Lots of blog catching up and two posts in two days can only mean that I have a few days off work and I'm trying to make the most of it!
And I would like to ask for some advice on any area that anyone would like to offer it on the topic of the following transitions:
From the infant car seat to a stage 2 seat. LB is 20 lbs and 30 inches. We currently have the Chicco Keyfit 30 (love) and he is fine in it weight-wise but length-wise he is getting uncomfortable. His feet are almost touching the back of the seat and his head is about an inch from the top of the seat. Any recommendations for the next car seat?
From bottle to sippy cup. Not sure when and how this should take place. At our one year check-up, we told the LPN how many bottles/ounces we were doing and she actually giggled and said "no wonder he is not eating any solids." We have since dropped a bottle, but we only use the sippy cup for juice/water.
From no, no to NO! NO! If a kid can talk, I can talk about choices and consequences all day- basically my day job- but all that I know to do with a one year old who loves to spin the toilet paper holder when I'm running bath water or turn my back for a millisecond is to say "your dad likes the expensive tp so we really need to keep that on the roll... how about a ball instead?" Then there is the throwing the "dislike" food on the floor behavior- which drives me crazy- so I say "no, no" to which he looks me straight in the eye and promptly picks up the next piece of dislike food and drops it on the floor in a different spot. Then my "no, no" gets a little bit more stern and then he cries while dropping the next piece in the floor. So... he doesn't like the word "no" but hasn't connected it with stopping the behavior. I like the distract method most we give lots of "good job" praise when we can, but there has got to be some no's and some NO's along the way. Other ideas?
I could google these topics (and we are reading car seat reviews) but I prefer to consult the experts- thank you mom's!
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Car Seat- We have the Evanflo Hamilton. Good ratings, relatively cheap, and we liked the extra padding on the side of the head (adjustable.) it's also really easy to get in and out with the EZ latch system. It turns into a booster also.. (Love the multifunctional things!)
Ethan is 12.5 months, and still is on a bottle. We haven't really pushed anything else yet. Like you, I put water and juice in a sippy, so he uses it sometimes, but isn't efficient enough for me to trust that he can get his daily milk intake.
I've got nothing on the no thing. I've done a serious NO with him trying to go head first over the sofa arm. I take him off the sofa, while telling him no. He cries. I let him for a minute, he moves on, and I bring him back up. He tries to go head first over the sofa, rinse and repeat. But, he is starting to get it.
Ooh, good Post. I can tell you right now, I will be of absolutely no help; as I am in the exact same predicament(s). BUT, I'm here with a knowing smile and plan to stalk your blog until some genius spills the apparently well kept secrets
We have the KeyFit as well, and are about to switch over to the Britax Marathon 70 - not cheap, was gift from loaded Great Grandparent. Leah is getting pretty cramped as well. It got really good safety reviews and my BFF (with three kids) swears by Britax.
The no thing is perplexing and the food on the floor thing is fricken frustrating. Lemme know when you figure that one out... :-/
Promise to keep you informed if have any breakthroughs!
I was also overwhelmed by the car seat thing. So many choices, so many reviews and they all said opposing things. Anyways, I also consulted blog friends and 95% said to get the Britax Marathon. We did and we like it. Don't love it, but it is the safest thing out there for under $225. You can find them on Amazon for $210.
As for bottle, we made the transition in less than 2 weeks. Avery was totally cool with it. First we did sippy cup only for the daytime, but morning and last feedings were done in a bottle.
Then the next week we switched the morning one. Then two days later the night one.
I think ours was easy and fast, because she never got real milk in her bottle. The only thing that ever went in her bottle was formula. So we transitioned formula and bottles at the same time.
I have no answer on the no thing. All I can say is that I read something that said the bigger reaction you give (good or bad) the more likely they are to do it. Avery is a climber and when she gets on things now I just calmly say no and fake look away. Usually she will get bored and climb down and move on to something else. I try to reserve NO for only things that will really hurt her.
Car seat - I have heard great things about all the different Britax models of convertible car seats. We had an infant seat that we didn't love so we got a Britax convertible that could be used from quite small (we started with it at 8 months) and we love it!! So comfy for Alidia and can be used rear facing, then front facing later on. I think ours is the roundabout but I am not sure.
