wow... kids really are so different aren't they

[FatherCoolOfHMCommonwealth]

ds is 2 & 4mths. he doesn't really say any other words other than no, dada, mama. he babbles alot though and the HV doesn't seem to be concerned. apparently he says some words that we can't recognise.

anyway, that's a long battle and naws away at us like nothing else.

then yesterday he was playing at an outdoor play equipment sales place with another kid who was having full conversations with his mum, doing much more advanced stuff and he was the same age!! exactly the same age!

i know everyone says that kids develop differently and not to worry and he's ok and that he'll catch up but... bloody hell! this kid was so much further ahead.

and... he hardly eats, his sleeping is crap etc etc where other don't seem to have a problem. we're struggling and we are trying to convince ourselves that all kids are just different (as adults are) but hell, i'm just struggling with the whole thing.

no drinks before meal
distract him whilst he is eating
sit down wiht him
dont walke around kitchen
cut things up small
giev him tiny amounts so he finishes it

ok.

walking around kitchen. that's a good one. and yes! the tiny portions thing! saw that on one of the nanny tv shows (you know the ones) and it seemed to work for his breakfast yesterday morning.

ok. i'll try all the points.

dc

we'll crack it!
chin up

ok so how was tea?

not tooo bad. small amounts cut up into small pieces. read to him but not too 'interactively' (if that's even a word) to distract him from thinking about what he was actually doing but not to over do it as to distract him completely off his dinner.

he tried everything, which to me is half the battle and i was pleased. he had a little bit of each.

he ate a yoghurt and a couple satsumas afterwards.

i would say that was kind of a success?

fantastico!!
was it nice chatting?

and i didn't buy a new microwave. i didn't realise the time. nevermind.

do you eat meals together ever?

yes. it was good.

thanks for the advice.

yes. we do but not too often. that's all about to change.

( senses dcs hands being rubbed to gether and a shaprp intake of breath)

i find with ours we really have to do the old positive reinforcement
" ooh look d3 is relaly eating up"
and also play word games or sing little bits of songs for them to guess whta they are.

all this to encourage conversation adn lingering longer.

bet everyone else discusses the tory party leadership election not " england's greatest goal scorers" or " can the Villa EVER win a match"

sorry, delayed reaction. we don't talk about either!

absolutely. the more interesting the conversation, the more he'll hang around and eat bits and bobs of his meal.

this morning was good as well. cereal. very small portions. he had about three little bowls and a 1/4 of my bagel so i thought that was really good.

thanks. i'll keep your list below in my head whilst in 'battle'.

dont let it become a battle though

that is the worse thing you can do

always act super cool as your name suggests

sounds like what is hard is not the parenting (usual speech/food worries) but the fact that you and dw have completely different approaches to probs.

both i think enid.

i the clash between the two of us can be a nightmare but i do just find the whole thing really difficult as well.

i will attempt to be supercool (actually, that's my nickname on my professional forum i talk on... but not often because it's so boring i would rather jump off a tall building and catch my eyelid on a nail on the way down than listen to some of the fusties talking about accounting procedure and standards with heated passion)

lol

(Enid whispers, dont tell anyone - obviously on here I am the mother of smug domestic goddesses but my nearly 6 year old dd is a terrible fussy eater - shhhhhhh)

"i would rather jump off a tall building and catch my eyelid on a nail on the way down"

fantastic expression!!

If his sleep is crap its not that surprising that his development isn't the fastest

personally I'd go hard-line on sleeping too .. kids need to sleep

the food I wouldn't worry about so much tbh .. but do think eating together (and making chicken nuggets a la enid if he likes them so much ) would help

well done re breakefast dc! sounds great

what do you and dw differ on? is she of the " oh he'll grow out of it" school

imo if youare primary carere( do you haev him so many days a week am i right?) then you can start this and tell her its worth a try , cant you?

I've added this thread to my watch list and I'm going to read what you're all on about some day soon. Sounds very interesting though.

lol mt
so it looks interesting but not SO interesting

whoah! i'm still with DW! we are happily married but she's obviously the primary carer as she's a SAHM so really... i simply get over-ruled.
which is fair enough really because who am i to come in with my size 9's and suggest what she should be doing when she should be doing it... but at the same time, i want to contribute you know.

she is part of the 'he'll grow out of it' school but i think she's starting to turn. he's getting to be a big boy now and we have to take some serious action.

Twig made a really good commment about the sleep/developement thing. i've never really made that connection (which is silly, because it's quite obvious isn't it).