- Oh, and please excuse all the dog hair all over his shirt. That's what happens when you roll all over a 100 lb Pooper.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Pooper and Parker
Yes, that says Pooper and Parker. Parker has decided that "Pooper" is a better name for the dog than "Cooper." He goes around all the time saying "Pooper, Pooper." He also tells him to "sit" and "go" most of the time, which I guess are two things that he hears us say a lot to Cooper. Lately, Parker has just become OBSESSED with Pooper and practically won't leave him alone. These pictures are a typical night of him rolling around on the floor and playing with Pooper. I have to say, Cooper is SO great with him, and just lays there and puts up with anything Parker throws his way. I think it is b/c Cooper knows that Parker will sneak him food whenever we are not looking :) We have been trying to teach Parker to be gentle and nice with Cooper, so he does not think he can roll around on every dog this way. So, now his new thing is to go up to Cooper and pet him and say "Nice, Nice." Which actually sounds a little bit more like "nass, nass" when he says it, but you get the point. Anyways...just thought I would share these pics! Check out the curly hair also. This was kind of a humid day, so it was out of control. He does not have a chance of having straight hair with me and Anthony as his parents!
- Oh, and please excuse all the dog hair all over his shirt. That's what happens when you roll all over a 100 lb Pooper.
- Oh, and please excuse all the dog hair all over his shirt. That's what happens when you roll all over a 100 lb Pooper.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Update from the fam
Just a quick update to let you all know what has been going on at the Collins house. Parker is getting adjusted to his new daycare, and so far it has been a MUCH better experience than the last. Morning drop-offs are still pretty hard on him, but he calms down really fast and is happy the rest of the day. They are so much better at communicating there, and it makes all the difference in the world. The past couple days he has started "talking" to his teachers, which makes me feel good. Parker will not have his little version of full blown conversations with just anyone, so that makes me think that he is getting more comfortable with them. I'm sure it will just continue to get better and better!
We are also 90% sure he is getting his 2 year molars, which has really not been fun. He was not a good teether with all of his first teeth, and this has been even worse. He is drooling again like he did when he is a baby. If he would keep a bib on now, I would have one on him 24/7. He is having a hard time eating, and can be very cranky. One minute he will be fine, and the next he is throwing a big fit. He will put his fingers in his mouth sometimes and say "ouch, ouch." Poor little guy! I am just ready for them to pop through!
His newest sentence is "I don't know." He will hold up his hands (like you would if you were acting all innocent), and says "I not know." You can ask him a question like, "Parker- Did you just do that?" Or- "Parker- Did you dump all of these toys out?" And the response is, "I not know." It is actually really cute, and funny how he uses it in the right context.
I can not believe that Parker will be 2 in a little over a month. I am still in denial I think. The past 2 years have just FLOWN by, and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us all! So, I guess that is about it for now. 0h- and Anthony and I are both doing fine. Not that you read this to find out about us or anything:) But, we are doing great as well!
We are also 90% sure he is getting his 2 year molars, which has really not been fun. He was not a good teether with all of his first teeth, and this has been even worse. He is drooling again like he did when he is a baby. If he would keep a bib on now, I would have one on him 24/7. He is having a hard time eating, and can be very cranky. One minute he will be fine, and the next he is throwing a big fit. He will put his fingers in his mouth sometimes and say "ouch, ouch." Poor little guy! I am just ready for them to pop through!
His newest sentence is "I don't know." He will hold up his hands (like you would if you were acting all innocent), and says "I not know." You can ask him a question like, "Parker- Did you just do that?" Or- "Parker- Did you dump all of these toys out?" And the response is, "I not know." It is actually really cute, and funny how he uses it in the right context.
I can not believe that Parker will be 2 in a little over a month. I am still in denial I think. The past 2 years have just FLOWN by, and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us all! So, I guess that is about it for now. 0h- and Anthony and I are both doing fine. Not that you read this to find out about us or anything:) But, we are doing great as well!
The Big 3-0!!
