2. DO NOT Get Child Out of Bed
Along the same line of thought, do not get your child out of bed before the time you want to consistently start your day.

I get it. You are tired.

The day will come that you will just want to get your toddler up and stick her in front of the television so you can try to sleep a little longer. Don't do it! Do not do it unless you want to do it the next day. And the next. And yet the next. And on until you finally decide that needs to go.

I know because I  have been there! Kaitlyn was a newborn. Her late night waking woke Brayden up one night (or morning, depending on who you talk to). He wasn't quite two. I was tired. He was wide awake. I had the "awesome" thought of, "I will just let him get up and watch PBS so I can sleep."

Eh. Wrong.

Not only did he not let me sleep (because what toddler wants to sit alone watching TV in the wee hours of the morning?), but he woke early the next day, too, even without the baby having woken at the same time. If TV was fun yesterday, it will be again today!

Just don't start it.

That doesn't mean you have to ignore your children. Since my mistake with Brayden, I have gone into my children's rooms in those early morning hours and said, "It isn't time to wake up yet. It is still night time." Then I have tucked them back in and left the room. Do they fall back asleep? Sometimes. Other times they just lay there until it IS time to wake up. But they don't start a new tradition of waking early each day. 

3. Slowly Shift to Get to Desired Time
When I have a child waking before the best time of day to wake up, I like to slowly shift toward the preferred time. So if baby is waking at 6 AM and you really want 7 AM instead, spend a week having baby wait to get up and be fed until 6:15. A week later, move that to 6:30. Continue to move slowly until you have it to your desired time.

4. Be Realistic in Expectations for Wakeup Time
You might have dreams of sleeping in until 8 AM each day, but dreams are not always reality.
Brayden is 11, and I can count on one hand the number of times IN HIS LIFE that he has slept until the 8 AM hour. No kidding. I think two were this past summer. So work toward a time your child can reasonably attain.

That time might shift over time. My third and fourth children shifted slowly to waking up later and later. So just because you are looking at 7 AM with a 3 month old doesn't mean it is a life sentence (though it might!).

5. Do Not Assume Later Nights Will Equal Later Mornings
Later nights do not lead a young child to later mornings. It leads them to earlier mornings. Or night wakings. It is an idea that backfires big time. Sleep Begets Sleep. A consistent bedtime is important. See Consistent Bedtime.

6. Be Sure the Environment is Set Up For Sleep
If your child's bedroom is above the garage, your husband leaves for work at 6 AM, and your child wakes at 6 AM each day, then you have a safe bet the garage is waking your child up. Be aware of environmental things that can be waking your child up. Noises? Get a sound machine. Too hot? Think of ways to get the room cooler. Too cold? Put your child in an extra layer of PJs. Be aware of the environmental factors. See my post on Optimal Sleep Temps or Dressing for Sleep for help figuring this out.

Related Posts:

• 5-6 AM "Night" Wakings
•  Sleep Begets Sleep
• Early Morning Feedings Before Waketime

"Oh great!" I thought. "I am going to have to potty train another child!" 

That was one of the first thoughts I had once the excitement of knowing we were expecting number four wore off and the planner in me got going. In the 11+ years that I have been parenting, I have found that there are two things so far that I dread more than anything else. One is potty training. Another is sleep training. Whenever I am pregnant, I a) moan that I have another child to potty train (and I don't know why--it has never been as bad as I seem to think it has been) and b) worry about how sleep training will go. 

Sleep training is not always easy. But oh can I tell you how much it is worth it. I do have tips to make this process easier for you. 

My Sleep Training History

Let's first give a brief overview of my sleep training history. This isn't important to the tips, but it is of interest to some. Feel free to skip this section if it isn't of interest to you.

My oldest (now 11) was born and I wasn't sure if I wanted to sleep train or not. I wasn't sure if I could listen to him cry without doing everything I could to stop him from crying. I did know, however, that I wanted my baby to sleep and have good sleep habits. I had read a lot of books before he was born and I believed in sleep (besides the obvious "I feel better when I get good sleep so a baby will too"). 

He was not born a naturally good sleeper. He was one of those newborns who valiantly fought sleep and would be awake for HOURS at a time. I worked to get him to take naps, but it seemed like I was fighting him all day long. I tried to rock him to sleep but he HATED it. He would scream and cry for a full 30 minutes in my arms before finally falling asleep. This left me exhausted and emotionally drained. I decided I could either have him cry it out (CIO) in my arms or CIO in the crib. I figured in the crib, he would at least be learning to fall asleep independently, so we went with that.

I was completely on my own so far as experience and resources went. I was the first of my friends to have a baby. I was the first in my family to have a baby. I was the second on my husband's side to have a baby. My mom didn't do CIO with us. My sister-in-law didn't do CIO. My mother-in-law did but didn't remember much about it. Believe it or not, the Internet was not a real resource yet. So I had to navigate it on my own. 

We started at 9 weeks. He immediately went to waking just once a night. Sleep training was hard at first, but after a couple of months, he was going to sleep without a peep and we were all much happier.

My second (now 9) came along. She was a much more natural sleeper. She was tricky, though, because she had reflux. I had to be sure she was not in pain before having her CIO before a nap. I didn't want to teach her any habits she would later have to break, so from the beginning I had her sleep on her own. Her first "CIO" session, she didn't cry at all. She had some naps with crying, some without, and by 8 weeks there was not a peep at all before she fell asleep for naps.

With my third (now 7), I decided to try out the Four S's described by Tracy Hogg (see my post Sleep Training: The Four S's for more on this method). She was also a natural sleeper. With my experience and the Four S's, she never cried before a nap until she was about 3 months old, and then it was brief (see In Action: Cry It Out for that story). 

