Milestones

There are so many milestones in a child's life. If you are anything like me, you write each of them down, and every once in a while you will shed a few tears over the fact that your child is growing too fast. Every parent is guilty of saying, " I can't wait until she gets older so we can ________ ", I find myself doing this all the time and then I stop and think...I need to be cherishing THIS age and THIS moment!

I remember when Little Roo started walking. He hated crawling. It didn't take him long to realize that once he stood up and started walking he would no longer need to crawl. So, that Christmas in 2011, when he was just 9 months old, Roo started walking and I was so sad!! I wanted him to stay a baby and the fact that he was walking, to me, meant that he had entered the world of being a toddler! I felt like my sweet little baby boy didn't need me as much any more. This child was BORN independent. He didn't and STILL doesn't want help with anything. *sigh* I don't want to lie to you and tell you that I don't like his personality though, because I do. I love that he sticks his little tongue out when there is a new task he is learning! I love that he tries to push me away when brushing his teeth and taking a bath...it's like he's saying, "I got this mom." So, I am starting to let him do things on his own and I go back and follow him!

Just a couple of months ago I decided that it was time that Roo start helping in the home. He LOVES to be a helper and why not encourage that?! I made him his own chore chart and he is responsible for those things. Now, he IS still little so it is nothing major but it's enough to give him a sense of accomplishment and to make him so proud that he claps his hands and says, "YAY!" He puts his clothes in his room after taking a bath (most of the time!), helps unload the dish washer, helps with laundry (sorting, putting in, and taking out), starting to help put away his toys (I'm a little OCD about this), helps dust (after I have), takes dishes to kitchen and a couple of personal ones for his hygiene. We are so proud of him and how he has really grasped on to being a helper!

One of the "milestones" that we have JUST started working on is drinking from an open cup. I know several mommy's who are working on this as well. One mother is having a hard time because her little girl doesn't like to get dirty. The method that we are using is putting one or two ounces in the cup at a time. This teaches him that even if he does spill, it won't be a huge mess and he won't get too dirty! I was a teacher before becoming a mommy and this is the method we used to teach the younger students. There is a lot of anxiety that comes with this milestone for the child. They feel like they are going to get in trouble for making a mess or, like my friends daughter, they just don't like to be dirty or feel messy. You could also make it into a little game with them if they DO make a mess. You could give them their own set of wash rags and let them clean up the spill for a sticker or a prize!! I am all about positive reinforcements!

What are some things you are working on with your children? Which milestones broke your heart or made you super proud?! I want to hear all about YOUR parenting adventures!