Parenting Through the Terrible Twos?
Parenting through the terrible twos? Sharing what works for me in my motherhood journey with a two year old and new changes ahead.
Last week FLO and I went to visit a friend and her newborn. It was such a surreal experience holding that tiny baby. I could hardly remember that FLO was ever that small. It has been two years since FLO changed my life and made me a mom.
And it took me two years to finally adjust to the fact that I’m now a mom. Sometimes I hear myself say “my son…” in conversation, and I always have a moment of reflection that I get to be a mother.
We actually do have a lot to report in this motherhood update. Big changes are coming for FLO and I both. What do you think they are?
Parenting Through The Terrible Twos?
A few months ago we seemed to hit the terrible twos, as I reported in my update a few months ago. But now that F is actually two, I don’t think this age is terrible at all. We of course have our bad days and cranky days, after all he is human. Overall, I have to say that he is learning to listen and compromise. He is growing incredibly independent and tries to mimic everything we do and is starting to show his own personal preferences. Like taking out the shoes and shirt he wants to wear! I think we may have a Fashionista on our hands.
Our Daily Routine
After a few months of chaos and no naps I switched our routine, and for the most part it has really helped. Now, Fernando and I go out in the morning and come home to lunch and then nap. Switching our nap to the afternoon has really helped, and when he wakes up we have a little down time before Papi gets home and we start dinner.
Eating Habits
Speaking of dinner, our appetite is back and F’s favorite thing to eat are pancakes, french toast, oatmeal or eggs for breakfast and then chicken soup, pesto chicken, grilled meats, rice, pizza and mac and cheese of course. What surprises me the most is that F loves my coriander salmon. I try to not make separate dishes for him, and always invite F to try what we are having, but I also learned to not push. If he wants a piece of bread for dinner instead of my homemade lasagna, it’s fine by me.
If he is refusing to eat, I do whip up an egg or an oatmeal because I’d rather have him be full. Checking my own ego at the door and not getting upset when he doesn’t eat something has really helped me.
Socializing
Our big announcement is that F is starting preschool this month! Two half days a week, at a local Montessori school. We haven’t had a regular babysitter for a while now, and with no naps I felt completely spent. F is also super social and loves being around other people, so I think this will help him continue to build his social skills and also help with his talking.
On Balance
I’m sure the first few days of F being in preschool will likely be nerve wracking for both of us, but I’m also looking forward to getting this time to work on my blog and continue this journey I’ve started. It’s been incredibly difficult to find the time. By the end of the day I’m so spent that all I can do is watch a little tv with Mau, and I failed miserably at trying to wake up before everyone to work. So these few hours are going to be glorious, and I’m looking forward to being productive.
I also talked about our weekend schedule before. This has been the best thing we have done for each other, and I so recommend something similar to new parents who are struggling to find a balance between family time and personal time.
On weekend mornings I go off to the gym and Mau takes the baby to the beach or the playground. Then, F and I hang out while Mau goes surfing or to play tennis with a buddy. By the afternoon, we both feel like we got to do something for ourselves, spent time with the baby and we can do a low-key family activity.
Shop my mama look below. My comfy cardigan is 40% off right now!
