Finally, a Video
For the past four-five days, Elias has been waking up again in the middle of the night (He has been extremely congested – the no dairy for me doesn’t really seem to be helping). The regression toward 2 am feedings has made me extremely tired. So last night, after I fed him around 7:45-8:30, my mom and Matthew kept him awake and played with him while I slept until 10. Then, I fed him again at 10 and he made it until 4:30. Pretty good.
One of the things Matthew did was make a little video with Elias. I know, I know. The three of us need to do one. But, this is better than nothing. You can totally see how curious he is getting, as well as tell that the little guy is tired. Sweet baby.
Untitled from Matthew Paul Turner on Vimeo.
Matthew mentions in the video that we don’t let Elias watch tv. I am a bit crazy about it. (It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that kids under two not watch television.)
As a parent, what things were/are you strict about?
Nothing in the bottle but formula. It’s too hard of a habit to break once juice and water end up in there!
Your son and my son are very close in age and I love to visit your blog.
If you don’t mind I would love to tag you…I would love to know 7 interesting facts about you.
You can find out about tagging (if you don’t already know) at my blog http://www.andreaandfamily.blogspot.com
Blessings to you!
We’re not strict about the t.v. thing…. it depends on the parents and the kids. Some t.v. is really okay, it’s when it becomes a problem in excess and limiting it works out fine for us. Of course, it’s mostly educational stuff they watch. They don’t know much about Disney movies, etc. They’re smart as whips too so it hasn’t harmed them any. Anyway, I’m strict about no bottle after 10 months of age. I have found switching to the sippy with formula in it works out really well and they never miss the bottle at all. I also agree nothing else should go in the bottle except formula. I also am a firm believer that after 9 months or so of age a pacifier is not necessary throughout the day for your child but for sleeping is fine. We cut out the pacifier for our older one when she was 18 months old all together and it worked out great.
I’ve been strict about getting rid of the bottle completely by the first birthday. I began formula in a soft spout sippy cup by 11 months or so, and then switch to it completely by the first birthday.
Also, I have been vigilent about only letting my babies use their pacifiers while they are in their crib. I limit them to naptime and nighttime only, and then it isn’t a big deal to get them to give them up. Plus, I don’t have to carry them around with me or have my children sucking on them in public.
I WISH I were strict. I am strict about no drugs or alchohol! LOL. Actually, I am not a fan of medicine so I don’t give it unless they are gonna die without it. My 2 1/2 year old watches PBS off and on all day long. But let me tell you, he knows all of his letters and a good part of their sounds. He also knows all of his colors and can count to twenty. He got that from Word World, Word Girl and Super Why. We all do what is best for our children. Either way Im sure Elias will be just fine. He has intelligent, loving, God fearing parents! What could be better?
Small babies and kids never watch TV anyway…they play. None of my 4 kids ever paid attention to a TV when it was on …unless they were shown something….like Elmo….kids love Elmo on Sesame Street.
We brush our teeth twice a day. That’s one of the most important things to me. I’ve seen some horrible kids’ teeth when parents let it slide (and let their kids take a bottle to bed! AH!).
I understand why you don’t let Elias watch tv. He is still very young. My son started watching the occassional Baby Einstein and Sesame Street DVD at about 10 months old or so. He doesn’t really know anything about tv shows, but he enjoys a few Disney films and Sesame Street now (he’ll be 2 this week!). We like to get him the books that go along with his favorite movies, so that way we can take one out and read it when we’ve had too much tv for the day. It works for us!
I am strict about NO POP. It’s just a battle that you do not need to have. My in laws think I have two heads because they don’t drink anything but diet pop – and they are always trying to give it to my 3 year old. I get so angry about it and wish they would just honor my wishes in regards to it. It has absolutely no nutritional value and diet is so much worse than regular soda – I’m not against pop, I drink a few each week, but I think children should learn to reach for milk and water first, and occasionally juice.
I believe The American Academy of Pediatric concern with young boys watching television has something to do with their eye development. My mother is a teacher and we were actually discussing this topic just the other day.
Elias is very cute in the video!
Julia, NJ
Juice in a bottle? I THINK NOT! We did not allow them to have juice until they were one. Our little boy is 2 now and he doesn’t like juice. We make our 5 year old swap out juice for milk or water so she doesn’t drink it all day long.
No candy until after 2 and even then, very limited!
Oh I could go on and on about this. We are not so strict about the TV though because neither of ours sit and watch hours of it. They are too busy playing, coloring, drawing or running to sit still long enough to become junkies.