Bottle to Sippy - Sorry can't be of much help here as Alidia is still on just breast milk but she uses her sippy for water and does well with it. Maybe start by switching one bottle a day over to the sippy. If he is hungry for his milk and knows how to drink out of the sippy for juice and water, I am sure he'll get used to it quickly. Sorry I can't be of more help on this one though.
And finally, also of little help on the no thing because I feel I am constantly saying no no NO!!! lately as Alidia is biting, throwing things, slapping, putting her fingers in sockets, pulling the cats' hair, and so on. Ugggg. No is often the first thing that comes out. I do also try to explain, "Alidia, please don't do that. It hurts the cats when you pull their hair." and remove her from the situation. She goes back, I remove her again and explain again, then she goes back and I just keep moving her but after two times, I just remove her and don't say anything else. Eventually she gets tired of it (but so do I). I saw Super Nanny using this technique though ;) Kind of works. But not with the throwing!! Ugg. The food throwing needs to stop!!
Hope you are able to figure things out. Also, Happy New Year to you and your family!!! :)
Any recommendations for the next car seat? - Britax Boulevard, Marathon, or Advocate. We have the Advocate, but they're all essentially the same but with different side-impact features. Matthew loves it - it is super comfortable. I would sit in it if I could fit ;) I think Britax changed up their models this past year, but you can't go wrong with them. Safest on the road.
I can't help with the bottle transition. Matthew refused bottles at 4 months so we went to a sippy cup at that time with a nice silicone spout. Get a silicone spout. We used this for months and months: http://www.amazon.com/NUK-Trendline-Silicone-Learner-5-Ounce/dp/B004MWJSW8/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&srs=2597552011&ie=UTF8&qid=1356991155&sr=1-1&keywords=nuk+sippy
We are going through the same thing with food on the floor. I've cried several times over it. I now even say, "if you do that, Mommy may cry." He does it anyway. Sigh.
Any recommendations for the next car seat? - Britax Boulevard, Marathon, or Advocate. We have the Advocate, but they're all essentially the same but with different side-impact features. Matthew loves it - it is super comfortable. I would sit in it if I could fit ;) I think Britax changed up their models this past year, but you can't go wrong with them. Safest on the road.
I can't help with the bottle transition. Matthew refused bottles at 4 months so we went to a sippy cup at that time with a nice silicone spout. Get a silicone spout. We used this for months and months: http://www.amazon.com/NUK-Trendline-Silicone-Learner-5-Ounce/dp/B004MWJSW8/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&srs=2597552011&ie=UTF8&qid=1356991155&sr=1-1&keywords=nuk+sippy
We are going through the same thing with food on the floor. I've cried several times over it. I now even say, "if you do that, Mommy may cry." He does it anyway. Sigh.
Car seat - Maxi Cosi Pria 70 - I have heard nothing but AMAZING reviews about this, and it's the seat we plan on getting. That will fit him for a LONG time.
We only use a sippy cup for water, and so far I've been giving her regular milk in a real cup. It requires me holding her while I give her the milk (to make sure she doesn't just dump the thing) but she's literally getting better at it by the day, and I think it will be worth it to have her easily drink out of a "big person" cup through toddlerhood. She LOVES drinking out of a real cup (I think b/c she sees us do it), and that has made the transition pretty easy.
NO - If Stella starts throwing food down to the dog, I literally take the food (and sometimes entire tray) away. I'll give her the sippy cup of water or something for a bit and talk to her, and then we try again. If she doesn't want to eat and throws the food more, she's done! The kid isn't starving. Rarely this means we put her back in the high chair 30 minutes later to eat, but usually she's just not very hungry that night. Makes sense - I'm not always hungry at every meal time either! As for other stuff, ya - it's a stage. We do lots of explaining WHY instead of just saying "no" and then lots of distraction if that doesn't work.
Good luck!
We have the britax boulevard for a car seat and we've been happy with it. I still cannot get Emily to drink her milk out if a sippy so I hope you get some good advice I can look at!!
i love your post because I am reading all the advice and trying to apply lol
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