So, Anthony turned the big 3-0 this month! For a little while longer, I get to rub it in that I am 28 and he is 30. He loves when I say that :) For his big day, I had a whole day planned out full of surprises. He got to sleep in that day, which is a treat all in itself. When he woke up, Parker and I had decorated downstairs with a bunch of 30th Birthday decor. He opened up his presents from Parker, and then we headed to The Jump Zone in Franklin. The Jump Zone is this indoor inflatable bounce type place, that has "open play" several days a week. We had never been there with Parker, and I was a little hesitant that he was still going to be a little too young. Well, as you can see from the pictures below...he LOVED it. We all had an absolute blast, and ended up staying for a couple of hours. We will go back for sure, and would recommend it to anyone with kids Parker's age or older. That afternoon, we took Parker out to my parents house so they could watch him for the night. Anthony and I had dinner at The Palm, which was amazing. We met up with some friends after that for a rare night out on the town (We never do that anymore). All in all, it was a wonderful day and Anthony was VERY surprised with everything. I just wanted to share a few pictures from the day with you all!
Getting warmed up!
Daddy had as much fun as Parker did...maybe more!
Getting ready to get dropped down the slide!
The rest of the pictures pretty much speak for themselves!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
I've been tagged also...
So, I guess this "tagging" stuff is something that people do in the blogging world. Parker got tagged by his friend Calvin, so here it goes....
8 Things You Might Not Know About Parker
1. Although Parker still loves The Backyardigans, he does have another new love. Blue's Clues. He is becoming obsessed with this show, and constantly goes to the remote picks it up, and says "Blue Blue Blue!" There is a little song and dance they do in each episdode, and Parker practically does the whole thing. Anthony and I are not big fans of the show (we get pretty bored), but we love to watch him get so excited over it!
2. One of his favorite hobbies is SLEEPING! He sleeps from about 7:30 at night until 7:30 in the morning, and still naps anywhere from 2-3 hours a day! Most of the time this is a great thing, but if we are out and about and Parker gets tired, EVERYONE is going to know it. He gets totally cranky. He now goes to the bottom of our steps and says "night night" everytime he is ready to take a nap or go to bed.
3. He is a VERY stubborn eater. He has to use a fork now with everything he eats, refuses help from us most of the time, and only wants to eat what he wants to eat. It is almost impossible to even get him to try something new. He turns his nose up at it, and pushes it away. Let's just say that the kid eats the same things over and over! The one good thing is that he does love fruit. Veggies are a different story. He could eat fruit and cheese all day long and be happy though!
4. He is a very cautious little boy and loves to observe. He likes to take things in and really concentrate on what he is doing. He can be SO serious at times, and Anthony loves to imitate his "Mr. Serious" face. He can go from being Mr. Serious to Mr. Wild Man in a matter of seconds though. Once he takes it all in and figures out what he is about to do of course :)
5. He LOVES to dance. Anytime music comes on, he will stop what he is doing to show off his moves. Which primarily consist of spinning in circles, swaying back and forth and clapping his hands.
6. Parker has his own language called "Jibber Jabber." He will have complete conversations with you in his own language. He will tell stories over and over using the same "words" and gets frustrated at times if you don't know what he is saying. He throws the "real words" that he knows in the middle of these stories, so we just read between the lines and try and figure out what he is saying or wanting. He is really starting to talk (real talk) a lot more now too! It seems like every day he is saying a new word or two. We think once all of his "jibber jabber" turns into 100% real words, that we aren't going to be able to get him to be quiet!
7. His first sentence was "Elmo, Elmo, I need dat. I need dat." Needless to say, he got the Elmo b/c we thought it was so cute. We hear "I need dat and I want dat and I like dat" quite a bit now!
8. He started his new daycare last week also. He will be going there on Tues. and Wed. and will be with my mom on Thursdays. He did MUCH better than we were expecting, so we are all optimistic that this go around is going to be a much better experience for all of us. He has gotten attached to the blanket we had to send from home. This is funny b/c he never carries a blanket around here. They said that he did not want it to leave his side last week at daycare. I know it must just be a security thing b/c it reminds him of home, and I'm sure he will eventually drop the blanket and feel comfortable. I was just happy to know that he didn't scream all day long!
So, there you have it. 8 things you might not have know about Parker...but, actually most of you probably did. I had trouble coming up with anything that was top secret that no one knew :)
I am going to "tag" anyone else who reads this, has a blog, and wants to play along. (maybe xander and jackson????)
8 Things You Might Not Know About Parker
1. Although Parker still loves The Backyardigans, he does have another new love. Blue's Clues. He is becoming obsessed with this show, and constantly goes to the remote picks it up, and says "Blue Blue Blue!" There is a little song and dance they do in each episdode, and Parker practically does the whole thing. Anthony and I are not big fans of the show (we get pretty bored), but we love to watch him get so excited over it!
