Monday, October 31, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A different response!
As most parents know, kids have all sorts of disgusting habits. One of the most disgusting habits that all children indulge in, at one point or another, is nose-picking. Mine are no different.
Each of my monkeys has been caught with a digit stuck in a nostril. Each has responded differently.
Devlin - upon being caught, he would grab a tissue, turn around or duck under the sheets, and furtively continue his mission.
Ceilidh - will simply look sheepish but continue anyways.Then, she'll stick it in her mouth, to everyone's utter disgust. Ewww! (As Aisling once stated, "To her, it's a snack!")
Last night, I caught Aisling in the act.
"Aisling, stop picking your nose!"
Her response?
"I not! I just feeling what's up there."
Each of my monkeys has been caught with a digit stuck in a nostril. Each has responded differently.
Devlin - upon being caught, he would grab a tissue, turn around or duck under the sheets, and furtively continue his mission.
Ceilidh - will simply look sheepish but continue anyways.Then, she'll stick it in her mouth, to everyone's utter disgust. Ewww! (As Aisling once stated, "To her, it's a snack!")
Last night, I caught Aisling in the act.
"Aisling, stop picking your nose!"
Her response?
"I not! I just feeling what's up there."
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Kids and computers
The other day, Ceilidh asked, "When I'm ten years old, will you buy me a phone and a computer?"
Clearly expecting that I would simply agree as I usually do whenever they see a toy commercial on television to keep disagreements to a minimum, she was taken aback when I said "no". (I don't actually buy any of the requested toys, nor do I think the kids really expect us to either. Or maybe they do, and we have a bunch of eternal optimists on our hands.)
"Why not? Everyone else has one."
Deciding not to use the "if everyone jumped off the bridge, would you" approach, I decided to explain why her parents would not be jumping on the electronic gizmo bandwagon.
"Ceilidh, Mommy and Daddy will always get you whatever you need. If you need new clothes, or books, or sports equipment, we will gladly buy it for you. But at ten, or even thirteen, you do not and will not NEED a phone or your own computer," I stated firmly.
She immediately flew into a temper tantrum that involved feet stomping and tears and shouts of "You're not nice and I won't listen to you anymore". That earned her a trip to the naughty stool and a time-out.
Which simply reinforced Mommy's and Daddy's resolve not to purchase the latest computer toy, electronic gizmo, hand-held, battery operated device for their brood of monkeys. It also reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend earlier in the year regarding computer games and whether or not we allowed Devlin to play games on the Internet. We don't, generally speaking.
It's not that we're dinosaurs when it comes to technology. While we may not possess the latest tablet or the newest smart phone, we do know of their existence. In fact, once the contract ends on my current phone, I'm planning on getting a smartphone. We simply don't believe actively encouraging our children to partake in electronic past times. We don't have a Wii (despite Daddy's begging and pleading) or a game system. Devlin does not own a PS2 or DS or whatever. Our philosophy is that our kids get enough exposure to the screen as is, that we don't need to add to it by making their play time revolve around the television or computer. The kids know we have a computer, and Devlin is learning about navigating the web at school. There are a few websites we allow him to access, under our direct supervision. Occasionally, we'll monitor a few games from teletoon.com or barbie.com but it's a rare treat.
Instead of playing chess on the computer, we'd rather the kids learn the basics of the game by playing the board game. It's about learning to take turns too, and not cheating when you play Battleship or Monopoly with your siblings. We'd rather they play with their toys and exercise their imagination instead of having graphic images ingrained into their brains from playing video games. While some proponents may argue that Wii Fit encourages movement, it's not the same as letting the children run outside and jump through piles of leaves.
Computers are all around us. Most of us use them at work or at home on a daily basis. Our laptop sits in the kitchen so I can access the emails and recipes. There's no avoiding technology in today's world. But we don't need to actively encourage its role in children's lives. Rather than relying on spellcheck, we should be teaching children the basics of phonics. Instead of social networking sites, we need to foster the basics of cooperation, being polite, and what it means to be a "friend" on a day-to-day, face-to-face situation.
