Good morning mamas & happy Monday! Greetings from the USA where we have been here over a week already! We are missing daddy like crazy & counting down the days until he is home! He's got 4 games left & a little under 3 weeks to go!! Whoo!! Today I am sharing the best tips I have from being a mama. 17 tips for Logan turning 17 months this past week. Hope you enjoy & as always, they are a little controversial, but it wouldn't be from me if it wasn't. :)
1. Let it be! This is my first & what I think is the most important. Sometimes Logan is moody, some days he is unhappy, some days he wants to play in the dirt & some days he wants to only eat 3 crackers all day. I think that the best thing I have done as a mama is LET IT BE during these times. This too will pass. There is no need to stress or try & figure out what is wrong...there isn't anything wrong more than likely, he is just a growing boy with lots of changes happening. Just let it be mama.
2. Speak to your child. People often ask me what I do to get Logan to speak so much. Short answer: I speak to him. Sometimes we think that our little humans do not understand our words or language, but they do. If you incorporate it in their daily routine, they will follow lead. When Logan is whining or mumbling for something, I always say "Logan, use your words. Tell mama." Most of the time I will understand what he tells me & if I don't I tell him "show mama what you want." Once he shows me or points to what he is asking I will tell him "this is a race car", "this is a strawberry". Whatever the item is, I will repeat so next time he can ask. Letting Logan speak to me (us), like a regular person has made his vocabulary vast & more clear.
3. Safety first! ----investigate your contraptions! Initially I thought that I had this covered, but I didn't. Please please please...read the manuals on your children's car seats, swings, strollers, airplane harness & toy equipment. Sometimes we assume "oh it's just a strap right?" . You would be surprised at all you are doing wrong that could impact your child's safety. These tiny humans are our world, a simple read could save their lives!
4. You CAN workout with a little one. As a personal trainer, I have to include this one as a must for lots of mamas. Sometimes we think we can't exercise or take care of our bodies with little ones taking up ALL our time & exhausting us! But you CAN & you can at any age that your little one is, it's possible...I promise. Here are some excuses I have had from clients & my replies, hopefully one of them helps you out!
-I can't workout during nap, I need one too! Does your baby have tummy time, play on the playground, play in the backyard? There are things you can do in a quick 15-20 minute span while your child plays without sacrificing your nap time sanity. Squats, lunges, box jumps, jump ropes, squat jumps, push ups, sit ups, leg raises, and many more!!!
-My little one sleeps all day, I can't hold her & work out. What about a stroll through the neighborhood to get some cardio in?
-I am not motivated with at home workouts. Then get out of the house! Go to the park, stroll the neighborhood, the beach, head somewhere with different scenery that's new for both you & your little one. I have about 5 parks in rotation always. I randomly will pick one for an outdoor workout. My son gets new equipment to play with & I get a change of scenery.
-the weight just isn't coming off, is it even worth it? Of course it is. You are worth it. If you want it bad enough, be patient, be consistent, & be bold! Get it done, no excuses, everyday!
5. Spend the 20 minutes. Sometimes I am tired. Sometimes I just don't feel like learning, but I still make sure we do! Spending 15-30 minutes a day with Logan learning has proven to be one of the best things I have done. He is counting & saying his letters. He sings & claps & dances. In the mornings he gets his "fine motor toys" to play with (special box), in the afternoon he plays with whatever. In between nap & dinner I try to do "an activity". Logan knows that's time for learning & runs to the learning table. We do a learning craft & he usually gets to handle a glue stick, crayons, papers & stickers. I try to make this time exciting & really give him praise.
6. Let your partner parent. This has helped our marriage & has saved my sanity many times. Letting Lorenzo parent his way has helped me with my OCD & controlling everything & has given Zo a great role in parenting & spending time with Logan. Daddy might do things different than mama & Logan might have his clothes on backwards, but their bond is something super special to watch & Logan & Zo have a great time together.
7. Keep your little one active. Whether it is time at the park or gymnastics class (starts at 6 months), keeping your child active is so important. If you ask Logan to stretch he will reach high, move in a circle, make his hands like a sun, & then touch his toes. We stretch & move everyday! Their bones are growing & it is so important we keep them moving for their intestinal health, their growing pains, their bone growth & so much more. Is your little one not mobile? Stretch them yourself at night! When Logan was small I would massage him with lavender and rotate his arms & legs for about 5 minutes.
8. Don't forget about your marriage. The last 17 months have been cray cray to say the least. My husband & I have never been so tired! But they have been amazing months transitioning from just us, to parents! But, we never have forgot about each other. We had a sweet babysitter come in starting at 8 weeks. And although we received so much backlash (you can read this in the blog archives), we have never felt so sure of that decision. When we are overseas our sweet Nina watches Logan for us & when we are home we usually have family or close friends watching him. Setting time aside for "us" is important. We must be intentional about our time as husband & wife. We want Logan to see that in us, we want others to see that in us, & WE want that for ourselves.
