And so it begins
May. 20th, 2009 08:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theatokosWe have entered new territory in the Land of Parenting. "No" is beginning to interject into conversations. Where redirection once solved the "don't touch" issue, new found speed and mobility and advancing intellect require a firmer hand. I have to start paying a lot more attention. For a while, a simple "no" or "please don't touch that" combined with a redirect would be enough. Now, it is not.
Last night was typical of the last week's bed times. B has been squirmy and playful well past his bedtime and only falls asleep curled up next to me, in the dark, on the boob. I wasn't quite ready for sleep so I sat in bed reading (Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, so good!). Bennett kept crawling to the other side of the bed to play with the lamp. He loves the on/off pull cord. Two things happened. First, he discovered that he could crawl onto the night stand. I looked over and he was on all fours on the night stand. I gave a start, which startled him, and grabbed him off the stand. Back to reading I go. In a flash, he's on the stand again. "No, Bennett," I say, firmly. I plop him next to me and go back to reading. Once more I stop paying attention to Bennett and once again I look up and he's on the night stand. As soon as I say his name, Bennett turns and scrambles off the night stand, with that look that says "I know I'm not supposed and I just got caught!" It was priceless! But it marks the beginning of a boy who know what No means and knows what I'm saying - and is practicing his own will anyway!
I laughed, but learned my lesson.
Or so I thought.
The not paying attention thing is no good.
I turned to put my book away and B had grabbed the on/off cord on the lamp and pulled it over - shattering the lamp on the night stand. Bits of glass made it all the way to the other side of the bed. On the positive side, we needed to change the sheets anyway.
This morning, eating my breakfast, B playing on the floor, he pulled the standing lamp over on me. He knows he's not supposed to touch it and it is unstable. But, ow. Thankfully it didn't break. I may have a big ol' bruise though.
No more can I just let Bennett be and vanish into my head. Vigilance is the word!
Last night was typical of the last week's bed times. B has been squirmy and playful well past his bedtime and only falls asleep curled up next to me, in the dark, on the boob. I wasn't quite ready for sleep so I sat in bed reading (Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, so good!). Bennett kept crawling to the other side of the bed to play with the lamp. He loves the on/off pull cord. Two things happened. First, he discovered that he could crawl onto the night stand. I looked over and he was on all fours on the night stand. I gave a start, which startled him, and grabbed him off the stand. Back to reading I go. In a flash, he's on the stand again. "No, Bennett," I say, firmly. I plop him next to me and go back to reading. Once more I stop paying attention to Bennett and once again I look up and he's on the night stand. As soon as I say his name, Bennett turns and scrambles off the night stand, with that look that says "I know I'm not supposed and I just got caught!" It was priceless! But it marks the beginning of a boy who know what No means and knows what I'm saying - and is practicing his own will anyway!
I laughed, but learned my lesson.
Or so I thought.
The not paying attention thing is no good.
I turned to put my book away and B had grabbed the on/off cord on the lamp and pulled it over - shattering the lamp on the night stand. Bits of glass made it all the way to the other side of the bed. On the positive side, we needed to change the sheets anyway.
This morning, eating my breakfast, B playing on the floor, he pulled the standing lamp over on me. He knows he's not supposed to touch it and it is unstable. But, ow. Thankfully it didn't break. I may have a big ol' bruise though.
No more can I just let Bennett be and vanish into my head. Vigilance is the word!
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no subject
Date: 2009-05-20 04:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-20 04:37 pm (UTC)By the way, LOVED Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Especially the footnotes. I totally see how you were in another world...
no subject
Date: 2009-05-20 04:42 pm (UTC)Luckily, we're still in the 'redirect' stage...
no subject
Date: 2009-05-20 05:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-20 10:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-20 07:17 pm (UTC)