The Weekly Review: Week Twenty

Great Blog Post this Week

Mayim Bialik writes about discovering that her son is color blind. I found reading the post valuable not so much because of the story of her discovery (although I liked that too), but rather because of her description of the parenting moment and the lessons she took away from the experience.

The Weekly Parenting Technique I Said I'd Never Use, But Did

Michael has been whining incessantly lately. Well, at least it seems that way. It started before he was sick last week, but then last week I gave in to the whining a lot because he was so pitiful and this week it has been so much worse. I tried not responding to the whining at all. I tried calmly replying, "I can't understand you when you talk that way." Neither technique worked.

Finally I began whining back. I didn't do it in anger or frustration or from a desire to make fun of him. I was just desperate. I told him calmly that I didn't like his whining voice. It was not a nice way to ask for things. I told him that from now on, whenever he whined at me I was going to whine back. And then I did. When he whines at me, I reply, "I can't understand you when you talk that way to me." And I do it in an incredibly exaggerated annoying whiny voice. He immediately cues in to the problem and makes a visible effort to reign in his own whining. The technique gets his attention and works every time (so far). So, even though I don't prefer the whole if-your-child-hits-you-hit-them-back method of parenting in general, in this case, whining back at him seems to be working when nothing else did.

The Weekly Ava

Periodically this week when we are sitting on the floor playing in the playroom Ava will ask me to lie down. After I lie down on my back she climbs on top of me, chest to chest, settles her head on my shoulder, and hugs me. Those are treasured moments for me. A second later, she's up and running again.

The Weekly Michael

"She likes me." Michael said that, in amazement and wonder when one of the kittens came to him for some attention. I am so enjoying watching the kittens get to know the children and vice versa.

Weekly Moment When I Realized My Children Are Older and It Is Wonderful

I took Michael to his second ever dentist appointment this week. For his first ever dentist appointment my husband took off work and watched Ava while I took Michael. This time I dragged both children by myself. Everyone was wonderful. Ava sat in a chair while Michael got his teeth cleaned. They were both adorable and impressed everyone there. The entire experience was easy and fun. Both children got balloons and small toys and new toothbrushes. Perhaps we'll even get Ava to participate next time...