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Recs for what's next for LOs age 1+?
DS is looking and acting less like a baby and more like a little boy every day, and I feel like we're outgrowing everything. So, of course I turn to the Bump - can you give me advice on the next generation of, well, everything?
1) Food - how do you switch from purees to self-feeding, increase table food and decrease BM/FF, and make sure the kid gets enough to eat?
2) Carseats - what's the safest? best deal? when we go convertible?
3) Books - so Baby 411, Baby Bargains, Baby Whisperer and Ferber have mapped it out for us so far. What books helped you navigate the transition to toddlerhood?
4) Discipline - what are your recs for strategies/reading etc?
5) Toys/ideas for playtime?
6) How do you get your DHs on board with all of the above? I felt like we had a great division of labor but need to renegotiate now that DS is crazy mobile and has his own mind.
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Re: Recs for what's next for LOs age 1+?
DD just turned 21 months, so we're on our way to two, but let me see if I can remember (mommy brain!) what we did for these things.
1) Food - how do you switch from purees to self-feeding, increase table food and decrease BM/FF, and make sure the kid gets enough to eat? DD started eating mostly table around the time she turned one. We'd still do purees from time to time, but she was really into table food so we went with it. I started experimenting with self-feeding around that time as well. I'd suggest just experimenting with your DS to see what he's interested in doing. Kids will let you know. Same for making sure he's getting enough to eat. At his age, he's not going to starve himself. He'll eat when he's hungry.
2) Carseats - what's the safest? best deal? when we go convertible? We have the Britax Roundabout for DD. I bought it on Diapers.com because that's where I found it the cheapest (I think it was on sale). There are a couple of things to consider when switching from the infant seat: 1) size of your child. If he's too big for the infant seat (length-wise or weight-wise) then it's time to move up to a convertible. 2) Your child. My DD started to really dislike her infant seat. She didn't like how reclined it was and always wanted to pull herself to a sitting position. That was a clue to me that we should get a convertible.
3) Books - Toddler 411. It's written by the same people who wrote Baby 411 and Baby Bargains.
4) Discipline - what are your recs for strategies/reading etc? We have only recently started discipline due to DD's scratching/clawing when she's mad. We use the time out method, which works sometimes.
5) Toys/ideas for playtime? push toys, blocks, Little People
6) How do you get your DHs on board with all of the above? Luckily, DH would rather hang out with DD than do anything else in the whole world (can you say, Daddy's girl?) so he's been pretty good about following the above. The only thing we differ on is discipline. He never wants to do it because she's his princess. So we're working on how to make it that I'm not always the bad guy who makes her go to time out.
Thanks for asking these! I've been wondering a lot myself. My only input is:
2) We just got a Britax Boulevard from Diapers.com - we had a coupon and they were on sale so we saved about $70 and got free shipping. J's legs are hanging off his infant seat and, like pp's LO, he keeps trying to sit up in it. We're getting it installed next week! My only concern is what happens now if he falls asleep in the car - I guess we drive around? Or sit there with him? Ugh.
5) J really likes stuff that he can pull up on. We have the Leap Frog Learn n' Groove, and the Busy Zoo. He also loves balls recently, I think because he can kind of chase them around.
TTC #2: BFP 12/17/11, m/c 1/7/12 and D&C 1/12/12
baby blog/cooking blog
1) Food: He's loved finger food ever since he got the first puff in his mouth, so the transition to that has not been hard. More difficult is getting a good amount of easily-gummed veggies on the table, especially when DH and I are eating something difficult, like a green salad. We always have bananas, apple sauce and O's on hand in case of emergency.
2) Carseats - we have a Britax Roundabout and a Cosco Scenera. They're pretty much equal in terms of safety. The Cosco is waaaay cheaper, but the padding is not as nice. Both from Diapers.com with a coupon. Albeebaby.com is another good source. I do regret that the Roundabout only goes up to 40 lbs.
3) Books - I'm a terrible mother and have abandoned baby books. I get by with the weekly babycenter emails and knowledgeable friends.
