I have been charged with feeding the family in the rare instances the Mother of the Gremlin relinquishes control enough to allow it. When I do this, I am again astounded at how much she takes on when the Gremlin comes to dinner.
Tonight, for instance, I did a quick search on 'best kid friendly recipes.'
I would just like to say, to every chef who has a book or a website on this subject: I hate you.
The Gremlin does NOT eat
1) Burgers
2) Hot dogs
3) Pizza
4) Mac & cheese
Every single site I found led with the first four recipes as the above, and then the next four as 'reinventions' of those four dishes.
The most regular item the Gremlin will accept on the average day is chicken nuggets, and even then we believe this is only because they are shaped like dinosaurs. For lunch, we have started telling the Gremlin he needs a starch or carb, protein, and fruit. This usually ends with the Gremlin eating bread, cheese or edema-me, and whatever fruit was on sale this week, however we have been surprised once or twice on some good choices he has made.
Tonight, I decided he was going to help me decide what to do for dinner, my criteria being something he would eat that I could easily add additional ingredients to our portions to make it more 'grown-up.'
Tonight we had grilled cheese (his with just monterrey jack and mozzarella, ours with jack, mozzarella, borscant, basil, and tomatoes. The Gremlin must try one bite of everything (not finish, but at least try), so he tried a taste of tomato soup from his mother's bowl before deciding he didn't care for it, and had a bowl of peaches.
The Gremlin, with this new found freedom, has responded very well - he almost ate his entire portion which is rare for him. We believe this is due to him being included in the decision-making process. As for the sandwiches, next time I'd leave out the tomato, and add a sharp cheese and bacon. Mmmmmm, bacon....
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Parties and Creativity
The Gremlin attended a party the other day that was Star Wars themed. It was one of the most creative and best-planned events I've witnessed.
Props were well-created and dispersed. Each child was given a lightsaber in the form of a foam swimming pool noodles
(green, blue, and red) that had been taped on one end with duct tape and electrical tape; they also received Jedi robes that had been fashioned out of a few well-placed cuts in a collection of brown sheets
purchased from the local thrift store; and finally there was a pinata that had been made out of a balloon to be in the shape of the Death Star.
Once through the door, the armed padawans were made to take the Jedi oath - that they promised not to hit anyone who did not want to be hit, and thus started the Jedi training. Between the attempted relay that turned into each child honing their lightsaber skills by bouncing a balloon on their lightsaber, to the competition to see who could balance their lightsaber on their finger (which was sold to the kids as the precursor to both remote training and standing on your head levitating Yoda) there were timed events that not only broke the kids into manageable groups, but also kept everyone moving and involved.
When the cake came out - it was a sheet cake with two Star Wars action figures stuck into the frosting - additional gifts to the birthday boy.
The final key was that the party itself - for four year-old kids - was given a time limit of two hours. This ensured not only that the children were involved, but that they didn't get bored or have time to break down into sugar overloaded terrors before it was time for them to head back out - meaning their parents picked the kids up in good moods too.
Just an idea for those people looking for good ideas or good ways to try to adapt other ideas.
Props were well-created and dispersed. Each child was given a lightsaber in the form of a foam swimming pool noodles
(green, blue, and red) that had been taped on one end with duct tape and electrical tape; they also received Jedi robes that had been fashioned out of a few well-placed cuts in a collection of brown sheets purchased from the local thrift store; and finally there was a pinata that had been made out of a balloon to be in the shape of the Death Star.Once through the door, the armed padawans were made to take the Jedi oath - that they promised not to hit anyone who did not want to be hit, and thus started the Jedi training. Between the attempted relay that turned into each child honing their lightsaber skills by bouncing a balloon on their lightsaber, to the competition to see who could balance their lightsaber on their finger (which was sold to the kids as the precursor to both remote training and standing on your head levitating Yoda) there were timed events that not only broke the kids into manageable groups, but also kept everyone moving and involved.
When the cake came out - it was a sheet cake with two Star Wars action figures stuck into the frosting - additional gifts to the birthday boy.
The final key was that the party itself - for four year-old kids - was given a time limit of two hours. This ensured not only that the children were involved, but that they didn't get bored or have time to break down into sugar overloaded terrors before it was time for them to head back out - meaning their parents picked the kids up in good moods too.
Just an idea for those people looking for good ideas or good ways to try to adapt other ideas.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Half an Hour a Day
I came to an epiphany a few weeks ago. While in church, the pastor turned a common phrase into a true pearl of wisdom when he told us, "the grass is always greenest where you tend it." At the time he was talking about marital fidelity, however I believe this has the potential for much more widespread applications, and one of the areas I was able to successfully apply it was with my son.
In trying to give my son what I did not have growing up, I have anxiety about not being around for my son - when leaving him and my wife to do anything. As a result, I rarely make plans before our son's bedtime and even then only with significant encouragement from my wife. However, being around does not necessarily mean involved.