My Mum was pretty anal about me and my brothers coming off the bottle as quickly as she could.
The BIGGEST thing my parents were strict over were dummies, they preferred comfort blankets etc. Mainly cause my Mum and her sisters had dummies and it was the cause of their teeth growing in all direction and fixing. Pricey!
Lovely video. His eyes are beautiful! X.
Jessica,
We are on board with the no tv thing for our daughter who is 1 and a half. It can be hard to enforce at other people’s places, but I think the benefits out way the difficulty. And the evidence that they shouldn’t watch is overwhelming. We actually don’t even have a tv hooked up and haven’t for years. We watch stuff on line and dvds.
Other strict policys…umm…not many. Just the safety issues.
Sarah from MI
I’m with you on the “no TV before 2” rule. We followed that with my daughter who is now 3 and at this point she can only watch TV on the weekends in limited amounts. I agree with the American Academy of Pediatrics on it and I just think it’s better for her to be creative by playing outside or in her room, coloring, “reading” books, etc. I know it makes me weird to most of my friends, but I don’t push it on anyone else, it’s just what works for us.
I am probably more strict than most people about naps, bedtime, eating, and drinking, but again it works well for us – my daughter knows when it is time for nap or bed and what things she can eat for snacks and meals and there just isn’t any negotiating around it. She does get treats occasionally, but as a general rule those things just arent’ part of our everyday lives.
I think that each child is so different though and you have to choose which things you need to be strict on and which you can let slide. Everyone has to find which rules work well in their family and which don’t.
We’re about to welcome our second daughter into the world, so I will probably have a totally different perspective on all of this in another year. 🙂
Your son is so adorable, and I enjoy your blog!
My kids are 11, 8, and almost 5. We were stricter with our first, especially about TV. It seemed to get harder to enforce as we had more. We still limit it, though. Maybe one show a day.
We are strict about no soda and junk food, too. They seem to feel and act a whole lot better.
With each child, we as parents have changed, too. It is interesting how that happens!
i really wanted my kids to be off hte bottle at one. i have never even given either of my children anything in their bottles besides formula. i wanted them to know that that was the only thing that a bottle was made for. i started with water in a sippy cup when i started food and always had it out so they would learn how to drink out of one well before the 1 yr mark. then we offered diluted juice and the their milk. so taking my kids off the bottle was no big deal!
what a fun question to hear everyones advice..
blessings ~
We are not very strict with anything, except obeying, kindness, and a HUGE one for us is manners.
As far as t.v. goes, we do let our girls watch a lot of it and always have. When it becomes a distraction we turn it off. Almost everything they watch is educational…PBS, Sprout and Noggin. They have learned so much from t.v. They know a ton of Spanish from watching Dora and Diego and my oldest who is only 4, is starting to read b/c of a show called Word World. We don’t let them watch very many Disney movies. Maybe one day, just not yet. Most of my friends think I am weird b/c of that one. 🙂
I’m crazy about car seat safety.
Really.
But TV is not something I freak out about – my oldest is four and watches some PBS shows and the Winnie the Pooh movies. My 17 month old enjoys baby einstein once a day most days, but we don’t do nickelodeon or regular TV with commercials.
I am absolutely determined not to let my daughter turning 12 on the 15th of Novmeber a cell phone, despite the “fact” that everyone else has one. Fine. No problem. If everyone else has one, she doesn’t need one!
I have 8 and 6 year old boys.
-I breastfed both kids till they were one. Anything beyond that seems a little creepy to me.
-no t.v. when they were little. They watch too much of it now… if I’m not on patrol…just think of how many brain cells would be dead if they started any younger. I always tell them that their brain is turning to mush.
-No caffeine ever.
-also… they have always slept in their own beds. I never wanted to start any bad habits.
need to clarify…
I meant no caffeine ever, in Sodas…
It would be hard to avoid it in everything. especially chocolate 🙂
oh! and I also avoid aspartame and other fake sweeteners in foods!!
When mine was a baby, I was stict about introducing new foods slowly and no chocolate/peanutbutter until after she was 18 months. I did introduce one fruit first, either apples or bananas, but after that it was all veggies until she was eating them well. She never liked any meats though but that was OK since she got enough protien in her formula.
Now I’m strict about when she goes to bed. She is in the 4th grade and has to get up at 6:15 every morning so her bed time is 7:30 (with two stories) and lights out by 8:15. So many school aged kids are sleep deprived and that effects behavior and attention so much.