2. One of his favorite hobbies is SLEEPING! He sleeps from about 7:30 at night until 7:30 in the morning, and still naps anywhere from 2-3 hours a day! Most of the time this is a great thing, but if we are out and about and Parker gets tired, EVERYONE is going to know it. He gets totally cranky. He now goes to the bottom of our steps and says "night night" everytime he is ready to take a nap or go to bed.
3. He is a VERY stubborn eater. He has to use a fork now with everything he eats, refuses help from us most of the time, and only wants to eat what he wants to eat. It is almost impossible to even get him to try something new. He turns his nose up at it, and pushes it away. Let's just say that the kid eats the same things over and over! The one good thing is that he does love fruit. Veggies are a different story. He could eat fruit and cheese all day long and be happy though!
4. He is a very cautious little boy and loves to observe. He likes to take things in and really concentrate on what he is doing. He can be SO serious at times, and Anthony loves to imitate his "Mr. Serious" face. He can go from being Mr. Serious to Mr. Wild Man in a matter of seconds though. Once he takes it all in and figures out what he is about to do of course :)
5. He LOVES to dance. Anytime music comes on, he will stop what he is doing to show off his moves. Which primarily consist of spinning in circles, swaying back and forth and clapping his hands.
6. Parker has his own language called "Jibber Jabber." He will have complete conversations with you in his own language. He will tell stories over and over using the same "words" and gets frustrated at times if you don't know what he is saying. He throws the "real words" that he knows in the middle of these stories, so we just read between the lines and try and figure out what he is saying or wanting. He is really starting to talk (real talk) a lot more now too! It seems like every day he is saying a new word or two. We think once all of his "jibber jabber" turns into 100% real words, that we aren't going to be able to get him to be quiet!
7. His first sentence was "Elmo, Elmo, I need dat. I need dat." Needless to say, he got the Elmo b/c we thought it was so cute. We hear "I need dat and I want dat and I like dat" quite a bit now!
8. He started his new daycare last week also. He will be going there on Tues. and Wed. and will be with my mom on Thursdays. He did MUCH better than we were expecting, so we are all optimistic that this go around is going to be a much better experience for all of us. He has gotten attached to the blanket we had to send from home. This is funny b/c he never carries a blanket around here. They said that he did not want it to leave his side last week at daycare. I know it must just be a security thing b/c it reminds him of home, and I'm sure he will eventually drop the blanket and feel comfortable. I was just happy to know that he didn't scream all day long!
So, there you have it. 8 things you might not have know about Parker...but, actually most of you probably did. I had trouble coming up with anything that was top secret that no one knew :)
I am going to "tag" anyone else who reads this, has a blog, and wants to play along. (maybe xander and jackson????)
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Christmas Festivities...
Once again, Christmas was a success at the Collins house! Parker had a WONDERFUL 2nd Christmas and was spoiled rotten by all :) We were busy going to all of our different celebrations, but it was so much fun this year doing it all with Parker. We celebrated with my mom's side of the family before Christmas at Mere and Grandaddy's new house. This was the 1st Christmas since they have moved down here, and it was really nice to have them so close and start a new Christmas tradition in their new home! We did our tradition of going to Christmas Eve Service at church, and then came back to our house this year for our yearly crab leg dinner! (yes, we are strange...but we like that about ourselves). We woke up Christmas morning to do Santa with just the 3 of us. Parker got to the top of our steps and looked down and kept saying "Oooooh!" His big item from Santa was his kitchen set, which he LOVED. He immediately started playing with it when he got downstairs, and we had a hard time getting him to stop long enough to open some more presents. He would open a present, go play in the kitchen, open a present, go play in the kitchen, etc. etc. After were were done opening Santa gifts, we headed over to my parent's for Christmas with them. His favorite thing from his Grammy and Paw Paw was his new Backyardigans bike. We took him out to go up and down the sidewalks, and he DID NOT want to come back inside. He pitched one of his major tantrums when we did. We took him out again later, and he did the same thing. Needless to say, he LOVES that bike!
We did not get to celebrate with Anthony's family until after Christmas, since MIL and FIL were in Ohio over Christmas. (that's what I call my mother-in-law and father-in-law in case you were curious...get it, it's the initials?) We hated not being able to see them over Christmas, but still had a great time once they got back! My adorable niece Mayoree was here then also, and it is always so great to see her! We had another big Christmas over there, and Parker's favorite thing was his "race car set." Him and Anthony like to race the cars on our hardwood floors, and Parker just thinks it is so funny. Anthony will send the cars off, and Parker will go run after them and chase them. Sometimes I'm not sure who has more fun with them :) We had Anthony's family over here the following night for dinner, and that was really fun also!