4) Discipline - yet to be determined.
5) Toys/ideas for playtime?I don't know why we waited so long, but we just got a Leap Frog activity table and C thinks it is the bomb. Best $15 I ever spent on Craigslist. He's also received some Little People toys lately and I think those and Duplo blocks will be on his birthday gift lits.
6) How do you get your DHs on board with all of the above? DH generally doesn't have very strong opinions on the above. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'm sure we'll have more discussions about discipline, etc. when the time comes.
My DD is also about 10 months old. We have been experimenting with finger foods (fruit, yogurt melts, Mum Mums from Whole Foods - which DD loves, we just tried egg yolk and cheese), it's sort of hit or miss. She is becoming more irritated at me when I feed her the purees because she wants to do it herself, but we're at a weird in-between place where she can't feed herself very well, and she doesn't want me to do it.
We switced to a convertible carseat at 8 months because DD was too long. We have the Britax Marathon, which we like, and the Boulevard, which is way too big in the car. I got them at Amazon on sale.
Not sure about books and discipline because we havent' really gotten there yet. Sometimes she goes for wires and I have to say "no" many, many times. I also use the diversion approach (divert her attention to something else).
My fear is that DH will not be a disciplinarian because of this same thing! We'll have to work on that when the time comes.
1) Food - I was stressed about this but it happened more easily than I thought. I started offering purees and finger foods more often and then supplemented with milk. I think the thing to keep in mind is that babies are MUCH better able to regulate their intake than adults are, so as long as you offer a good variety at regular intervals, he'll eat enough. When DD says "all done" I offer her one or two more choices to see if she was just all done with the first option or all done in general. She makes it clear whether or not she's interested.
2) Carseats - We went convertible around 8 months because DD was uncomfortable. We got a Britax Diplomat which we love because it gets good ratings, has side impact protection, and is compact and fits in our Prius and Accord. We found it on diapers.com when they were having a $50 off sale.
3) Books - Haven't really used any others than Weissbluth, but to address this and #4, 1-2-3 Magic, SOS! Help for Parents, and How to talk so your kids will listen are my favorites
4) Discipline - See above. I think it's important to set limits and be consistent but this is such a tricky age because it's still somewhat unclear (and varies from child to child) how much they get. It's way too early for time out, but firm, loving, and consistent responses are good. We have meltdowns whenever the lovey can't eat or take a bath with DD. ("BUNNNNYYYYY!" yelled with big, fat tears running down her cheeks...)
5) Toys/ideas for playtime?She loves big puzzles, books (especially lift the flap) and ADORES her baby doll, baby stroller and things she can start to pretend with.
6) How do you get your DHs on board with all of the above? I felt like we had a great division of labor but need to renegotiate now that DS is crazy mobile and has his own mind.I think for us it got easier since she is so much more interesting to DH now so he loves playing with her and taking her to the park. If you can get your DH excited about the new phase, you may end up like us arguing about who gets to do what (at least for the fun stuff - neither of us wants to do some of the less fun stuff)
This is such a fun age. We have enjoyed watching her develop into an independent person even though it challenges us too. Enjoy it!
1) Food - It's really a transition. Start with BM/FF being your main food, then just increase the regular food as he eats more and more meals. DD started grabbing the spoon - so I let her have it or get her her own spoon. Put bite size pieces on the plate for her to eat/play/whatever. Let him watch you eat; DD likes to copy.
2) Carseats - We have the Britax Boulevard. I didn't really consider the Roundabout because I figured she'd get too tall for it too soon.
3) Books (parenting) - Toddler 411, Baby Whisperer for Toddlers, Happiest Toddler on the Block, Child Sense
4) Discipline - Trying to be consistent but we're still working on what to do about discipline. I have 1-2-3 Magic but haven't read it yet.
5) Toys/ideas for playtime? push toys, play kitchen, string of ducks pull toy, we have a castle and a truck shape sorters, play house, books, playground time
6) How do you get your DHs on board with all of the above? He pretty much follows my lead.