More importantly, we need to teach our children that it's okay to be bored sometimes. They need to learn how to entertain themselves WITHOUT a cell phone or miniature game system in their hands. That having an active imagination is an asset. Reading books is becoming a rare past time with many children because of the prevalence of video games. Numerous studies have shown, particularly with boys, that more time spent with video games translated to an exponential decrease in time spent reading books. That's even without taking into account the violence often associated with video games, which opens up a whole other can of worms.
It makes me nutty when I see parents put on the portable DVD player for a quick trip to the grocery store. Really? You can't talk to your child for the 5 minute drive. Or more disturbing, your child needs to be entertained for that short period of time?
So, for all of the above reasons and more (I'm not even getting into the safety aspect of allowing children to access social networking sites), my dear children, do NOT expect an electronic or computer gaming system under the Christmas tree this year.
Clearly expecting that I would simply agree as I usually do whenever they see a toy commercial on television to keep disagreements to a minimum, she was taken aback when I said "no". (I don't actually buy any of the requested toys, nor do I think the kids really expect us to either. Or maybe they do, and we have a bunch of eternal optimists on our hands.)
"Why not? Everyone else has one."
Deciding not to use the "if everyone jumped off the bridge, would you" approach, I decided to explain why her parents would not be jumping on the electronic gizmo bandwagon.
"Ceilidh, Mommy and Daddy will always get you whatever you need. If you need new clothes, or books, or sports equipment, we will gladly buy it for you. But at ten, or even thirteen, you do not and will not NEED a phone or your own computer," I stated firmly.
She immediately flew into a temper tantrum that involved feet stomping and tears and shouts of "You're not nice and I won't listen to you anymore". That earned her a trip to the naughty stool and a time-out.
Which simply reinforced Mommy's and Daddy's resolve not to purchase the latest computer toy, electronic gizmo, hand-held, battery operated device for their brood of monkeys. It also reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend earlier in the year regarding computer games and whether or not we allowed Devlin to play games on the Internet. We don't, generally speaking.
It's not that we're dinosaurs when it comes to technology. While we may not possess the latest tablet or the newest smart phone, we do know of their existence. In fact, once the contract ends on my current phone, I'm planning on getting a smartphone. We simply don't believe actively encouraging our children to partake in electronic past times. We don't have a Wii (despite Daddy's begging and pleading) or a game system. Devlin does not own a PS2 or DS or whatever. Our philosophy is that our kids get enough exposure to the screen as is, that we don't need to add to it by making their play time revolve around the television or computer. The kids know we have a computer, and Devlin is learning about navigating the web at school. There are a few websites we allow him to access, under our direct supervision. Occasionally, we'll monitor a few games from teletoon.com or barbie.com but it's a rare treat.
Instead of playing chess on the computer, we'd rather the kids learn the basics of the game by playing the board game. It's about learning to take turns too, and not cheating when you play Battleship or Monopoly with your siblings. We'd rather they play with their toys and exercise their imagination instead of having graphic images ingrained into their brains from playing video games. While some proponents may argue that Wii Fit encourages movement, it's not the same as letting the children run outside and jump through piles of leaves.
Computers are all around us. Most of us use them at work or at home on a daily basis. Our laptop sits in the kitchen so I can access the emails and recipes. There's no avoiding technology in today's world. But we don't need to actively encourage its role in children's lives. Rather than relying on spellcheck, we should be teaching children the basics of phonics. Instead of social networking sites, we need to foster the basics of cooperation, being polite, and what it means to be a "friend" on a day-to-day, face-to-face situation.
More importantly, we need to teach our children that it's okay to be bored sometimes. They need to learn how to entertain themselves WITHOUT a cell phone or miniature game system in their hands. That having an active imagination is an asset. Reading books is becoming a rare past time with many children because of the prevalence of video games. Numerous studies have shown, particularly with boys, that more time spent with video games translated to an exponential decrease in time spent reading books. That's even without taking into account the violence often associated with video games, which opens up a whole other can of worms.
It makes me nutty when I see parents put on the portable DVD player for a quick trip to the grocery store. Really? You can't talk to your child for the 5 minute drive. Or more disturbing, your child needs to be entertained for that short period of time?
So, for all of the above reasons and more (I'm not even getting into the safety aspect of allowing children to access social networking sites), my dear children, do NOT expect an electronic or computer gaming system under the Christmas tree this year.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Rocks, rocks everywhere!