Anthony, Parker and I headed to my parents lake house on New Years Eve to spend a couple of days there. My parents and Mere and Grandaddy were there, so we rang in the New Year with those that managed to stay awake until midnight! It is always so nice and relaxing to go there, and we enjoyed "getting away" for a couple of days! SO, that pretty much sums up the Christmas festivities from 2007! Now it is 2008, and I can't believe it! Enjoy the Christmas pics!
We did not get to celebrate with Anthony's family until after Christmas, since MIL and FIL were in Ohio over Christmas. (that's what I call my mother-in-law and father-in-law in case you were curious...get it, it's the initials?) We hated not being able to see them over Christmas, but still had a great time once they got back! My adorable niece Mayoree was here then also, and it is always so great to see her! We had another big Christmas over there, and Parker's favorite thing was his "race car set." Him and Anthony like to race the cars on our hardwood floors, and Parker just thinks it is so funny. Anthony will send the cars off, and Parker will go run after them and chase them. Sometimes I'm not sure who has more fun with them :) We had Anthony's family over here the following night for dinner, and that was really fun also!
Anthony, Parker and I headed to my parents lake house on New Years Eve to spend a couple of days there. My parents and Mere and Grandaddy were there, so we rang in the New Year with those that managed to stay awake until midnight! It is always so nice and relaxing to go there, and we enjoyed "getting away" for a couple of days! SO, that pretty much sums up the Christmas festivities from 2007! Now it is 2008, and I can't believe it! Enjoy the Christmas pics!
One last important note here before I end this blog. One of my close friends from my college sorority (and beyond) is pregnant, and recently found out she has breast cancer. She has already had surgery to remove the cancer and several lymph nodes. She will be having her baby in 2 weeks (at 36 weeks pregnant) and will start chemo about a week after having him. I was able to see her this weekend and help throw a baby shower for her, which I was so excited about. Her positive attitude and optimism is incredible, and I respect and admire her so much for that. I know she is in my CONSTANT thoughts and prayers, but I just ask for you all to please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers as well. THANKS!!!!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Getting Ready for Santa
It has been a while, so I will try and update as best possible. Things have been really hectic for us since Thanksgiving, as I am sure they have for everyone. We went to Paducah the day before Thanksgiving, and came back to Nashville late Thanksgiving night. We spent the rest of the weekend at home and with our families. The trip to Paducah was our first "roadtrip" since we got the DVD player for the car, and it was a MIRACLE! A huge thank you goes out to the inventor of the portable DVD player, you have saved us a lot of screaming, stress and headaches :) Parker is now an excellent car rider....95% of the time! I never thought I would be one of those moms with the DVD player going in the car all the time, but hey...ya do what ya gotta do when ya gotta do it. Ya know? Here are a couple of pictures from Thanksgiving.
With Daddy at Thanksgiving
With Mommy at ThanksgivingSince then, we have been busy getting ready for Christmas. We decorated the tree, which Parker really enjoyed helping with. He was very excited the first time he saw it, and loved pulling all the ornaments out and taking them to the tree. He wanted all of them to be hung on the bottom in the middle, right at his reach of course! We tried to put the "soft and unbreakable" ornaments on the bottom...just in case. He has actually done really well not messing with them, and prefers to go up and give them all kisses. We also put him in his little Christmas outfit to try and snap the "perfect shot" for the Christmas card this year. Boy it is tough to get a 20 month old to stand still in front of the tree and smile! So, then there was the trip to see Santa. I was really expecting this to be quite traumautic...for both of us. He actually did better than I thought, but it was still pretty funny. I let him walk up to Santa, and Santa asked for a high 5. Parker gave him 5, was smiling at him, laughing, etc. Santa gave him a toy to play with and he loved that too. SO, Santa said it was time to try and put him on his lap. Oh brother, once we did that parker LOST IT! He was not having any part of that. So, santa put him down and said that we would try something else. He pulled a chair up next to him, and had Parker sit on my lap instead of his. I told Santa that I did not want to be in the picture, and his exact words were "Don't worry, that's what technology is for, we'll crop you out!" What a creative and hip Santa he was :) If you look real close, you can spot a portion of me...but, for the most part, you really can not tell. I almost wish they would have just taken the screaming shot though. Every child needs a screaming Santa picture...don't ya think?
