by Mama Monkey
Monkey2 just turned 5 a couple of weeks ago! I can't believe that he is really 5 already... kids really do grow up way too fast.
He was born in a tub...
As you can see, I bled a bit after having him. I guess it is not so normal for the water to be red like that after giving birth. But I absolutely loved it and really hope to be able to do it again sometime... but that is a whole other story and we'll see what happens.
Five years later, (his head is a bit more round), and he is such a little man.
He wanted a Word World birthday. It is a show that he is a bit obsessed with that he watches on PBS. Of all things he could be obsessed with, it could definitely be a lot worse. It is a pretty cute show (not like some of those kids shows you watch that make you want to rip your hair out). Anyhow, that is why his cake says 'cake.' Word World takes the letters used to spell a word and uses them to 'build a word.' He had a good birthday.
So, when do they turn from kids into little people? You know what I mean? Their attitudes and demeanor totally change from that of a kid to that of a 'regular person.' They start to act and talk totally different. There is one side of me that gets excited about it because they really start to show their personality and independence. It is an essential part of their growing up. Then... there is the other side of me that completely despises it because they are showing their personality and independence. It is the point where they may start to get a bit sassy.
It is a fine line to draw and can be really hard not to cross sometimes. I know that it is good for them to become independent and I want them to, but it can be hard to deal with sometimes. It is hard to deal with a kid that seems to constantly be talking back to you and doing exactly what you ask them not to. I have to remind myself that he is testing the limits sometimes and make sure that I keep the boundaries firm. So far, Monkey2 is the best at testing the limits.
What do you do when your kids are really testing the limits and pushing the lines? How do you remind yourself that it is actually good for them to be independent and be happy to see their personality coming through?
Comments (5)
oh goodness! this post has such perfect timing. my son will be two next month and he'a trying to do everything on his own. he wants to bathe himself, clothe himself, feed himself...everything! of course i lend a helping hand, but i have to remind myself to back off sometimes because it's a normal part of development even tho i SOOOOO want to do everything for him sometimes.
my son doesn't really "test my limits" too much since he's only one. sometimes i will tell him not to touch something and when he thinks i'm not looking he will sneak and touch it, but i just go "HEY" and it startles him so much that he doesn't really wanna do it anymore. (at least when i'm looking anyway). sometimes when he's having tantrums, i make him sit in "the chair" and then i get down real close on his level and talk to him. but i guess as kids get older, it gets a lot harder, and that's where i have 0 advice.
excellent post!
p.s. i love the cake! my son is obsessed with Barney!
that cake is so awesome!! i JUST got a word world dvd at target for baby koala a couple of days ago (i know, she's only 1.5 years old, but she liked the duck on the cover so i figured i'd give it a try), and i was so surprised at how well it held her attention. i didn't mind watching a couple of episodes with her either!
cute kid, cute cake. happy belated birthday monkey2!
Looks like you gave birth in strawberry jello! hehe. I love that cake - what a cool concept!
Love the kid, love the cake... sorry I have no other advice for you; my son is only 7 1/2 months old1