At the beginning of the school year, I took some vacation days so I could take the kids to school and meet their teachers. It's also a great time to purchase school supplies since there's always something I've forgotten. There's always numerous forms from the school to fill out, lunches to organize, extra-curricular activities to be scheduled and registered into...the list goes on and on.
I took advantage of my time at home to walk the Devlin and Ceilidh to school and pick them up in the afternoon as well. Sometimes we went to the nearby park with Aisling. After a half hour spent climbing the monkey bars and swinging, I would often hear complaints that they were too tired to carry their backpacks home. So I'd shoulder their schoolbags and shepherd them home. Devlin's bag was pretty light, but Ceilidh's was suspiciously heavy. When we arrived home, I discovered why - there were rocks of all sizes in her backpack. Apparently, she had developed a new hobby - rock collecting.
I'd dump the rocks outside, but the next day, she'd find more and bring them home. There were rocks and pebbles in her jacket pockets too. And pants pockets. Soon I was finding tiny stones in our washing machine.
In an effort to dissuade her, Devlin told his sister that she taking school property whenever she removed the rocks from the playground and brought them home. This had no effect on our budding geologist.
Well, it's been a few weeks, but I think that hobby has run its course. Now I'm finding dried out leaves everywhere.
I took advantage of my time at home to walk the Devlin and Ceilidh to school and pick them up in the afternoon as well. Sometimes we went to the nearby park with Aisling. After a half hour spent climbing the monkey bars and swinging, I would often hear complaints that they were too tired to carry their backpacks home. So I'd shoulder their schoolbags and shepherd them home. Devlin's bag was pretty light, but Ceilidh's was suspiciously heavy. When we arrived home, I discovered why - there were rocks of all sizes in her backpack. Apparently, she had developed a new hobby - rock collecting.
I'd dump the rocks outside, but the next day, she'd find more and bring them home. There were rocks and pebbles in her jacket pockets too. And pants pockets. Soon I was finding tiny stones in our washing machine.
In an effort to dissuade her, Devlin told his sister that she taking school property whenever she removed the rocks from the playground and brought them home. This had no effect on our budding geologist.
Well, it's been a few weeks, but I think that hobby has run its course. Now I'm finding dried out leaves everywhere.
Ceilidh wants a Playdate
Ceilidh has been harassing me to have some friends over for a playdate, specifically a classmate named Michaela. Since I rarely have the opportunity to meet the other moms at the school, I decided to write a short note to Michaela's mother suggesting we get the girls together for a playdate. I included my cell phone number and email address to make it easy for the other mother to get in touch. I instructed Ceilidh to pass the note to Michaela to give to her mother.
A few days went by, and there was no email or phone call. Ceilidh kept asking when Michaela was coming over, or why her mother hadn't called. I had no answer. Ceilidh swore she did give the note to her classmate. Maybe the note got lost in transit. After all, it was written on a square of a post-it. Incidentally, I recalled seeing an article in the Globe and Mail about Mommy business cards to hand out at the parks and school yards. Instead of your credentials and company information, the cards are designed for scheduling playdates with other moms and has all the pertinent contact info and a spot for important details like your kids' likes, dislikes and allergies. I scoffed at the idea when I read the article, but now I see the ingenuity in the Mommy cards.Is it too late to order them?
Well, there was an open house at the school last week. In between admiring the kids' artwork and schoolwork, and chatting with the teachers, we chit-chatted with some of the parents too. One of the mothers asked us if Ceilidh was going to attend her daughter's birthday part. We weren't aware that she had received an invitation and asked Ceilidh where the invite was? In my backpack, was the reply.
In an effort to raise children who will one day become independent and capable adults, we've given our children tasks and responsibilities that are age-appropriate. Like setting the table for dinner, and putting away their dirty dishes in the sink after a meal. Once they start school, they're also tasked with emptying their schoolbags. Letters and handouts from school go onto the kitchen counter where Mommy can read, sign and file away. Lunch bags are also taken into the kitchen. So I rarely check their bags. Especially Ceilidh's since she had picked up a habit of collecting rocks (see related post).
Well, after the open house, I went through Ceilidh's school bag and found not one, but two envelopes. One was the expected birthday invitation, but the other was an invite for a girl's day playdate from several weeks ago!
"Ceilidh! When did you get this?" I asked.
"Oh yeah! Michaela gave me that a long time ago."
