Makes me wonder...

[Bootysaurus]

Aidan still gets the bottle. Only at bed times and with formula. I am in no rush to wean her...perhaps because she's my "baby". I also figure that if people can nurse until 2, she can have the comfort of her bottle until 2. Am I wrong?

I haven't listened to advice about child-rearing in a long time. I was so "by the book" with Dylan and it made me neurotic. I realize that Aidan has done EVERYTHING Dylan had done at around the same age..but we didn't "train" Aidan or push her to do anything (sitting up, standing, walking, etc...) Things have just progressed nicely into the next steps (baby food to table food to full meals) and I just don't see the need to wonder "What should I have her do now?" It's more like, "Oh!! We're doing this now...OK!"...more of a "roll with the flow" type of thing.

I am comfortable with our decisions to just let her "be" and it's turning into a nice case study :hehe: She will be 16 months next weekend and so far, without our prompting, she's right on track...

But it makes me wonder, with these posts of potty training and using potties, etc...should I be doing more?

Some part of me wants to push her to do things, and I have to search myself to make sure I'm just not being lazy about parenting :hehe: But my philosophy is just to let her do her thing...to hell with what doctors say and what my mother says (although she hasn't said anything in a long time)...

Dylan was a PAIN to toilet train. We started at 2 and by 2.5 we were at our wits end because she simply WOULD NOT USE THE POTTY and would SCREAM at the sight of panties...So I said screw this and put her back in diapers and let it alone. Then, a week before she turned 3, she announced she was going to wear "big girl pants" and that was that. No training involved...

I guess I feel like we're behind because my friends at work all have 2 year olds...I forget Aidan is ONLY 16 months and she'll do what she does.

I figure this summer we'll get down and dirty with the potty stuff (haha literally? I hope not!) and let her run around naked and all that (thank god for hardwood floors!) But I just wanted to say that we're doing fine and to anyone out there who feels like they aren't doing "enough" in the parenting department -- the babies actually have their own little time line. I'm just enjoying every milestone as it happens and I rarely think, "Is she where she should be?" I ran myself haggard with Dylan...always making sure she was "on track".

Is this a second baby thing? I am thinking so. But...I figure, why stress about things when it will happen eventually?

:hug:

[Mommax3]

I don't think anyone would think you are a lazy parent. As far as potty training goes in this family, Kylee was hard as hell as well. We aren't trying to push Maddy into it, heck that doesn't even work. You are right when they are ready then you will know. In our case, she shows interest in the potty, so we make it available to her. If she doesn't use it it's no big deal, but it's there and she sits on it when she feels like it. We work things pretty much the same in our house and you do in yours. I will say that she has done thing sooner than the other two, and I think that is from having older siblings.

We didn't have to push with the bottle, we just handed her a cup and she went with it, never acted like she cared about not having a bottle. But that is the one thing that we probably would have pushed on, only because we had problems with Jakes teeth, and I do think it had something to do with having the bottle/paci for so long.

Bottom line is everyones children are different, and some children will give you the clue as to when things need to change. As long as they are healthy and happy that is all that matters.

[Bootysaurus]

Besides the bottles at nap and bedtimes, she has a cup all throughout the day. She loves her water.

I worry about her teeth too...but even though I was by the book with Dylan, that girl has some FUNKY teeth :hehe: Her enamel was missing from molars and they are all crooked....We are seeing the dentist and orthodontist in March.

[Meshell]

If it makes you feel any better, I sometimes wonder if I'm a lazy Mommy as well. I try to help him with milestones, but don't really push it. It's more like "here's a spoon. Do you know how to use it? You do?! Sweet!" or "You don't? Ok, we'll try next week" After trying to get the kid to roll over and for him to just lay there and do it on his own time at 7 1/2 months, I've realized he's going to do it when he's ready and not a minute before. :hehe:

Sadly I compare him to other kids too much. I think part of that is being in playgroup. There are quite a few kids who are turning two soon and I always think "should Will be doing that?" It's natural for us to sort of check up with our kids and want to help them and see them excell. I think you're doing everything right. She's happy, healthy and on schedule. Why push it when she's doing so well with you letting her be independent?

:support:

[Bootysaurus]

Michelle, I think that's what's different this time. I'm NOT comparing Aidan to anyone. Maybe it's just me being more relaxed and knowing what I know about kids now...everyone does things in their own time.

With Dylan I thought the doctors and books knew EVERYTHING...but this time around, I realized, people have been growing since the beginning of time...and those mothers didn't have books or doctors :hehe: and somehow, mankind has carried on.

:hug:

I guess I was just thinking out loud.

[emilade]

I only wanted Alice off the bottle so she'd stop trying to steal Brendon's :p. And we won't be potty training for awhile. The potty incident yesterday was pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime thing in my eyes :lol:. I mean, not really, but you know what I mean. She's not ready for potty training. She just wanted to sit on the toilet and poop happened.

You're laid back, in a good way. I'm working my way there. It's hard sometimes when I have a friend who's daughter is almost two months older than Alice who our family is constantly comparing her to. At this age, 2 months might as well be two years as far as certain milestones go. So I try not to let it get to me. Alice is doing fine. Just because she's not talking yet or using ASL doesn't mean she's not where she should be.

[Jojo]

Do whatever you want! If you want her to have a bottle then give her the bottle. She's your kid. You're aren't doing anything that hurts her or anything so why stop?

On another note I feel lazy too. Like sometimes I'll just lay on the couch and watch Matt play or screw around with the xbox and I'll just say "please stop" but do nothing. :hehe:

[Bootysaurus]

HAHA Jo...I do the same thing. After work, I lay here and just hope to god Aidan doesn't fall and crack her head open.

[AddiesMomma]

You're laid back, in a good way. I'm working my way there. It's hard sometimes when I have a friend who's daughter is almost two months older than Alice who our family is constantly comparing her to. At this age, 2 months might as well be two years as far as certain milestones go. So I try not to let it get to me. Alice is doing fine. Just because she's not talking yet or using ASL doesn't mean she's not where she should be.

Every time I tell Kirk something that Alice has done he says that Addie is behind because she's older and is nowhere near doing what Alice does. (When she said Addie! when looking at her picture.) I'm more laid back and not worried about it. She'll get there when she gets there. I used to worry about the milestones a lot (mainly up until she started walking) and now I just figure she'll do things when she wants. Nothing I did made her do what she's done so far.

It's more annoying than anything that she doesn't talk yet. It's nice that she can communicate well enough to get her point across without words, but at the same time I'm just waiting for her to use words. She comprehends almost everything we tell her. You can ask her where anything is and she knows, but if she's holding it and you ask her what it is she shrugs or just stares at you.

She's finally starting to make animal sounds, so that's a start.

Anyway, enough about Addie and back on subject. I see nothing wrong with letting her do things on her own time. From my experience, you aren't going to get her to do anything she doesn't want to do before she's ready anyway.

Oh and Addie has peed on the potty once and pooped once (because I caught her mid poop and put her on it). She sits on it when I'm in the bathroom, but she's yet to do anything on her own really other than that first time. I'm not really worried about it yet. I'm kinda sorta waiting until she can maybe talk a little bit so it might make things easier. I don't know...I have no clue how to do this stuff.

[emilade]

Julie, that's kind of what I'm waiting for before really attempting potty training; I want there to at least be some verbal communication outside of naming people (momma, daddy, bubba, addie :hehe:). I feel like that could make things easier maybe. I don't know this for sure of course. But that's my hope.

[Bootysaurus]

Aidan can't stand her potty being in the bathroom. Everytime I put it in there, she lugs it back into the living room and then takes it apart :rolleyes: