too and they need to vent out the same way as we do. Let them get mad, let them get sad. It’s ok. But the key here is to be there for your child to explain why they’re feeling that way and what they can do about it. It’s better to acknowledge the emotion rather than letting it be and leaving your child clueless to what he/she is feeling.

7. be a role model:

> a constant reminder from every parenting blog, website or even book would say that our kids will mirror our actions. When they see us do things, good or bad, for them it’s ok since they see mommy or daddy doing it. So as parents we have to be careful of our own actions in front of the kids. Worrying why your kid may be hitting other people? It might be this one instance when he/she saw you hitting hubby or your sibling. Kids are mimics, great ones at that, so if we want to instill good values and behavior, it should start with us.

8. teach them to do meaningful things:

> it may be the simplest birthday card, or a school project, as long as they put their hearts into it, it becomes the most wonderful creation ever. Our kids should know that in doing things, it should be from the heart, 100% meant or else it would show. Kids should be taught to think of others especially those who are not that well off compared to them, involve them in charity work as early as now. As what the elders would say: marunong lumugar.

Three Step bedtime routine for your babies

As published in Femalenetwork: LINK my first article ever, and it got published! yey! now i'm motivated than ever to write. and the feedback from good friends ( you know which ones are sincere and those said just to make you feel good) are overwhelming. :)

on with the article!

~!~

We all know that sleep is vital to baby’s development and mommy’s disposition in the morning. Yet mommies also know that getting the baby to sleep through the night is easier said than done.

Did you know there’s a thee-step process in ensuring a good night’s sleep for your baby? Establish this bedtime routine as soon as the baby is born.

Step 1: Give baby a five-minute relaxing warm bath using a mild baby soap or wash, which, over time, will serve as a signal that it’s time for bedtime soon.

Step 2: Give baby a two-minute massage using a gently-scented lotion or oil. Apply this with downward strokes on limbs, circular strokes on the tummy, outward sweeps on the chest, small circles on the head and face, and sweeping downward strokes on the back and feet. As you do this, try talking to her in a soothing voice to strengthen your bond. This is a reliable way of getting your baby ready for sleep.

Step 3: Have quiet bonding time right before slumber. Sing lullabies or nursery rhymes to your baby or with her if she can already speak. Cuddle, read bedtime stories, and say a prayer with her. As soon as she gets drowsy, put her to bed while she is still half-awake. This is to help the baby learn to self-soothe, so when she wakes up in the middle of the night, she can go back to sleep without your help.

A study shows that babies who go through this bedtime routine fall asleep 37% faster and experience 37% less night awakenings. In fact, total night awakenings decreased by as much as 49%, and length of babies’ continuous sleep increased by 23%. And we all know that with a well-rested baby comes a mommy who is less tense and tired and more energetic. Barbie Almalbis-Honasan (shown in photo with baby Noa Stina) is among the moms who can attest that having a good bedtime routine will improve baby's sleep.

You may try using Johnson’s Baby Bedtime line when you do the three-step routine. The line consists of a bedtime bath, soap, lotion, oil, and powder—all of which contain a patented blend of soothing aromas and essence of jasmine blossoms called NaturalCalm.

For other concerns and inquiries about giving your baby a good night’s sleep, check out Johnson and Johnson’s website devoted to this: www.bedtime.com.ph. It also gives mommies a Customized Sleep Profile, designed to help them better understand the quality of baby’s sleep, and which comes with personalized advice on how to improve it.

Momma Stuff Question Week 3: Baby Names

i know there's a week 4 question already, but better late than never and no entry at all :)

Question of the week:

Now, for this week’s question: What are the names of your kids? Who picked them? Any significance of that name/s?

Here's my entry:

i never planned on choosing my kid's names based on their meanings but i based it on pure gut feeling if it would fit/match with their personality when they grow up and if it will match their surnames. it's hard thinking of a good name when the kids have a chinese surname. or maybe it was just me. :)

kyle xavier

why kyle? why xavier? well, even before i got married, i really wanted one of my kids to be named kyle. initially, kyle was supposed to be named kyle adrian, then changed to kyle anthony when i was pregnant with him. hubby thought it was unwise to name his firstborn after him thinking kyle might go down the same "path" as daddy when he was single. haha

in the end, we decided on kyle xavier. and with the momma stuff question, i had to do my research to find out the meaning behind my little boy's name:

kyle: means narrow or straight
xavier: means bright, splendid

now, isn't that a great description for my little boy?

keon xyrus

notice a pattern? haha when we found out i was pregnant again, without question, we decided that the next son/daughter will have the same initials as his/her kuya. at first i thought i was having a girl, a name was prepared already (i won't divulge here, baka gayahin eh) but still with the KX initals. lo and behold, we found out we were having a boy. so hubby and i thought hard for a name that would suit this little bundle of energy. so, why keon xyrus? keon, because it sounded unique and you don't get to meet anyone named keon right? for his second name, it was quite hard thinking of a name that would match keon. good thinking care of hubby while driving on the way home. xyrus was the perfect match. we tweaked the name a bit, since it was supposed to be cyrus. just to align with the KX initals.

keon: of Zeus
xyrus: sun, lord, throne

fits my little bunso just right. a name worthy of a god. haha

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