Great questions and I enjoyed seeing other responses. Here are some thoughts.
1) Food - Here are some finger foods that I offer to DD which may give you some ideas.
Frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, corn, and green beens). Sometimes I buy the mixed bag and sometimes I buy them individually. I just put some in a bowl, add water, and microwave for 30 seconds, then drain the water and serve.
Mild cheddar cheese cut up into small bite-sized squares.
I get low sodium ham and turkey from the deli and I have them cut them into 1/4 inch thick slices. Then I cut each slice like a grid so they are small cubes and I freeze them in small portions so I can get them out as needed.
Peaches, Pears and Mandarine oranges with no sugar added in the little plastic containers from the store. I rinse with water to get off the syrup and then serve to DD.
Whole grain bunnies (I think made by Annie's all natural").
Beans - DD doesn't really like them but many of the beans are bite-sized like black beans.
If what we are eating is something she can try, I cut it into pieces and serve it to her. She likes salmon, rice, cous cous, chicken, etc. I like her to have some regular food that has seasoning and spices so she gets used to different flavors and textures.
2) Carseats - We went convertible around 4 months because DD is so big. We have Britax Marathons in both cars and the Cosco Scenera ($45) in the grandparents car. The Scenera got just as good of ratings as the Marathon on Consumer reports. We also plan to keep DD rear-facing as long as possible after seeing some good videos online about car seat safety.
3) Books - I read Happiest Toddler and one of the 1-2-3 books.
4) Discipline - I'm trying to set boundaries at home with things that are unsafe. I basically say "no touch" and give her a chance to listen. I also offer her something else to do like, "come play with this toy". If she keeps touching the item, I pick her up, move her facing away from me and don't give her any attention for about 30 seconds, sort of like a mini time out. Also, I don't want to reward her with attention for doing something she's not supposed to be. So far it seems to be working well.
5) Toys/ideas for playtime? - DD likes books with flaps, her rocking horse, a toy phone which I often pretend talk on, blocks, stacking cups, etc. I get most of her toys at the thrift store and wash them with water/bleach. That way if she doesn't use a certain toy much, at least I don't feel like I wasted a ton of money. The Unique Thrift Store which has a few locations in a few DC area usually has a wide selection of toys.
6) How do you get your DHs on board with all of the above? With discipline, I try not to dictate to him how things should be done. I also try to have open conversations by saying, "what do you think are the best ways to do discipline?" and then we'll have a discussion about it. I model the techniques for DH and then I say, "Oh, I read in a book that it's good to do this or that." Basically, he sort of follows my lead but I try to involve him in the process so it doesn't feel like I'm telling him how to do it.
For food, I do most of the grocery shopping and food prep for DD because that's how we have chores divided in our house. But, I try to keep DH in the loop and have him do food prep from time to time so he knows how it's done. I also try to explain how she needs a variety of food each day because otherwise he might feed her Cheerios at every meal. So, I say to remember she needs whole grains (oatmeal, crackers, rice, etc.), dairy (cheese, yogurt), protein (ham, turkey, chicken, beans), and vegetables each day and remind him to offer her a variety of foods.
1) Food - how do you switch from purees to self-feeding, increase table food and decrease BM/FF, and make sure the kid gets enough to eat?
DS started refusing purees AND bottles at 9 months, so the movement was kind of easy for us. (actually, the bottle thing was stressful b/c he was taking 12 or more oz a day, but we worked through it). I think we attempted to slip purees in between bites of table food when we could to make sure that he was getting enough. At 12 months, they stop needing nearly as much food, so their consumption goes down. Most toddlers eat 1 good meal a day. DS will go 2 or 3 days without eating much and then eat a ton on the next day.
2) Carseats - what's the safest? best deal? when we go convertible?
We got an Evenflo Triumph LX. We switched DS to it at 7 months and switched to forward facing at 20 months.
3) Books - so Baby 411, Baby Bargains, Baby Whisperer and Ferber have mapped it out for us so far. What books helped you navigate the transition to toddlerhood?
