The No-Cry Separation Anxiety Solution

Yeah, baby!  Elizabeth Pantley has come out with her 6th book in the No-Cry series:  The No-Cry Separation Anxiety Solution.  Others in the series include:  The No-Cry Nap Solution; The No-Cry Sleep Solution; The No-Cry Discipline Solution; The No-Cry Potty Training Solution; The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers.

Here's a brief description of the new book:  "Does it break your heart to leave your crying child at daycare, school, or with a babysitter? Do you worry and wonder how to help and what to do? Nearly all children experience separation anxiety - it's natural - but finding a solution can be difficult. Best-selling parenting author and mother of four, Elizabeth Pantley tackles this sensitive problem with her trademark gentle and respectful ideas.  Using the help of her army of Test Parents, Pantley has created a book filled with solutions. Whether your child is a baby, toddler or first grader, these tried and true techniques will help them to:

* Say goodbye at the door with a smile and a wave and no more tears.

* Conquer anxiety at daycare, school, parties, events and play-dates.

* Go to sleep peacefully - and stay in bed at naptime and bedtime.

* Feel comfortable with caregivers, babysitters, visitors, and other new people.

* Explore new places with joy and confidence.

Best of all, this step-by-step book INCLUDES A FREE MAGIC BRACELET that will help your child feel "magically" safe and secure whenever you're apart. It's just one of the many No-Cry solutions that will help you say goodbye to the stress of saying goodbye-and hello to a stronger, happier child. "

For more information, check out Elizabeth Pantley's web site here.

Ask (or Gripe), and You Shall Receive

Callie and Michael like to have tea parties with a tea set Ellen got Callie for Christmas. Back on April 20 (sorry, but I have to post-date my entries because of that pesky no-Internet-access-at-home thing) they had a tea party.

Dilemma: no cookies.

I was crazy busy (yes, SA [smart a**], it was a little different from every other day) but was willing to make them no-bake drop cookies.

Dilemma: no sugar.

As I’m griping about how I’m not psychic and sugar should have been put on the grocery list, etc., a sweet woman from church came by to drop off some wonderful clothes for my kids, as she does from time to time. Guess what else she brought?

A big tin of chocolate chip cookies.

I almost cried. I saved 3 for Aron, ate a few for my own stress relief purposes, then gave the tin to the kids for their tea party. How cool is that?  Now it's time for some subliminal advertising:
 
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Can You Overdose on Homeopathic Remedies? No! Homeopathic Bedwetting Tablets and Chiropractic Care for Kids

I carry around with me in the diaper bag 3 bottles of Hyland’s homeopathic goodies: teething tablets, sniffles ‘n’ sneezes tablets, and bedwetting tablets. Each bottle has 125 tiny tablets, and not one of the bottles has a childproof cap on it (but neither does nail polish remover or some bleach, so don’t get me started).

I came downstairs the other day to find Eva sitting on the kitchen table. With an empty bottle of bedwetting tablets.

I’ve always heard a kid could take the whole bottle of anything homeopathic like that and be fine, but just in case I called Poison Control. 

They got a good laugh when I told them, “Well, I guess she won’t be urinating for a good week, huh?” They told me she’d be fine, though.

Side note: I can’t really say if the bedwetting tablets work or not because I wasn’t consistent in giving them to Callie. You’re supposed to give them at every meal and at bedtime, but I could never quite get my crap together enough to do that. It’s easier, quite honestly, to make sure she has on a diaper or Pull-up at bedtime.

Update many years later: honestly, what worked was several visits to the chiropractor and no more bedwetting and also her attitude in general improved. No joke. Not sure why but I'm a believer in chiropractic care now! It also helped Sam when he would cry every car ride ... one gentle adjustment and he was much better.

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Fostering Independence in Kids

I (usually) love when my kids exert some independence and take care of their own needs.  I don't see it as being neglectful ... they are simply learning valuable life skills.  This is a picture of Eva getting her own cereal.  Sometimes they get into things before I realize they've done it, and there's a mess to clean up.  Sometimes I know what their plan is and support them.  Either way, I can almost guarantee that my kids won't be on my health care plan until they are 26 (Lord, I hope not, anyway).  I mean, if my kid can legally get a DUI at the age of 21, can't he/she also pay for his/her own health insurance right out of college SOMEHOW?  I don't expect them to get $100,000/year jobs right out of school, but they have to be able to take care of themselves, even if it means working 2 jobs to pay off school loans and to have health insurance.  Call me crazy, but I don't care ... I've known too many people who have taken care of themselves and I want to put that expectation out there for my own kids and hope it sticks.  I hope it offsets some of the babying I do to them :-)

Easter Pictures 2010

By popular demand, here are some Easter pictures from our day at my mom's.  Don't get too excited now!  Don't you think Sam looks like MiniMe from Austin Powers?  Make up your own caption for this one!