Anthony and I were able to go up to Louisville for Deon's annual Christmas party, and we had a really great time. Parker has also had some playtime with a few of his friends lately as well. He got to go see his friend Ethan when he was in town, and they had a great time playing. His friends Lana and Calvin came to see him also. It had been about 6 months since the three of them were together, so it was really cute to see them all interact now! They are at such a fun age!
My mom is still keeping Parker on the days I work, which has been an absolute LIFESAVER. We are on a couple of waiting lists for some daycares, and are also checking into some Mother's Day Out programs. We are going to look into things further after the New Year and make a decision on what to do from here. Parker is loving being with his Grammy K though, and they have gotten in their own little routine. He is very happy with her!
So, now it is a week before Christmas and I am 95% done with my shopping, so I guess I am doing pretty good. I'm pretty sure Santa is going to be REAL good to Parker this year, so I'll have to update you on that after Christmas. For now, here are some pre-christmas pictures! I hope all of you have a WONDERFUL Christmas and New Year's!!!
Checking out the tree
Hanging ornaments
Santa's Little Helper
Smiling by the tree
Being "Mr. Serious" by the tree.jpg)
Picture with Santa...can you find me in the pic??? :)
Ethan kept saying "Just look, don't touch Parker." It was the cutest thing ever! Ethan is so sweet to Parker, and is so nice to share all of his toys..jpg)
Parker, Calvin and Lana. It was nearly impossible to get the 3 of them to sit together to take a picture since they are always on the go in different directions! We had to turn on the famous Backyardigans, which only Parker and Lana cared about. So, Parker and Lana are watching their show, and Calvin is working on his ABC's :) Aren't they cute though?.jpg)
There was no miseltoe around, just some moms who kept saying "give kisses, give kisses." How sweet though!Here are
Monday, November 12, 2007
Feeling the need to vent...
OK, so after I posted that last blog I realized that I could not give the month of October total justice without the daycare story. I know some of you know it, but a lot of you do not. I am feeling the need to write and vent, so here it goes.
It all started like this. About a month ago, Parker bit a little boy in his class. We were very surprised when his teacher told us this b/c he had never bit before. They told us to work with him at home, which we agreed to do since we wanted to do whatever we could to prevent it from happening again. The problem is, since he does not generally bite at home, it is a little hard to work on the problem. We began talking to him about biting, and every day we would drop him off we would tell him to be good and not to bite his friends, etc. About 2 weeks after that incident, Parker got bit on the arm by another little boy. He did not bite the little boy back, so we were happy with that and thought that we were making progress. They did tell us that their policy was that if they broke the skin, they were automatically disenrolled from daycare-PERMANENTLY! The director told me it was a state mandated law, and I believed her. UNTIL- I found out from talking to some friends that it was not a state law, and just their own particular law. I confronted them about and they tried back pedaling their way out of it, and said that they would know before it got to that point with Parker, and it would probably become a recurring problem, and they would work on it and not let it go so far as to break the skin. They also reassured me that they did not feel like Parker was an agressive kid, and for me not to worry too much. I felt better about it, and every day that we would pick him up from school we would ask how he did and if he bit anyone. Every single day they would tell us "No, he did fine."
I started having a few other "issues" with his daycare in the midst of all of this. Once he moved up to his new class (18-24 months), they started sleeping on cots and they would not let him take his pacifier. Parker ONLY takese a paci when he sleeps, and is VERY reliant on it. Anyone that knows Parker, knows that if he does not get his nap- he is NOT a happy boy. They started telling me every day that he screamed and would not go down for a nap, and I kept telling him it was because of the pacifier. They would not budge on their "rule" which meant that every night Parker got home he was REALLY fussy b/c he was so tired. We obviously plan on weaning him from the paci one day, but at the age he is now his pacifier is his comfort, and he does not understand why he can not have it when he sleeps, and why they would not give it to him. I just had a real problem with that, but honestly did not know what I could do about it.