"Why didn't you give it to me? You know you're supposed to empty your school bag every night. That's your job!"
"I forgot," was simple response.
Really, there are times my middle child reminds me of my sister Shunaha. The doctor at the Mayo Clinic. The same sister who has also mailed home her return airline ticket and then spent hours looking for it. The same sister who can't locate her glasses - because they're on top of her head.
Well, needless to say, I called Michaela's mom and apologized profusely for not ever responding to the invitation. We've tentatively scheduled another playdate for the girls, but now I'll have to check Ceilidh's backpack at least once a week.
A few days went by, and there was no email or phone call. Ceilidh kept asking when Michaela was coming over, or why her mother hadn't called. I had no answer. Ceilidh swore she did give the note to her classmate. Maybe the note got lost in transit. After all, it was written on a square of a post-it. Incidentally, I recalled seeing an article in the Globe and Mail about Mommy business cards to hand out at the parks and school yards. Instead of your credentials and company information, the cards are designed for scheduling playdates with other moms and has all the pertinent contact info and a spot for important details like your kids' likes, dislikes and allergies. I scoffed at the idea when I read the article, but now I see the ingenuity in the Mommy cards.Is it too late to order them?
Well, there was an open house at the school last week. In between admiring the kids' artwork and schoolwork, and chatting with the teachers, we chit-chatted with some of the parents too. One of the mothers asked us if Ceilidh was going to attend her daughter's birthday part. We weren't aware that she had received an invitation and asked Ceilidh where the invite was? In my backpack, was the reply.
In an effort to raise children who will one day become independent and capable adults, we've given our children tasks and responsibilities that are age-appropriate. Like setting the table for dinner, and putting away their dirty dishes in the sink after a meal. Once they start school, they're also tasked with emptying their schoolbags. Letters and handouts from school go onto the kitchen counter where Mommy can read, sign and file away. Lunch bags are also taken into the kitchen. So I rarely check their bags. Especially Ceilidh's since she had picked up a habit of collecting rocks (see related post).
Well, after the open house, I went through Ceilidh's school bag and found not one, but two envelopes. One was the expected birthday invitation, but the other was an invite for a girl's day playdate from several weeks ago!
"Ceilidh! When did you get this?" I asked.
"Oh yeah! Michaela gave me that a long time ago."
"Why didn't you give it to me? You know you're supposed to empty your school bag every night. That's your job!"
"I forgot," was simple response.
Really, there are times my middle child reminds me of my sister Shunaha. The doctor at the Mayo Clinic. The same sister who has also mailed home her return airline ticket and then spent hours looking for it. The same sister who can't locate her glasses - because they're on top of her head.
Well, needless to say, I called Michaela's mom and apologized profusely for not ever responding to the invitation. We've tentatively scheduled another playdate for the girls, but now I'll have to check Ceilidh's backpack at least once a week.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Cheeky monkey!
I had a rough week at work last week. It was busy and stressful. I ended up working a bit late too.
Aisling was missing her mommy. She's been feeling abandoned, since her siblings started school. It's hard for her to comprehend that I'll soon be staying home for a whole year.
As I was getting ready to head out the door, she pleaded again, "Stay home with me Mommy!"
My heart was breaking as I answered, "I'm sorry but I can't today. I have to go to work!" So I can pay for your pretty clothes, the food you eat, your university tuition, the mortgage...I recited to myself in my head as if to convince myself that it was in fact really important to head off to work instead of giving into the temptation of playing hooky with my three year old.
"Can you come home early today?" Aisling asked.
"I'll try. But I don't know because I have some really bad boys to keep in jail today," I answered as I grabbed my purse and coffee mug.
A pause, then, "Is it Devlin?" she asked innocently.
"Well, yes, Devlin has been a bit naughty, but no, not him," I tried to answer with a straight face.
Aisling was missing her mommy. She's been feeling abandoned, since her siblings started school. It's hard for her to comprehend that I'll soon be staying home for a whole year.
As I was getting ready to head out the door, she pleaded again, "Stay home with me Mommy!"
My heart was breaking as I answered, "I'm sorry but I can't today. I have to go to work!" So I can pay for your pretty clothes, the food you eat, your university tuition, the mortgage...I recited to myself in my head as if to convince myself that it was in fact really important to head off to work instead of giving into the temptation of playing hooky with my three year old.
