EllaAnne's Profile

These would be more attractive to me if they weren't PVC, but silicone, like the IKEA ones.

Just wanted to add that photo shows EXACTLY why sleep positioners are dangerous. Infant slides down between the two bolsters, their noses get mushed into it, and they suffocate.

first - give up. Everything is gong to get all mixed together, no matter what. Your kid doesn't care nearly as much as you do.

second - we have a box4blox. it isn't nearly as awesome as we thought it would be, mostly because it really doesn't hold that much, requires a lot of time and tedium to "shake them down", and when you lift off a tray, pieces fall out the bottom everywhere anyway. I'm glad I only paid $5 at a yard sale.

third - bins or buckets work best. The big fabric thing works well too for quick clean up. We used all those old swaddling blankets, especially the big ones from Aiden and Anais, or small rugs.

How does the whole "One in - one out" thing work for children old enough to take inventory and remember every little trinket that comes in the door. Because it's like pulling teeth to sneak out a broken crayon in this joint.

I bought a $4 tabletop and adjustable legs at Ikea. ($60 for the legs). My 20 month old and 5-year old both use it just fine at the lowest setting. Works just fine.

we have a similar setup, although there is a rail, but it's speedrail and two cables, so the child can easily hurtle themselves through. With each child, we just remind them every. single. time. that we don't play on the stairs, and they HAVE to wait for us if they want to climb up. With both kids, it took about 4 months of saying, "play on the floor please" 30 times a day to have them finally stay off or wait for us.

Supervision is the key. Yes, it takes more effort than just blocking things off, but it's worth if for us.

Oh, PankySnow, you must be the Montessori Police. Welcome.

And may I quote your response to the post, "Knit Globe", as my response to your comment.

"sheesh! whatever it is, it's cute."

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/toys-infant/knit-globe-by-i-golfini-della-nonna-039857#comments

Also why we WON'T send the boy to Montessori anymore. Heaven forbid anyone think outside the box.

My 16-month-old daughter has had a toothpick activity for several months. I gave her a spice jar with the sprinkle lid (the part with the holes in it) still on, and she puts toothpicks through the holes. I keep it in with the other spices, which are in a low drawer she can get to, and she goes and gets it and asks me to open it all the time so she can play with it. Again, supervised, but still. Once she moves from putting the toothpicks in the jar to putting them in her mouth (or EAR, new fascination) I just take them away, becasue she's clearly done.

I always thought "good sliding", and other such overpraising was a bit silly. Also, I just generally don't feel the need to comment on every stinking thing my kids do all day, good or bad.
And strangely, my son is a born perfectionist, and any praise, no matter how sincere, freaked him until until he was about 4.5.

And I just realized this is for a four-month old, who could easily roll over and grab those drapes.