Well, flash forward to October 31st...Halloween. I put Parker in his cute little pumpkin shirt, dropped him of at daycare and waved bye-bye. I was so anxious to get done working, so that I could pick him up and we could get home to get ready for our Halloween party. Unfortunately, I got a call that morning from the director saying that their had been a "little incident." (little incident- her exact words). Come to find out, Parker had bit a little boy just minutes before and had broken his skin. I was in shock at first, and didn't even know what to say. She told me that she had put Parker in a crib so he could not "harm the other children," and that I needed to come get him. For good. I started crying on the phone, and the 1st thing I was concerened about was the other little boy and if he was OK. She said he was fine, and had calmed down by then. I next asked exactly what happened leading up to this event and she said "As far as they knew, they thought Parker just ran across the room and bit the kid on the face for no reason." As far as they knew??? Why did they not know for sure what happened??
To top this all of, as I am on the phone, crying, driving and trying to get to him as fast as possible , she springs something else on me. Here is approximately how the conversation went-
"We have another issue. We put Parker in time out after he bit the little boy, and he showed no remorse whatsover. He was more concerned with getting up to go play than he was for what he did or being in time out. Most kids his age cry in time out and feel sorry for what they did. Parker does not respond to time out, and we believe this might be a developmental problem. You probably need to call his doctor to talk to him about it. We feel like he is right on track developmentally with everything else. He follows directions, plays well with the other kids, has a good vocabulary, etc. But when it comes to time-out and discipline, he is not on track." This upset me even more, and by the time I got there to get him I was a mess. I didn't know what to say or what to ask. They just handed Parker to me, with 2 kroger sacks full of all of his stuff and told me "they were so sorry to do this, but the rules are the rules. Please keep in touch though." So, off Parker and I went...we left the daycare, for good.
OK- now here are my issue with all of this. I do not think that parker biting that little boy was right. I am in no way trying to justify his actions or make him sound like an innocent angel. I know biting can be a serious thing with kids his age, and I never wanted to be the mom that had the "biter." HOWEVER, I also know that biting at his age is an age appropriate thing. Sometimes that is the only way they know how to express themselves. Some kids pull hair, some kids hit, and some kids bite. This was only the 2nd time that Parker had EVER bit, and it also happened to be the time he broke the skin. I have come to find out that every daycare has a policy about biting (which they should), but none I have found so far have one as strict as this. I feel like they basically gave up on Parker and did not want to work with him. If he had been biting frequently, and I felt like they were trying to work with him and work with us on it, and they were just at their witts end with it, I would feel different. But, how is a 19 month old suppose to learn that it is wrong, if you do not take the time or the effort to work with them on it?
Secondly, I was very upset with the accusation that Parker had a developmental problem. I called his doctor once we got home, and talked to them for a long time. They could not believe everything that had gone on at his daycare, and were quite upset with the way they handled things. They reassured me that every child responds to discipline differently, and that it was not uncommon for time out to not work at his age. They also told me that they had never been concerned about Parker at any of his well appointments, and did not think this was a matter of developmental problems, rather a matter of figuring out what kind of discipline Parker responds to best. Not just when he bites, but when he misbehaves in general. This is something that Anthony and I are now making an effort at home to work on. I want to make sure that we are doing EVERYTHING in our power to help him to understand that it is not OK to bite, and for him to learn his boundaries and limitations.
Needless to say, it has been a huge emotional roller coaster. I think we have gone through every emotion in the book over this. I can not stop thinking about the little boy he bit, and how I wish that I knew who it was so I could call the mom and apologize. I hope and pray he is doing OK. I can not stop thinking about some of the things the director said to me on the phone, and how they handled things. I can not stop thinking about how they gave up on Parker and made me feel as if I had this evil child who just runs across the room biting kids for no reason whatsoever. I can not stop thinking about in general. There are still days that I can not believe that it even happened.
Anyone who reads this and has a child that has bitten before probably totally understands where I am coming from. You have a totally different view on biting once your child has bitten. Anyone who is reading this that has a child who does not bite, or has not bitten yet, is probably thinking "If my kid got bit at daycare and the skin was broken, I would want the biter kicked out also." Trust me- I have gotten all kinds of opinions throughout this. I will NEVER judge a mom or a kid because their kid is a biter after this incident, and I have a whole new outlook on it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I am just sharing mine. This is my child. He is not perfect, he bit 2 kids at his daycare, and sometimes he does not take you seriously when you tell him no. He is also a child who is loving, happy, thriving, and loves to give wet sloppy kisses. That's my Parker.
