A few Things

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How hard is it for you to have patience?
it is VERY hard for me.

Ethan is battling a cold, a yucky cough, runny nose etc.
He usually sleeps from 7:30pm-7am
(I know, I am spoiled, but just so you know he didn't sleep for more than 3 hours at a time until he was 8 months old, so I deserve these long nights..LOL)

He has been waking up every 2 or so hours the past 3 nights. He just wonders around looking at me then goes to my husband and looks at him, and Merci said he has been coming in her room too.
So needless to say he isn't getting the sleep he needs=( By the time nap time comes he is so overtired he is screaming and crying and there is no consoling him.

He threw the biggest fit for about 30 minutes today. I know he is sick, but when they are so out of control like he was today, there is NOTHING you can do.
I was loosing patience very quickly.
I tried rocking him, I tried laying with him, I tried praying with him, I tried singing to him..you name it.

He was so worked up he was like choking. I was yelling by the end, I just felt so helpless and angry that he wouldn't respond to my tries.

I am so sick of hearing these mother on blogs only talking about the wonderfulness of mommy hood. It is wonderful, but it is also quite the opposite sometimes!

Ethan has been having a hard time at sleeping times for a few months now, he used to just go right to sleep, now he tries everything to make it as difficult as possible. I am so sick of it taking 30+ minutes just to get him to stay in bed. I can't go on like this anymore. This has me so angry I feel like I am a horrible mom for not enjoying "bedtime" with my son.

Please tell me I am not the only frustrated with being a mommy some days??????

Potty Training..LONG POST...LOL

The dreaded words!
And honestly they don't have to be.

The best advice I can give (I have only potty trained 1, so I am not an expert)
WAIT UNTIL THE CHILD IS READY!!!

There are a few signs that are a good indicator.
1) They stop going in their diaper as much.You will notice longer periods of dryness.
2) They are interested in what you are doing. If you are a mom I am sure you make plenty of trips with your little partner, I know I am not the only one!!
3) They tell you when their diaper is wet or dirty.

I do NOT believe in Pull Ups
I say don't waste your money.
I never ever used them with Merci.
I did recently buy them for Ethan only because he really wanted the "Cars" diapers and so I could experiment.
But I seriously wasted my money.
It is very nice that they can pull them up or down themselves, and the "pictures" that fade only keep them interested for the first few times, until they realize peeing in a pull up is not different than peeing in a diaper, so they still feel comfortable wetting the pull up.

So if NO pull ups what should I do??

Well something that I was appalled at when going to a friends house, is what I have used this week!! They would let their little boy just run around with NO bottoms on. Letting "it" hang out, LOL. I was kind of appalled that even with people over they let him do this, but it worked for them and it is working for us. Since I have a very curious 6 1/2 year old daughter we put underwear on him, but no pants. He is much more aware when he has to go. He hates that if he doesn't put it in the potty is runs down his legs. This is why I am against Pull Ups. They can't feel a difference! In underwear they can. With Merci I also put plastic pants ( you know cloth diaper covers) on her so I wouldn't get pee on our furniture is she had a an accident.

You may disagree and that is fine, tell us your story!

Rewards: My son, Ethan (2 1/2) LOVES candy. I think I have 2 of the worst candy fiends in the world, and we use it sparingly. Ethan has realized that if he goes int he potty he will get some candy (2 M&M's or 2 jelly beans for example) so he takes full advantage!!
I also do stickers (Thomas the Train..use one that your child likes), he puts them right on his potty somewhere, we have a very plain one, so it is a reward and it jazzes it up some!
Also high fives and hugs and jumps for joy work well.
I mix it up some, that way he doesn't always get candy, and there will be a time when they won't be rewarded for going potty!

My mom raised 4 kids, 3 were boys.
Her tricks, that are working wonders for me (just in the last week) are:

1) Sit the boy facing the tank of the toilet, his pee will be aimed better and he has stability.
Ethan feels very comfortable sitting like this, he can even get on by himself.
2) Tell your son he can make "bubbles" in the toilet. It won't work if they only do a few drops, but if they really have to go the stream will make little "bubbles" in the water. Ethan gets the biggest laugh out of this!!

