Would love to test out the Arabic version with my kids. Please contact me!

I would like to piggyback off this post and ask when is a good time to start using a star chart? =)

Yeah I really have to work on that brush teeth after meals. I wouldn't be so worried if she ate just a little but sometimes she goes for a couple of days with eating barely one meal and she would get a little thinner I'd know because ppl would tell me, "she looks skinnier" I understand she will eat when she is hungry but I just worry when she doesn't eat for a week.. just doesnt seem healthy you know?

Hi all,

I am having a little trouble with my daughter at mealtime. When I feed her food she just keeps it in her mouth for awhile until its all soggy and I just end up taking it out of her mouth. I mainly have trouble keeping her still when I feed her and also the fact that she won't feed herself. If she does its only one bite and she runs away and maybe 30 min later comes again for another bite. I have a busy schedule and can't wait for her to finish on her own so I feed her. Plus, she's a picky eater and doesn't like to eat vegetables. Can someone help/advise?

I have a problem with my daughter always getting picked on by her cousin who's older than her by 7 months. My daughter is now 21 months and just takes the beating and I keep telling her to say "stop" and to get out of the way when someone hits her but she doesn't do it. She just stays put and let her hit her and cries running to me after. What else can I try doing?

My daughter also has a whining problem but only with me. I can't get her to do anything. It's always her way but it's only me that she doesnt listen to. With her father she is fine and listens.

My daughter can't seem to stay still and the house can't stay clean for more than 3 hrs. I can't clean all the time as I am in school full time. What can I do?

She is a very sweet and affectionate kid. it's just she's a real handful and I want to know how to "tame" her. LOL

@TmS

That sounds logical. Did this work with your kids? Are they confident young leaders? I really would like to know because that's what I want to teach my child to be. Not to be a bully but also not be bullied by someone. She seems to get picked on a lot and she's only 18 months. How do I teach her to stand up for herself? Also, she seems to be uncontrollable when we are in public and at home. She runs everywhere I don't know how to teach her that running around and away from me is not ok.

[sure]

@ waterdreamer:

When you made the kid clean up, did she cry the whole time thru and fight the whole time? If so, what did you do? I'm a new mom so I'm a little insecure when it comes to my baby crying..I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing by making her clean up her mess.

You're going to have to get creative specific to your situation.

So what if you don't have a table. Sit your kid down and instill the discipline during meal times Buy one of those picnic table cloths if you gus eat on the floor, spread it out when you'll eat and dont let her carry the food away.

If you have a highchair for her, do not leave the food in the floor, put it up on her highchair, strap her in it and let that be that. Put only a couple morsels of food on the tray, if she throws them, tell her no and force her to clean it up (as waterdreamer described--hand on hand, clean up.)

Be CONSISTENT. Do it daily, you must show firmness each time she is rebellious, she isn't going to starve or anything. But Mommy is going to have possess a firm back bone and the intestinal fortitude to stand up to her kid. (Grow a spine and get some guts. Stand up to your kid and teach her manners now, from the beginning)

She's sick and already underweight...I think I will wait til after she's better to start the reform. Thanks for the advice. Do you think I'm expecting too much from her? I mean she is already is underweight and a picky eater.

Pamela from TW says children learn best when they are moving so maybe have her chase you while you run backwards flashing cards at her. As for feedings, strap her in her highchair and being firm. If she throws her food on the floor, take her out and have her pick it up. I watch a little girl who was a food thrower. She has dogs at home so this was reinforcing. What I did was stop the meal as soon as the first piece of food was thrown, then take her out and have her clean it up(she was 14months at the time) the first week we did hand over hand clean up(basically me cleaning it up with her hands) she screamed the first two days, then resisted without screaming the rest of the week, then after that she would pick up the food without me helping and put it in my hand. She then had one more chance to finish her food, if more was thrown she would clean it up and the rest of the food would be removed and she had to wait in her highchair till everyone was done eating( this way you are not reinforcing throwing food = get away from the table) then she would have to wait till the next meal to eat (I serve my toddlers food every 2 hours, so she didn't suffer a long wait) if she screamed her head of while the rest of ate we ignored the behavior and praised everyone that was sitting nice for there behavior. If the screaming got unbearable a firm talking to was issued. This system worked so well her mother came during snack time and asked me for my secret and informed it ate home. Now a days my floor is a lot cleaner. 

That sounds great!! There might be a problem in my case since it's just me and her alone and I don't usually eat because I'm feeding her and I don't have a table yet (still trying to afford one). So what should I do now? 

Try investing in other videos, like Monki See Monki Doo, since she likes videos, maybe you could make short videos of you flashing cards (10-30 seconds each) and play that for her a few times.