Thinking the grass is greenest where it is tended, I stopped just trying to be 'around' and focused more on what I was doing. While I previously would be in the house, I would frequently be working, reading a book, playing video games, or watching TV.
Now, I have resolved to do at least one thing a day with my son - giving him my undivided attention for at least half an hour. Today, I played lightsabers with him in our back yard. Then, I read him books before bed. Yesterday was our first camping experience, but even then I still took him to the park.
This has paid off. Where previously I'd sit on the couch and get frustrated, I now take a more active role. I see that my warning signs are well known by both my wife and son, but also where I was getting frustrated previously, I'm now much more connected and able to not only work through my frustrations, but also help fix the issue (though, as I said, I previously was just around, so my very capable wife does not always need/want my help :).
I'm not sure how this is going to be affected with another child, however with the success I have had with my son, I have high hopes to continue this - and thereby remove one child from needing to be monitored by the woman who just gave birth - as well as integrate this in my time with my wife (this usually take the form of games of Monopoly Deal at lunch), and my soon to be born son.
In trying to give my son what I did not have growing up, I have anxiety about not being around for my son - when leaving him and my wife to do anything. As a result, I rarely make plans before our son's bedtime and even then only with significant encouragement from my wife. However, being around does not necessarily mean involved.
Thinking the grass is greenest where it is tended, I stopped just trying to be 'around' and focused more on what I was doing. While I previously would be in the house, I would frequently be working, reading a book, playing video games, or watching TV.
Now, I have resolved to do at least one thing a day with my son - giving him my undivided attention for at least half an hour. Today, I played lightsabers with him in our back yard. Then, I read him books before bed. Yesterday was our first camping experience, but even then I still took him to the park.
This has paid off. Where previously I'd sit on the couch and get frustrated, I now take a more active role. I see that my warning signs are well known by both my wife and son, but also where I was getting frustrated previously, I'm now much more connected and able to not only work through my frustrations, but also help fix the issue (though, as I said, I previously was just around, so my very capable wife does not always need/want my help :).
I'm not sure how this is going to be affected with another child, however with the success I have had with my son, I have high hopes to continue this - and thereby remove one child from needing to be monitored by the woman who just gave birth - as well as integrate this in my time with my wife (this usually take the form of games of Monopoly Deal at lunch), and my soon to be born son.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
One For Another
As we make room for a new member of the family, we run into the issue that the Mother of the Gremlin and I have been concerned about for quite some time:
Stuff.
The Gremlin's stuff is everywhere and it's hard to get rid of. We definitely wouldn't have had enough room for a baby if we had just left the Gremlin's room alone, so we began introducing the concept of decision making into the Gremlin's shopping habits.
We have started requiring the Gremlin to decide when he buys a new toy, on another toy that he will be willing to give up. With an even swap, we introduce the Gremlin to value, and help him consider how much he will enjoy the new toy vs another toy he might or might not play with.
This caused an interesting reaction. From the time we introduced this to him, the Gremlin tested the waters. He would still run up and get things, put them in the cart, and talk about playing with them and buying them, but when we asked him what toy he would want to give up, the Gremlin voluntarily put the 'new' toy back.
Until the Darth Maul lightsaber
. The Gremlin has been enamored with Darth Maul ever since he saw the Star Wars Episode I
, and he has been one of his favorite characters on the Star Wars Lego game
. When the Gremlin found the double-sided lightsaber at the local thrift store, he was immediately sure he wanted it. He told the MOTG that he would decide on the toy when he got home, and it caused great heartbreak, but he was able to do it.
Not only has the amount of toys being requested now decreased, but the Gremlin was able to look critically at what he had and make a decision to give up one of those things. This is still amazing to me as this is the child who wouldn't share toys he didn't own as of three months ago.
Next comes the great room cleanup....
Stuff.
The Gremlin's stuff is everywhere and it's hard to get rid of. We definitely wouldn't have had enough room for a baby if we had just left the Gremlin's room alone, so we began introducing the concept of decision making into the Gremlin's shopping habits.
We have started requiring the Gremlin to decide when he buys a new toy, on another toy that he will be willing to give up. With an even swap, we introduce the Gremlin to value, and help him consider how much he will enjoy the new toy vs another toy he might or might not play with.
This caused an interesting reaction. From the time we introduced this to him, the Gremlin tested the waters. He would still run up and get things, put them in the cart, and talk about playing with them and buying them, but when we asked him what toy he would want to give up, the Gremlin voluntarily put the 'new' toy back.
