Friday, July 15, 2011

I Purposely Ignore My Instincts AND Activity #3 Clean Up!

H was out of town for the past two days, so evenings were a little more of a struggle for me. Q asked where Dada was, but seemed satisfied with the answer, "He'll be back Thursday night." Thank goodness.  Even though I said this wasn't a sleep training blog, she is doing much better with not needing us to come into the room at night when she wakes up.  Q has always been a startler/sudden waker-upper in the middle of naps/sleeps (she inherited my need for sleep and H's startle to sleep reflex. Awesome), so she always cries - usually briefly - when waking up, unless it is the morning/end of the nap and she is well-rested. Anyhoo, I have found that when she cries and calls out for us that I can respond without getting out of bed, "It's okay Q, I'm right outside, you are alright, I'm outside your room" (which is technically true, since our bedroom is across the hall and I can see into her room) and she will lie back down and go to sleep. Score!

Moving on, I have never been a big purse/bag fan and really like cargo pockets for carrying items, like wallets and phones. Having to bring a diaper bag everywhere always feels like it is weighing me down like the proverbial millstone.  This means that when we run errands, if they are supposed to be very short, I try not to bring the bag. Brilliant, I know. I like to create even more drama by giving Q something that can be messy, like a fruit squeeze pack.  Q has a knack for getting this all over herself only when I don't have wipes.  When heading out to grocery shop the other day, I decided to leave the bag and handed Q a fruit squeeze pack. I thought, "Just bring the wipes," but I couldn't do it and, of course, as soon as we pulled into the parking lot, Q said, "Bubby wet."  Bubby is her pink rabbit lovey and he was wet, because Q had squirted her squeeze pack all over her lap and Bubby.  Without wipes, I did the only thing I could. I used Bubby to wipe off Q and her seat as best I could.  I would like to thank Bubby for his sacrifice and hope he is enjoying his bath in the washing machine.

(You're a good man, Pink Bubby.)

Q, however, was fine with me using Bubby, because she likes to be clean. I use her desire to be clean and to emulate Mommy and Daddy cleaning to get some housework done with her and demonstrate how to properly clean.

Cleaning (Anytime!):  Q helps me with housework every few weeks and she likes it!  For example, Q helps me clean our bathrooms.  I use real cleaning wipes and she uses a baby wipe or slightly damp burp cloth ("Wet!! Peas wet!). She wipes along the outside of the tub and the sink cabinets, while I take care of the nitty gritty (I never spray or use harsh chemicals, while she is there, though).  She has even been known to wipe down her training potty (not that she has ever used it).  Q also knows how to put items away downstairs as long as I am specific with what she is expected to do.  This also helps children with learning multiple step commands (ie "Put the puzzle pieces in the box and, then, put the box on the puzzle shelf.") I repeat commands to remind Q and if she forgets in the middle of the action or becomes distracted, I just remind her.  She also likes to help me look for items to vacuum up and will use a baby wipe to wipe down her play kitchen while I wipe down our real kitchen.  This activity can easily be 1+ hrs and I let Q take a break if she becomes more interested in a toy or book, while it is happening. I have also been known to become distracted while cleaning ;)

If you don't know the clean-up song, by the way, I suggest you learn it. Here's a great youtube video with the link. Q knows it, but just repeats, "kee up, kee up" over and over again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N69NRFduFF0

I may try a more serious post on Monday about the loneliness of motherhood compounded by working at home and moving. Let me know your thoughts on any of the above!


(Bonus pic of Q driving one of the carts at the supermarket. Please note the adventure hat.)

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