I recommend setting some ground rules where eating is concerned. You eat in the dining room/table area. Every day, every time. When she is running around refusing to eat, leave her food in the proper room, call her to eat but do NOT take the food to her.

She will not starve to death, I swear. It might take a few days, but you should teach her to only eat in a couple of acceptable places and that is that.

I'm sure you know by now that sleep wars occur in almost every house that has a baby. You could try getting a musical track of soothing sounds,  5-10 minutes long and playing it for her, when the music stops, mommy leaves. Period. Shes old enough now that you should know she's not at high-risk for Sids or anything like that.

You could try putting a little distance between she and you every few days/each week.
Cuddle in bed with her
Lay in bed with her
Recline on the edge of the bed
Sit in a chair, next to her bed, stroking her back
Sit in a chair humming/singing along
Sit in a chair next to her
Begin moving the chair a little from the bed until your only in the room. When you are about 1/2 way between her bed and door, be in the room, moving around (tidying up, dancing very softly or whatever, just be moving around quietly while the music plays)

Then, get used to putting her to bed and staying for a few minutes and then leaving while the music still plays. Hopefully she'll be sleeping without you in a month or so.

You could also try getting a special stuffed animal and teach just that stuffed animal the flash cards words and do it with enthusiasm and joy each time and congratulate the toy as if its done a stupendous job each time. She may wonder over and decide to watch.

You may need to do one or two words a day for a while. Let her watch educational shows like Between the Lions, Leap Frog and other phonic/ready to read type DVD's. Put labels on everything in her room and around the house so that she can see the words naturally.

Maybe instead of flashing words, you could present her with a few labeled items each day.

This is hammer

Thanks for the very helpful advice. If I leave the food where she can reach it (which is on the floor, if I put it in her highchair she can't reach it)  she will dump it on the floor and rub it into the ground and run off. At most she takes a few bites. What should I do?

My LO is a busy body and doesn't sit still for very long. She loves watching YBCR but can't seem to sit thru flashcards or any session with me. She use to sit thru me reading a whole book with her but now she doesn't even sit thru that and turns the pages before I can read it and get angry if I turn it back. I don't want to force her into the sessions but it seems she doesn't really like it which makes me not really want to do it. Then I feel horrible for not teaching her anything at this susceptible age. She seems kind of all over the place now...won't eat sitting still either. I'd have to follow her around and feed her. I have to sleep next to her until she's fast asleep. How can I break these cycles of bad habits? I really do love her I just don't want to give her bad habits. I love snuggling up with her at night but it's starting to get out of hand. I don't want to expect too much from her because she's only 18 months or should I be concerned? Any advice?  Thanks in advance. 

@ Mum2Bee:  The babysitters are my in laws .. I never did anything or said anything to my inlaws about it just bottled up inside

HOw do i deal with my family in law who lies to me about how much they feed her? As a mother, I am always concerned about my daughter being well fed. When they babysit, they always tell me they feed her A LOT of food but I can tell she hasnt aten much b/c she's my daughter and I know when her stomach is concaved in that means it's empty. Then they tell me to bring her to the dr. b/c she's always tired. I'm thinking that she always tired b/c you don't really take the time to feed her. You just pon her off to your daughters who don't have the patience to feed a child that can't sit still when eating. I just feel like my in laws have too much of a bad effect on my child. Like when I want to raise her to have structure and stability (always eat by herself in her babychair or sleep by herself without people rocking her to sleep or holding her) it always crumbles and fails because they don't listen.  Is it still possible for me to keep to my standards for my daughter? I mean Im not really strict but when it comes to my kid I want her to learn structure when it comes to mealtime and sleeptime. I figure teach her structure form the beginning, rather than forming it when she's older, is a lot easier.

[not]

Hi all,

I am very concerned about my daughter. I don't know what's been going on with her for the past few weeks. She needs someone always holding her and she's very whiny. She's been very clingy to my husband and doesn't want me comforting her or even touch her. She also loss some weight. She's about 17 months and she did not use to be this way. She use to be happy and pretty independent for someone her age. It was teething but I think the pain stopped. I'm worried because I started going back to school and she's being babysat. I don't know if Im just paranoid but I hope they aren't physically or mentally abusing her (I let my mother in law babysit her but I don't think she watches her at all and just lets her daughters watch her.They are young and inexperience. What makes me mad is that she always wants to watch her but she is not even doing it and always bragging about her kids watching them like they are the best daughters in the world. She actually made a comment to me that her daughter is the best mother in the world even though her daughter doesn't even have a kid yet! How do I deal with that side issue??).  I just feel like I need a way to get her back to happy and independent like she use to be. Any ideas or thoughts? Please share!

Simple everyday commands would be nice. For example: sit, eat, drink, answer, please, thank you, arms up, arms down, diaper/change.

also body parts and food