Biters Anonymous

I have to say that I get my patience from my mom, and I do have a lot more of it than most people. I am also human, and I do grind my teeth, clench my jaw, and growl on occasion, but as far as running around after two kids under 2 all day, every day, I’m pretty confident in saying I have more patience than most. Or at least I have more than Jordan! I like to compare my patience to a glass of fine wine. Monday is like the day you purchased said bottle. It’s full, still corked, and you almost don’t want to open it. By Wednesday, the bottle is half gone and so are your pants. By Friday at lunch, the bottle is bone dry and you’re digging through cabinets contemplating drinking cooking wine.\

    That being said, it is nap time on Friday. And we’ve had two ‘munches’ so far today, and a few more than I’d like to count this week. I am very glad it is Friday, and this weekend I need to really sit down and make actual lesson plans for next week. When we stay on a semi-strict schedule, I feel they do better and are less antsy. I started reading up on biting and how to stop it, and this basically sums up the situations I have observed when Tristan bites. He’s not doing it at all times because he is frustrated, but it is his way of saying “I can’t tell you how I feel right now, so I’m just gonna nibble.

•   They're frustrated. Biting, like hitting, is a way for some children to assert themselves when they're still too young to express feelings effectively through words. To your child, biting is a way to get back a favorite toy, tell you that he or she is unhappy, or let another child know that he or she wants to be left alone. –WebMd

So how do we teach young children to express themselves better? There are only so many times you can say the phrases “Use your words” or “We don’t bite” before you just sound like a broken record, especially if the child is still biting. I have been keeping teething rings rotating in the fridge and I use redirection on a daily (if not hourly, minutely) basis for both children. I know that biting is a combination of not being able to express himself and teething and having to share everything with Lily, but I am just not sure how to stop it effectively. It is also hard since Tristan is not my child. I am not sure what I would do if the shoe was on the other foot, but T doesn’t bite at home (because he’s alone with Mom and Dad) which means I have no previously set punishment to use. I have been trying to use the pack and play as a time out zone (mainly because he can’t leave that spot while I get ice and take care of the victim). But the P&P is right near the window so he just looks out and laughs. I thought about using the high chair but if he’s angry and put in there, he can twist and throw himself around and essentially get out. I could bring down the Bumbo chair and squeeze him into that, but I don’t want to squish him. I need to sit down first with Ash and RJ and see what they think the punishment/plan of action should be and go from there. Ash was a biter as a kid, so I am hoping this is just a phase until his teeth come in.

While they are resting...

I have been majorly slacking on this whole blogging thing. Even when it is on my weekly to-do list, it seems to get put on the back burner. Last week the Georgia Peaches were up for the week for their spring break so we were a little busy playing with the girls. We did the aquarium, a walk to get ice cream, and the moms even got at home massages! It was a fun week, but I got way off track.

This week I have tried to keep up with my basic daily chores, but I also decided I am over cold weather and my dark sweaters, so I pulled out my spring pastel pants to try on. That led to a severe drop in the temperature midweek. Thanks mother nature. None of my pants from last year fit, but for the first time in a long time of switching clothes, they are all too big! The only downfall is that I am broke so new clothes are going to have to wait! I am really trying to buy a few staple pieces that I can mix and match through spring so it appears that I have more clothes than I do. My shorts also all fit nicely or are way too big, and I am very pleased at that! My room is now a mix of unwanted clothes and shoes in boxes, craft projects I am half done, Easter basket madness, and the ever present clutter that just won't go away!

Today the kids were quite cranky. Lily woke up early because it was cold in her room and her feet were like ice blocks. After being awake for about an hour, she informed me she was tired and around 9:30 Tristan looked like he was ready for a nap, but I made them wait it out until 11. I know early naptime means longer afternoon, and I knew I did not have the patience for that today. We did our exercises about 4 times, walked around the house, ate a snack, and did a little Easter footprint project all to keep us awake. After nap and lunch we even took a quick brisk walk because, to put it bluntly, they were driving me insane.

Lily is at the stage where she does not want to share her toys, or her mom, 24/7. And Tristan’s in a phase of teething/biting whatever is in his way. I take many deep breaths throughout the day, and we do a lot of redirecting. My next post will be of our new schedule and our daily routine...hopefully to be up during the weekend. I've been using my old daily sheets from the daycare to make my own schedule and lessons. It makes me feel like there is more structure, and it makes those long stretches of mornings and afternoons go by a little faster!

Hope everyone has a fun and happy Easter!