"Can you come home early today?" Aisling asked.
"I'll try. But I don't know because I have some really bad boys to keep in jail today," I answered as I grabbed my purse and coffee mug.
A pause, then, "Is it Devlin?" she asked innocently.
"Well, yes, Devlin has been a bit naughty, but no, not him," I tried to answer with a straight face.
He's growing up!
It's picture day at school. Last night, Devlin decided he wanted to wear a shirt with buttons, his "Cool Kid" button and nice pants. His hair was going to be spiked too. Would that be okay, he wondered. Sure, I agreed.
Then my seven year old boy snuggled into bed with me to read his book assignment for class and the first chapter of Flat Stanley. With only a few hints at some of the words, he did an admirable job. After a cuddle and a kiss for the baby in my tummy, he was off to bed. With his daddy. Somehow the two of them managed to squeeze into the top single bunk.
As a working mom, I rarely have the opportunity to walk my kids to school. On the mornings I do, I find the rush to get them dressed, fed and out the door on time extremely stressful, but the actual walk to the school is refreshing. Ceilidh will be chattering away about a dinosaur bone she found in the schoolyard while Devlin will try his best to convince his sister it's not a REAL dinosaur.
I had an early doctor's appointment this morning. Extra time was needed to spike Devlin's hair to his satisfaction. Ceilidh had to change her top twice. Then her jacket. By the time their shoes were on, it was clear that the 8 minute walk would not be happening. I piled them into the car. They were delighted.
We arrived at school with 3 minutes to spare before the first bell rang. We walked hand-in-hand, all three of us, to the kindergarten gate where Ceilidh was dropped off. First she gave me a kiss, then she wanted a "nose kiss" (a la Eskimo style). Then she grabbed Devlin in a bear hug to say "good-bye". He merely patted her on the shoulder.
Devlin and I then headed to his line-up area. As we rounded the corner, his hand surreptitiously slipped out of mine. Nonchalantly, he waved and said "bye" and hurried away to join his friends.
"Hey, don't I get a kiss?" I asked.
He came back, to put his arm around me, while his head dropped low so that my kiss ended up on his scalp.
"See ya!" he mumbled as he rushed away, trying not to look embarrassed by the display of maternal affection.
Is this the same kid, who three years ago, had to be peeled off my leg in tears as I delivered him to his junior kindergarten class. The kid who cried everyday for two and half months?
Then my seven year old boy snuggled into bed with me to read his book assignment for class and the first chapter of Flat Stanley. With only a few hints at some of the words, he did an admirable job. After a cuddle and a kiss for the baby in my tummy, he was off to bed. With his daddy. Somehow the two of them managed to squeeze into the top single bunk.
As a working mom, I rarely have the opportunity to walk my kids to school. On the mornings I do, I find the rush to get them dressed, fed and out the door on time extremely stressful, but the actual walk to the school is refreshing. Ceilidh will be chattering away about a dinosaur bone she found in the schoolyard while Devlin will try his best to convince his sister it's not a REAL dinosaur.
I had an early doctor's appointment this morning. Extra time was needed to spike Devlin's hair to his satisfaction. Ceilidh had to change her top twice. Then her jacket. By the time their shoes were on, it was clear that the 8 minute walk would not be happening. I piled them into the car. They were delighted.
We arrived at school with 3 minutes to spare before the first bell rang. We walked hand-in-hand, all three of us, to the kindergarten gate where Ceilidh was dropped off. First she gave me a kiss, then she wanted a "nose kiss" (a la Eskimo style). Then she grabbed Devlin in a bear hug to say "good-bye". He merely patted her on the shoulder.
Devlin and I then headed to his line-up area. As we rounded the corner, his hand surreptitiously slipped out of mine. Nonchalantly, he waved and said "bye" and hurried away to join his friends.
"Hey, don't I get a kiss?" I asked.
He came back, to put his arm around me, while his head dropped low so that my kiss ended up on his scalp.
"See ya!" he mumbled as he rushed away, trying not to look embarrassed by the display of maternal affection.
Is this the same kid, who three years ago, had to be peeled off my leg in tears as I delivered him to his junior kindergarten class. The kid who cried everyday for two and half months?
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