The Sowers 5: Pick your Battles

One thing I have learned over the last few years is to pick your battles. Some battles are worth fighting and some aren't going to matter tomorrow. This is particularly true with children so here is some examples:

1. Teagan takes her shoes off in the car.......EVERYTIME we get in the car the shoes come off. Which I think is crazy because she loves shoes! At first I tried to stop her.....I even bought shoes with laces thinking if I double knot them she couldn't get them off (But nope I was wrong!!). So its a battle I have decided I'm not going to fight any more. Not to mention I can't really say much because I take my shoes off in the car too....but I also know how to put mine back on.

2A. Teagan decided to Pee in my mixing bowl today and then while I was emptying it she pooped on the floor. Now this is a battle I've decided is probably worth fighting....."The potty training battle". (hey you got to give her credit at least she knows you pee in a bowl....she just chose the wrong bowl :)

2B. The toddler "Naked Stage" Teagan has now figured out how to take her diaper or underwear off so she loves to take them off and run naked....now this is a battle not worth fighting. I'm pretty sure every kid goes through it. However when we start pulling out the mixing bowl and peeing in it that's where issues come in.

3. The grocery store battle.....This is a battle that I conquered after a lot of trips to the grocery store. Teagan was having HUGE temper tantrums at the grocery store. She actually would have a fit when I would take stuff out of the cart to pay for it. So I decide I would take her every day until we stopped throwing tantrums this lasted about a week and I won!! Now I really work with her and let her help me put stuff on the counter and praise her when she's good at the store.

It was so embarrassing....my mom calls it pay backs.

4. The battle of Teagan's hair. If you ever see me out or look at pictures of Teagan and think why does her mother let her hair hang in her face this is why, some days its just not a battle I want to fight. It doesn't seem to bother Teagan any that her bangs hang in her eyes, but it does seem to bother her when I try to pull her hair back in to a pony tail or pig tails. She squirms and screams and then while yes the bangs are out of her eyes, it still looks messy. Some days I fight in this battle and some days I don't.

Ok this blog could go on forever with battles with Teagan but those are just a few. Now a 2nd child = new battles. They are 2 totally different kids its amazing!! So here are some examples of the current battles with Harper:

1. SLEEP, As you have seen in my earlier post Harper just does not sleep. I don't know why but she does not sleep for long periods. She sleeps perfect in my arms, but then when do I get to sleep, or get things done if she's sleeping in my arms. So here's the battle do I put her down knowing she's going to wake up or do I let her sleep???

Still working on this one!!!!!

2. CRY IT OUT method. While I do believe this probably isn't the best technique and if you google it you get some pretty strong opinions on how damaging it can be to your child's emotions. But then I remember that in the hospital they told me to never shake her......so sometimes I just have to set her down and let her cry. (No I would NEVER shake her) but Yes sometimes I need a break!! So if you think its wrong that I let her cry.......think of the alternative....(crying isn't so bad after all)

3. SPIT UP. This is a battle I've given up on!!! So when you see me with my soaked spit up shirt on and spit up on my shorts, just laugh with me :) Harper spits up......all the time.....that's just what she does. I put a burp cloth on me and she misses that and still spits up on my shirt, or you think its been an hour since that last bottle she's not going to spit up, Yep that's when she spits up on my shorts or wherever.

Two kids from the same parents=Two different personalities and two different issues. It amazes me how different they are. I love them both so much and can't imagine life without them or their battles.

Here are some new pictures from this past weeks adventures. We enjoyed hanging out with Great Uncle Kevin and Great Aunt Sharon at the campgrounds. The story county fair, and a picnic lunch on Brandon's day off.