I have been trying to get Ethan to go on the potty for sometime, sitting him up there a few times a day or on his little potty ( he actually prefers the big one!).
He would only go like a few dribbles and be done.
My mom said that it is normal, that they are just learning how to use the muscles down there.
So now after introducing him to "bubbles" he is going a lot at a time!

He has even taken it upon himself to go upstairs alone remove his pants and diaper by himself, it makes me so proud!!

Nighttime will take a lot longer. That is a whole different step. Don't stress them out, just do diapers at bedtime and nap time until they don't wet their diapers anymore. Limiting liquid intake does help with this.

Tell us your advice.

I realize this is more geared towards boys, but my daughter was so EASY and she potty trained much earlier!! Like 2 1/2, she was done. Even at night!

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First reader topic!

Thanks to all who gave great suggestions for topics!

I want to address most all the suggestions we get,this blog is for EVERYONE!!
I want us all to get something out of this.
The best advice is from mommies themselves, who have been or are going through the same thing as you!

Like I mention awhile ago in my introduction post, Please leave only creative ideas! I don't want generic magazine suggestions. I really got discouraged when I saw an article header on a magazine about a topic I wanted help in, and then when I sat down to read it learned NOTHING new!

The first topic I want to address is from Heather.
I'd love to hear about moms who have had milk supply issues, and how to supplement with formula.

I know that I personally didn't have an issue with this very much. I read a great book called BabyWise By Gary Ezzo (I think). This book had a great schedule to get your kids on. I loved the book, but did not agree with all of their suggestions. I and many of my friends used this book as a great guideline. There has been some controversy on all of his ideas (you can search around on the internet to find them). That is why I say guideline. Use what you want and ignore the rest. I remember it having a GREAT guideline for increasing milk supply without supplementing. Another thing I will say is I started my kids on cereal at 2 1/2 3 months and this helped tremendously with hunger problems! I would use the single grain rice first with breast milk/formula or water.

Let Heather know what you did!

DayLight Savings Time

Do you have Daylight Savings Time? If you do how do you deal with your childs sleeping routine?

Seriously since my daughter waslittle I have noticed my kids convert to the new time about a week before we have to turn back or spring ahead. It is hilarious, especially since we are scheduled to Spring Ahead 1 hour this weekend, 3 weeks earlier than normal. Both of my kids have been waking up about 30-45 minutes earlier than normal for the past 4-5 days. I remember observing over the last few years as well. I am NOT complaing. This makes the transition so much smoother!

What about you?

Also if you have a topic please e-mail it to iknowiamnotalone@gmail.com
We need to keep a good momentum!

Contest!

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Hurry up and enter. Contest ends Wednesday!

WAY TOO MUCH

If your kids are in school you will sympathize with me, if you home school your kids, you probably (some of your reasoning, anyway) do it because of this.

My daughter goes to a "chartered" school. They are a more curriculum intensive school than most public schools. So she is in school form 8:30-3:15, a longer day than public schools and they go to school many more days than your public schools. So why is it I have to work on all subjects with her every night. I am not against homework, but if it mandated that my child go to school 6-7 hours per day, don't you think they should get a break when they get home??
If I have to do this subject and this subject every night plus homework. When do I have time to cook and when do we have time to be a family?
I understand that not all day the kids are in the classroom, but I am so stressed out, I wonder how my daughter feels? school has become "let's cram everything we can into these kids head" and see what happens.
Merci is writing in a journal everyday. They are up to 6 sentences, yet don't even know how to read and spell thoroughly yet. They are taking 1 minute times tests, I can't remember taking these until at least 3rd grade, she is in 1st. I understand that times are changing and kids do need to know a lot more. But I think this is ridiculousness. No wonder so many kids have learning disabilities, they are pushed way too much.
I am sick and tired of me and my child being stressed and not getting the time to learn new things like she should.
I know A lot of teacher and I wonder how they feel about this and how moms feel about this?

I feel like people are going to be like, "well that is why you should home school" but right now that is not an option, God has not put it in my heart and I don't think that it will help Merci.

What are your feeling from your experiences as moms with kids in school, or from friends or from all you teachers!