I have to say- we are trying now to look at this as a blessing in disguise. Due to some of the other issues we were having with his daycare, we really do feel that it is best that he is not there anymore. Who knows, maybe Parker was really unhappy there also, and it was his way of "lashing out." We will never know the whole story or have the answers we want. The bottom line is, it happened. We are currently in the process of looking for a new daycare for him. I am taking my time this time and not going to settle until I get him in somewhere that we are all more comfortable with. We have visited several places, and are on some waiting lists, so please keep your fingers crossed that we find something good. (So far every place says that they will let him have his paci when he naps, which I am happy about) Thank the lord that my mom is feeling so much better, and is able to help watch Parker. I do not konw what we would do without her right now. We are also really blessed that Anthony and I have flexible enough jobs that we can be with Parker on days that my mom can not do it. Between me, anthony and my mom, Parker is being well taken care of until we can find a new place for him.
Well, this has been the longest thing that I have written in a LONG time. I have to say, it is quite therapeutic writing about it and getting it off my chest. I hope I have not put anyone to sleep :) So, that is the story of how the month of October ended!!! Let's hope and pray that the rest of the year is a little less eventful. Thanks for listening (or reading) and thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!
Love,
Stacey
It all started like this. About a month ago, Parker bit a little boy in his class. We were very surprised when his teacher told us this b/c he had never bit before. They told us to work with him at home, which we agreed to do since we wanted to do whatever we could to prevent it from happening again. The problem is, since he does not generally bite at home, it is a little hard to work on the problem. We began talking to him about biting, and every day we would drop him off we would tell him to be good and not to bite his friends, etc. About 2 weeks after that incident, Parker got bit on the arm by another little boy. He did not bite the little boy back, so we were happy with that and thought that we were making progress. They did tell us that their policy was that if they broke the skin, they were automatically disenrolled from daycare-PERMANENTLY! The director told me it was a state mandated law, and I believed her. UNTIL- I found out from talking to some friends that it was not a state law, and just their own particular law. I confronted them about and they tried back pedaling their way out of it, and said that they would know before it got to that point with Parker, and it would probably become a recurring problem, and they would work on it and not let it go so far as to break the skin. They also reassured me that they did not feel like Parker was an agressive kid, and for me not to worry too much. I felt better about it, and every day that we would pick him up from school we would ask how he did and if he bit anyone. Every single day they would tell us "No, he did fine."
I started having a few other "issues" with his daycare in the midst of all of this. Once he moved up to his new class (18-24 months), they started sleeping on cots and they would not let him take his pacifier. Parker ONLY takese a paci when he sleeps, and is VERY reliant on it. Anyone that knows Parker, knows that if he does not get his nap- he is NOT a happy boy. They started telling me every day that he screamed and would not go down for a nap, and I kept telling him it was because of the pacifier. They would not budge on their "rule" which meant that every night Parker got home he was REALLY fussy b/c he was so tired. We obviously plan on weaning him from the paci one day, but at the age he is now his pacifier is his comfort, and he does not understand why he can not have it when he sleeps, and why they would not give it to him. I just had a real problem with that, but honestly did not know what I could do about it.
Well, flash forward to October 31st...Halloween. I put Parker in his cute little pumpkin shirt, dropped him of at daycare and waved bye-bye. I was so anxious to get done working, so that I could pick him up and we could get home to get ready for our Halloween party. Unfortunately, I got a call that morning from the director saying that their had been a "little incident." (little incident- her exact words). Come to find out, Parker had bit a little boy just minutes before and had broken his skin. I was in shock at first, and didn't even know what to say. She told me that she had put Parker in a crib so he could not "harm the other children," and that I needed to come get him. For good. I started crying on the phone, and the 1st thing I was concerened about was the other little boy and if he was OK. She said he was fine, and had calmed down by then. I next asked exactly what happened leading up to this event and she said "As far as they knew, they thought Parker just ran across the room and bit the kid on the face for no reason." As far as they knew??? Why did they not know for sure what happened??
To top this all of, as I am on the phone, crying, driving and trying to get to him as fast as possible , she springs something else on me. Here is approximately how the conversation went-
"We have another issue. We put Parker in time out after he bit the little boy, and he showed no remorse whatsover. He was more concerned with getting up to go play than he was for what he did or being in time out. Most kids his age cry in time out and feel sorry for what they did. Parker does not respond to time out, and we believe this might be a developmental problem. You probably need to call his doctor to talk to him about it. We feel like he is right on track developmentally with everything else. He follows directions, plays well with the other kids, has a good vocabulary, etc. But when it comes to time-out and discipline, he is not on track." This upset me even more, and by the time I got there to get him I was a mess. I didn't know what to say or what to ask. They just handed Parker to me, with 2 kroger sacks full of all of his stuff and told me "they were so sorry to do this, but the rules are the rules. Please keep in touch though." So, off Parker and I went...we left the daycare, for good.
