Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Henry...Life's Little Gift

I have been soliciting advice & tips from friends on managing through the toddler years and have received so many good ideas! Shannon and I are in a steep learning curve as Henry makes his way toward 2 and I am negotiating the emotional fluxtuations of pregnancy. Thank goodness for supportive and loving friends -- even from afar! I thought I would share some highlights:

1. Two books have come up: Positive Discipline, by Jane Nelson and Touchpoints, by T. Brazelton

2. It is all part of Henry's development process -- you are not bad parents (we liked this one!) -- all children go through this assertion of independence while being simultaneously so dependent

3. As hard as it is for us on the outside, imagine what it is like for him on the inside

4. Have you checked to make sure he is not simultaneously cutting teeth? (In fact, incisors are on their way!)

5. Take time to nurture yourself -- the more centered you are, the more you have to offer

6. Be sure to honor the parental relationship with special time together -- don't let the stress interfere with this important relationship

7. The second time around, you will have many more tools for coping

8. Make sure everyone is getting enough sleep (hmmmm...we have to work on this one!)

The fact is, as this photo attests, Henry is our little gift from the Universe...we would not want him to be any different than he is! And we are eternally grateful to our friends who are willing to help us learn strategies to be at our best through these learning-filled times!


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