Toddler 411 and 1-2-3 Magic
4) Discipline - what are your recs for strategies/reading etc?
12-18 months: Say no and redirect. Over and over and over. They get the idea eventually.
18+ months: This is the age when DS started understanding time outs. Some kids don't get it until later. 1 minute per year of age. For a while, we had to hold DS in time out b/c he wouldn't stay. We use corners b/c you can find a corner anywhere! Depending on the severity of the offense, he either goes straight to time out or he gets warnings.
5) Toys/ideas for playtime?
Puzzles, books, fingerpaint, playdoh, crayons and paper, stickers, cars and trucks--you can start doing normal little kid stuff with them. DS stopped putting things in his mouth pretty early, so that helped a bit.
6) How do you get your DHs on board with all of the above? I felt like we had a great division of labor but need to renegotiate now that DS is crazy mobile and has his own mind.
We constantly discuss our approaches and decide on the best course of action. If one person did something that worked particularly well, we tell the other person. DS is already sneaky about trying to do some things with one person that they can't do with another. Constant communication is key.
1) Food - how do you switch from purees to self-feeding, increase table food and decrease BM/FF, and make sure the kid gets enough to eat? we switched to whole milk right around her 1st birthday and had no issues. We had to warm it up for a little while because she would not drink it ice cold.
For food- she loves finger foods (everything from chicken nuggets, cheese, cut up sandwiches, etc..) but I still have to mash up peas and green beans. She loves them but will not touch them unless they are mashed.
We tried and tried the sippy cup but she would only drink a bit out of it and then would just throw it down. On advice from the doc at 14 months- we went cold turkey one weekend on the bottle and had no problems transitioning to the sippy cup and now she prefers the cup with a straw.
2) Carseats - what's the safest? best deal? when we go convertible?
we got the britax boulevard (it has the side impact thingy) from albeebaby- $100 cheaper than BBB and free shipping.
3) Books
I must be a slacker because I have not gotten a new book. I just rely on you all :-)
4) Discipline - what are your recs for strategies/reading etc?
we are trying not to go into no overload and actually using 'no' for serious/dangerous things and use other words (i.e. when she tries to pick up something random off the sidewalk to eat- we just say 'ewwww,') and it seems to be working. 'No' will stop her almost immediately from trying to pull the bookcase down or something else that could cause harm.
Also, just redirecting her to something else if she is being really stubborn.
5) Toys/ideas for playtime?
she loves board books, balls, stacking cups, blocks and her grocery cart. Everything goes into the cart and she pushes/pulls it all over the house. Other favorite things are toothbrushes, straws, cups, collanders and plastic containers.
6) How do you get your DHs on board with all of the above? DH is better with some of the above than me (the cold turkey on the sippy cup) and he does a fair amount of research on kid things.
1) Food - how do you switch from purees to self-feeding, increase table food and decrease BM/FF, and make sure the kid gets enough to eat?
We followed his lead. He was exclusively on table food by 12 months and I only nursed him at bedtime. My pedi said they should be off purees by 12 months.
2) Carseats - what's the safest? best deal? when we go convertible?
We got a convertible at 6 months due to his size. I love our Marathon.
3) Books - so Baby 411, Baby Bargains, Baby Whisperer and Ferber have mapped it out for us so far. What books helped you navigate the transition to toddlerhood?
There isn't really one.
4) Discipline - what are your recs for strategies/reading etc?
You can't discipline or reason with them until they're closer to 2. We started time outs around 20 months.
5) Toys/ideas for playtime?
Ball popper, riding toys, balls, blocks, sorting, stacking toys
6) How do you get your DHs on board with all of the above? I felt like we had a great division of labor but need to renegotiate now that DS is crazy mobile and has his own mind.
I'm a SAHM and DH works so I do most of the parenting at this age. We talk about the big stuff before we make any changes or introduce anything. Generally Dh follows my lead. on a few issues he's been insistent. When we've disagreed, we've always negotiated a resolution.