Until the Darth Maul lightsaber
. The Gremlin has been enamored with Darth Maul ever since he saw the Star Wars Episode I, and he has been one of his favorite characters on the Star Wars Lego game. When the Gremlin found the double-sided lightsaber at the local thrift store, he was immediately sure he wanted it. He told the MOTG that he would decide on the toy when he got home, and it caused great heartbreak, but he was able to do it.Not only has the amount of toys being requested now decreased, but the Gremlin was able to look critically at what he had and make a decision to give up one of those things. This is still amazing to me as this is the child who wouldn't share toys he didn't own as of three months ago.
Next comes the great room cleanup....
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The Special
We have been using a technique for a while that I realized I should post.
For quite a while, whenever our son would fall, it worked to shout "horray!" or cheer for him. However, there were a few times that it didn't - a big bump or bruise would cause the natural reaction of crying.
We dealt with this as best we could, but were entertained by a story told to us by a friend of ours. We chuckled at first - entertained by the thought that something so simple could be so effective.
And then it happened. A tumble while playing lightsabers in the back yard left a wailing four year-old. After ice didn't help, and a Band-Aid
covered it up but didn't make it feel better, bribing left him clutching a popsicle
and wailing.
So we tried The Special.
"Buddy, do you want The Special?" Confused, teary eyes looked back at me.
"The Special?" A pause... and then a nod.
With a flourish, I pulled my hands up out of their sleeves. I began rubbing them together quickly, building friction and warmth between my hands. After 10 to 15 seconds I pulled them apart and put one hand on his cheek and ear, and the other hand on the skinned knee.
There was instant silence.
I don't know if it was the warmth, the process, or the attention, but there was no more crying! To this day we use The Special (and try not to overuse it).
For quite a while, whenever our son would fall, it worked to shout "horray!" or cheer for him. However, there were a few times that it didn't - a big bump or bruise would cause the natural reaction of crying.
We dealt with this as best we could, but were entertained by a story told to us by a friend of ours. We chuckled at first - entertained by the thought that something so simple could be so effective.
And then it happened. A tumble while playing lightsabers
in the back yard left a wailing four year-old. After ice didn't help, and a Band-Aid covered it up but didn't make it feel better, bribing left him clutching a popsicle and wailing.So we tried The Special.
"Buddy, do you want The Special?" Confused, teary eyes looked back at me.
"The Special?" A pause... and then a nod.
With a flourish, I pulled my hands up out of their sleeves. I began rubbing them together quickly, building friction and warmth between my hands. After 10 to 15 seconds I pulled them apart and put one hand on his cheek and ear, and the other hand on the skinned knee.
There was instant silence.
I don't know if it was the warmth, the process, or the attention, but there was no more crying! To this day we use The Special (and try not to overuse it).
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Product Review - Balanc Bike
The Gremlin received a Skuut Balance Bike
from his aunt and uncle for his birthday. We saw these in Chicago and thought they were hysterical, but weren't incredibly sure of the practical uses (other than a bike he can't use after he's 6).
That notion was put to rest almost immediately after we got it. After putting it together, the Gremlin was ecstatic about trying it. The seat is adjustable, and was set too low initially (125th!), so the Gremlin would half-walk, half scoot around for the first few days.
Once the seat was adjusted, he began to play around with it - riding it in the back yard and up and down the hill we live on. Finally, his mother took him to Green Lake to walk around the park, and over the 3 mile track it really took hold - the Gremlin would out-scoot his mother. So much so that she would have to yell at him to slow down.
The Gremlin responded to this by looking at a nearby jogger and saying,
"Jeeze, it's like she thinks I'm going to leave or something. Where would I go? Huh? Into the water?!"
This from the child who can't sit in the stroller without 1) three books 2) a blanket 3) a map of where we are going (frequently, a Thai Siam pamphlet with a map of Ballard on the back) and 4) regular stops. We can finally take him on walks without hearing him complain and constantly want to be picked up - which alone would probably be worth the initially steep price tag even if we didn't know one last note.
A balance bike was purchased for the Arch-Gremlin several years ago, and she is now fully capable of biking up and down the hills of Seattle - at age 4.
from his aunt and uncle for his birthday. We saw these in Chicago and thought they were hysterical, but weren't incredibly sure of the practical uses (other than a bike he can't use after he's 6).That notion was put to rest almost immediately after we got it. After putting it together, the Gremlin was ecstatic about trying it. The seat is adjustable, and was set too low initially (125th!), so the Gremlin would half-walk, half scoot around for the first few days.
Once the seat was adjusted, he began to play around with it - riding it in the back yard and up and down the hill we live on. Finally, his mother took him to Green Lake to walk around the park, and over the 3 mile track it really took hold - the Gremlin would out-scoot his mother. So much so that she would have to yell at him to slow down.
The Gremlin responded to this by looking at a nearby jogger and saying,
"Jeeze, it's like she thinks I'm going to leave or something. Where would I go? Huh? Into the water?!"