9. Children are adaptable. We thought that moving around a lot, new languages, new environments, would be tough on Logan...but it has been quite the opposite. Logan has become such a social butterfly, very independent & very friendly to all types of people. Do not worry about your child adapting, they are good at change if you embrace that for them. We encourage Logan when we head someplace new or travel on another airplane. We make change exciting & he gets excited for it also.
10. Media is ok...for us. Some people will not agree, and that's totally ok. But our view is this. Logan gets media time to watch Elmo or another favorite show while I'm making dinner sometimes, while we are traveling in the airport or on a plane, when we are super busy or I must be on the phone or working in my home office. Logan has learned so much from those educational shows & I have also gotten a break every once in a while. We have been home over 1 week & Logan hasn't seen the iPad, not once! He doesn't miss, crave, or expect it. It is a treat for him & that's how we want it to stay. I don't think it's necessary but it is helpful & we will continue to use it when needed.
11. Food. Well, this one is tricky. Logan is at the age where Monday he loves bananas & Tuesday he hates them. It's quite crazy. He has a broad palette but it's so random. Some days he eats like a machine & other days he literally survives off of 3 crackers & apple juice. But, it's ok! Your child isn't going to starve, your child isn't going to get sick, you're not a bad parent. Kids are crazy, at all ages. Logan loved rice cereal & bananas at age 6 months, by 9 months he was eating chicken, pb&j 's , veggies & fruit. By 12 months, he just wanted milk, & now at 17 months he is so random. He will eat when he is hungry, don't worry at any age. They know their bodies better than we do.
12. You are the boss! Logans teacher at school used to tell me "it's so hard telling Logan no because he looks like I am just breaking his soul." She put it so well. Logan makes the saddest little pout when he doesn't get his way & gosh I almost melt & hug that kid (and sometimes I do). But at his age, I have learned that I cannot let somethings go. Biting, hitting, throwing, & screaming cannot be ok. So in those moments--I have to keep a straight face & discipline him appropriately. Logan hates getting a "pop" (a flick) when he is not being nice. I give him a warning first & if he doesn't listen he gets a pop (flick). We currently do not spank & do not believe at this time he understands that, but he doesn't like "pops" and that has worked for our family more than time out (which he thinks is hilarious).
13. Eat. Some days I look at 8pm and realize all I have eaten is Logan's left over goldfish & broccoli. I knew after Logan turned one this was so ridiculous & as a nutrition specialist, this was totally not ok! So smoothies were my answer. If I am overwhelmingly busy or realizing I am not eating correctly for the day I put in some veggies & fruit & blend away! Some days I have a liquid diet & that's ok because it's a nutritious one! Don't just go all day without eating or giving your body nutrients, especially if you are breastfeeding.
14. Ask for help. I often times found myself questioning my parenting, questioning my role, what if this isn't right? What if Logan has something wrong with him? I had so many questions these past 17 months & one thing I can say, I wasn't afraid to ask. I wasn't embarrassed or nervous to ask for help, & you shouldn't be either. Reach out to a mom group, a friend, a parent, someone with experience. Find someone you trust & lean on them for help & advice.
15. Breast milk is the best milk & so is anything else. This is probably going to spark some controversy but...Logan breastfed for 6 months, he didn't baby wean, it was me. I knew from the womb that I was going to do this. I knew that this would be a 1/2 year adventure with my little guy. Although I loved the bonding, it was a decision I made (with my husband agreeing). Logan went from breast milk to formula & then straight foods. Maybe he would be chubbier if I would have continued, maybe he would still be breastfeeding, who knows. But I will say my son is growing (off the charts), he is healthy, he has never been sick, he's such a mamas boy (our bond is insane), & he's super smart. So, I can't say either way, he's my only child. But for my bottle mamas, please don't be discouraged! There aren't many people out there who advocate for bottle feeding...I get it. But it's a choice. So for my bottle mamas, you are doing a fabulous job also, your little one will be okay, you are still just as "mama" as the breastfeeding ones.
16. Stop the hate! So while I'm at the controversy stage, let me say...stop it! It makes me angry to my core for mamas to judge other mamas. Do you know that we are all hormonal, do you know that after childbirth we are fragile, emotional & sensitive? Why shame another mama for doing the best she can just because it's not what you believe in? I have a LARGE reputation for my parenting styles (including breastfeeding, teaching/schooling at a young age, putting my marriage above my parenting, the list goes on.) but my gosh, it works!!! It works for my little family, we are thriving as a unit! Why can you not accept that? Why do your emails need to be hateful? Why do your Instagram posts need to talk about my fitness progress in a terrible way? Whhhyyyy? I am not sure. I don't know if anyone knows. But I do know that kindness spreads like a wildflower! Kindness is good, it's pure, it's encouraging, it's RIGHT. Be right!
17. Soak it all up! I cannot believe how fast 17 months has gone. The overload of photos & adventures I hope will stay with Logan a lifetime. Spend the time, cherish the moments & love on your tribe so hard!
See you soon! The inbox is always open! Xo
-Morgan
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