OK- now here are my issue with all of this. I do not think that parker biting that little boy was right. I am in no way trying to justify his actions or make him sound like an innocent angel. I know biting can be a serious thing with kids his age, and I never wanted to be the mom that had the "biter." HOWEVER, I also know that biting at his age is an age appropriate thing. Sometimes that is the only way they know how to express themselves. Some kids pull hair, some kids hit, and some kids bite. This was only the 2nd time that Parker had EVER bit, and it also happened to be the time he broke the skin. I have come to find out that every daycare has a policy about biting (which they should), but none I have found so far have one as strict as this. I feel like they basically gave up on Parker and did not want to work with him. If he had been biting frequently, and I felt like they were trying to work with him and work with us on it, and they were just at their witts end with it, I would feel different. But, how is a 19 month old suppose to learn that it is wrong, if you do not take the time or the effort to work with them on it?
Secondly, I was very upset with the accusation that Parker had a developmental problem. I called his doctor once we got home, and talked to them for a long time. They could not believe everything that had gone on at his daycare, and were quite upset with the way they handled things. They reassured me that every child responds to discipline differently, and that it was not uncommon for time out to not work at his age. They also told me that they had never been concerned about Parker at any of his well appointments, and did not think this was a matter of developmental problems, rather a matter of figuring out what kind of discipline Parker responds to best. Not just when he bites, but when he misbehaves in general. This is something that Anthony and I are now making an effort at home to work on. I want to make sure that we are doing EVERYTHING in our power to help him to understand that it is not OK to bite, and for him to learn his boundaries and limitations.
Needless to say, it has been a huge emotional roller coaster. I think we have gone through every emotion in the book over this. I can not stop thinking about the little boy he bit, and how I wish that I knew who it was so I could call the mom and apologize. I hope and pray he is doing OK. I can not stop thinking about some of the things the director said to me on the phone, and how they handled things. I can not stop thinking about how they gave up on Parker and made me feel as if I had this evil child who just runs across the room biting kids for no reason whatsoever. I can not stop thinking about in general. There are still days that I can not believe that it even happened.
Anyone who reads this and has a child that has bitten before probably totally understands where I am coming from. You have a totally different view on biting once your child has bitten. Anyone who is reading this that has a child who does not bite, or has not bitten yet, is probably thinking "If my kid got bit at daycare and the skin was broken, I would want the biter kicked out also." Trust me- I have gotten all kinds of opinions throughout this. I will NEVER judge a mom or a kid because their kid is a biter after this incident, and I have a whole new outlook on it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I am just sharing mine. This is my child. He is not perfect, he bit 2 kids at his daycare, and sometimes he does not take you seriously when you tell him no. He is also a child who is loving, happy, thriving, and loves to give wet sloppy kisses. That's my Parker.
I have to say- we are trying now to look at this as a blessing in disguise. Due to some of the other issues we were having with his daycare, we really do feel that it is best that he is not there anymore. Who knows, maybe Parker was really unhappy there also, and it was his way of "lashing out." We will never know the whole story or have the answers we want. The bottom line is, it happened. We are currently in the process of looking for a new daycare for him. I am taking my time this time and not going to settle until I get him in somewhere that we are all more comfortable with. We have visited several places, and are on some waiting lists, so please keep your fingers crossed that we find something good. (So far every place says that they will let him have his paci when he naps, which I am happy about) Thank the lord that my mom is feeling so much better, and is able to help watch Parker. I do not konw what we would do without her right now. We are also really blessed that Anthony and I have flexible enough jobs that we can be with Parker on days that my mom can not do it. Between me, anthony and my mom, Parker is being well taken care of until we can find a new place for him.
Well, this has been the longest thing that I have written in a LONG time. I have to say, it is quite therapeutic writing about it and getting it off my chest. I hope I have not put anyone to sleep :) So, that is the story of how the month of October ended!!! Let's hope and pray that the rest of the year is a little less eventful. Thanks for listening (or reading) and thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!
Love,
Stacey
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