This from the child who can't sit in the stroller without 1) three books 2) a blanket 3) a map of where we are going (frequently, a Thai Siam pamphlet with a map of Ballard on the back) and 4) regular stops. We can finally take him on walks without hearing him complain and constantly want to be picked up - which alone would probably be worth the initially steep price tag even if we didn't know one last note.
A balance bike was purchased for the Arch-Gremlin several years ago, and she is now fully capable of biking up and down the hills of Seattle - at age 4.
If At First You Don't Succeed...
So we're having an issue with the Gremlin that keeps coming up.
When he was a newborn, he had colic (medical definition: fussy-maker) and reflux (medical definition: fussier maker), making him the most miserable newborn this side of the Mason-Dixon (that's right, Civil War-era reference). He would not sleep, he would not eat (not without doing his best Linda Blair imitation), and was driving his parents to the ends of their ropes - especially his mother.
We were given books and consolations from well-wishers, but the Gremlin was just that - a Gremlin.
Lately, we've been having issues with both hitting and whining. No matter what happens - even if it's good, the Gremlin will whine about it, and possibly try to hit you.
Through these issues, the Mother of the Gremlin and I developed an approach to dealing with issues with the Gremlin.
1) Identify the cause (or possible causes).
It would have been easy to say "he throws up everything" but then we would have missed that it happened after approximately 6 oz of formula. So we cut down on how much we fed him (but increased the frequency), and it helped with the reflux.
2) Identify the possible fixes
Before we realized it was the amount of formula, we also tried switching from regular baby formula
to lactose free formula
. We switched from Enfamil
to Similac. We tried burping regularly, we tried inactivity before/after. We didn't come immediately to the realization that it was the amount, and we tried various things.
3) Make the fix routine
When we began getting the Gremlin ready for bed half an hour before his bedtime (7 in Chicago, now 8pm in Seattle), he would get upset and angry. As we continued to do it, though, he began actually going to bed. We enforced the schedule, and he stopped screaming for half an hour at a time after we put him down.
4) Try something else
If your routine doesn't help, it's time to try something else. We realized the Gremlin became whiny when we got upset. When we realized we were getting upset because he wasn't following directions, we started looking into why he wasn't following directions. We realized the Gremlin is a kinesthetic learner. I would show him what I wanted done, have him do it under my supervision, and then give it a name that I could ask him to do ("Please go 'clear your dishes!'" would still apply if there were cups
on his space on the floor or at his mini-table
). But through that process we were trying different things - we were taking toys for whining, we were doing the 'Let's do a Calm Down!,' we were telling him we couldn't hear him when he whined, but we kept looking for other things that might help more.
Hopefully this gives help or hope to anyone having a difficult time - but it's a technique we continue to use so hopefully it can be useful to someone else.
When he was a newborn, he had colic (medical definition: fussy-maker) and reflux (medical definition: fussier maker), making him the most miserable newborn this side of the Mason-Dixon (that's right, Civil War-era reference). He would not sleep, he would not eat (not without doing his best Linda Blair imitation), and was driving his parents to the ends of their ropes - especially his mother.
We were given books and consolations from well-wishers, but the Gremlin was just that - a Gremlin.
Lately, we've been having issues with both hitting and whining. No matter what happens - even if it's good, the Gremlin will whine about it, and possibly try to hit you.
Through these issues, the Mother of the Gremlin and I developed an approach to dealing with issues with the Gremlin.
1) Identify the cause (or possible causes).
It would have been easy to say "he throws up everything" but then we would have missed that it happened after approximately 6 oz of formula. So we cut down on how much we fed him (but increased the frequency), and it helped with the reflux.
2) Identify the possible fixes
Before we realized it was the amount of formula, we also tried switching from regular baby formula
to lactose free formula. We switched from Enfamil to Similac. We tried burping regularly, we tried inactivity before/after. We didn't come immediately to the realization that it was the amount, and we tried various things.3) Make the fix routine
When we began getting the Gremlin ready for bed half an hour before his bedtime (7 in Chicago, now 8pm in Seattle), he would get upset and angry. As we continued to do it, though, he began actually going to bed. We enforced the schedule, and he stopped screaming for half an hour at a time after we put him down.
4) Try something else
If your routine doesn't help, it's time to try something else. We realized the Gremlin became whiny when we got upset. When we realized we were getting upset because he wasn't following directions, we started looking into why he wasn't following directions. We realized the Gremlin is a kinesthetic learner. I would show him what I wanted done, have him do it under my supervision, and then give it a name that I could ask him to do ("Please go 'clear your dishes!'" would still apply if there were cups
on his space on the floor or at his mini-table). But through that process we were trying different things - we were taking toys for whining, we were doing the 'Let's do a Calm Down!,' we were telling him we couldn't hear him when he whined, but we kept looking for other things that might help more.Hopefully this gives help or hope to anyone having a difficult time - but it's a technique we continue to use so hopefully it can be useful to someone else.
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