My fourth (now 4) is a similar story to my third except she never went through a CIO phase. She was one of those babies who will at times cry for about 30 seconds after I put her down, but that is her being frustrated that playtime is over. As she got older, I could tell her to not cry and she wouldn't. 

Sleep training works. I am a believer! All four of my children sleep well and have from young ages. So now you have my history, lets move on to the tips.

Tip 1: Choose a Method

I talk a lot about "why vs. how"--essentially, the method you use to accomplish a goal is not important. Accomplishing the goal is important. That is of course with the obligatory caveats that it is legal, ethical, in line with your goals, meets your goals as a whole, etc.

So, you don't have to do cry it out in order to sleep train (are you ready to use cry it out? Then see my post 6 Rules for Using Cry it Out as a Baby Sleep Training Method). You certainly can, but you don't have to (see Sleep Training According to Babywise). So your first step is to identify a sleep training method you can be on board with. Your goal is to have baby fall asleep on her own. Here are some ideas:

• CIO Bootcamp--Revised and Updated
• Should You Do CIO?
• Sleep Training: The Four S's
• Pick up/Put Down by Tracy Hogg
• Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Weissbluth has several CIO methods listed in the book
• Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems
• The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Pantly
• There are many others out there

Once you have decided what method you want to follow, decide what age you want to start sleep training your child. Along with an age you are comfortable with, you want to be sure there is no sickness and that your baby can be home for a while to master this new skill.

What age do I recommend? I really think parents have to go with what they feel is best, but if it tells you anything, I started right from birth with my three youngest. I really didn't want to teach one way, then essentially "pull the rug out" and teach another way. From what I hear, babies older than 6 months old are harder to sleep train--getting harder as they get older from there (this is of course in general). 

Tip 3: Get to Know Your Baby

You can read more in depth about this in my CIO Bootcamp--Revised and Updated post, but you want to understand some key things about your baby. Know your baby's nap cues. You also want to know your baby's Optimal Waketime Lengths. No matter what method you use to sleep train, understanding these two things will help your baby fall asleep the most easily. 

Tip 4: Be Consistent, But Adjust As Needed

Be consistent with your sleep training. Set aside some time to really be home and provide your child with chance to build a stable foundation. Once you have, your child will be able to have flexibility, but your child needs somewhere real to flex from to really be flexible. 

While you are maintaining your consistency, don't be afraid to adjust and tweak methods as needed. If your child needs a different sleep routine, change it up. If your child needs you to go in after 10 minutes of crying, go for it. Adjust your methods as you see they need to be adjusted. Odds are, you will need to adjust things. You will get to know your baby better and be able to create the perfect sleep environment for her.

Tip 5: Know That it is Worth It

Hang in there! Sleep training is a big job. It is an emotional job. It takes a lot of effort and brain power on your part. There will be days you will wonder if it is worth the work. It is! I promise it is. There will come the day you are so glad your baby sleeps so well! Sleep is so important throughout your child's entire life. Read my post How Healthy Sleep Principles Have Benefited My Children from Infancy to Preteen. Read my Word to the Weary post. You can also get great help, advice, and support in the Chronicles of a Babywise Mom Google Group. The group is private (request to join), and it is a safe place. There are nearly 3,000 members, so there are lots of people to help you out! All you need is an email address. 

Hang in there, seek support, and you and your baby will come out the better for it!

That is why Raegan and I wrote the book Babes, Tots, and Kids. As  moms who do preschool at our home, and Raegan homeschools. We wanted a program we could use with all of our young children at the same time. We love it! I have done the activities for all of my children and have really enjoyed it. You will love it!

Parenthood seems to be a never ending wave of transitions. We start with our first baby, where life changes dramatically, and transition through sleep needs changing and frequency of meals changing. At some point, we add a sibling and that changes life up a bit. We worry about how to balance life with more than one child, and it can be hard! Yet somehow, we manage.

Different children respond to this transition in a variety of ways. McKenna cried. Brinley, however, danced for joy. What McKenna saw as a day of loneliness, Brinley saw as a day of Mom time. There would be no one to interrupt her or to take my attention elsewhere. 

No matter how your child takes it, there is a big transition for mom. The youngest child is accustomed to having a friend to play with for most of the day, and without a sibling to be the friend, mom becomes the friend. So how do you work this all out?

1-Have a steady schedule

Make the day very predictable for your little one at home. This leaves less time for her to whine or get bored. She will also feel secure knowing her routine each day and she isn't left wondering what she will do with herself. Some things we have each day are:

• Getting Ready
• Independent Play
• Learning Time
• TV Time
• Meals
• Chores
• Nap/Rest Time
• Outside Play/Walks

Structure is fantastic, but it is fun and interesting to have a day every so often where you mix things up. Have some fun things you go do together to keep life interesting. Some ideas are:

• Go Shopping--you know how moms with babies consider the grocery store and "out"? So do toddlers.
• Go to the Park
• Have a Friend Over
• Go Out for Lunch
• Go to a Fun Place (indoor trampoline place, bounce house, etc.)
• Cook Something Together
• YouPick Farms

It is hard to watch the siblings all go and do fun things. The youngest can really feel left out and left behind. This is a great chance to sign your child up for a dance class, tumbling class, music class, etc. Just something to look forward to and something to help your child feel like she has a life, also. 

4-Do not stop life

Do not spend the days stuck at home, waiting for the older kids to come home before anything fun can happen. Will the older kids feel jealous about the fun things the younger child got to do? Possibly. My children do not feel jealous of the things Brinley does, but I do know moms who won't take younger kids places because the older ones will get upset. 

Here is the thing. That is life. The younger sibling should not have to stop living life while the older child is out living life. School is a fun thing to go to. Always fun? No. Hard sometimes? Yes. But fun. With school comes recess, friends, dress up days, assemblies, and opportunities to participate in fun things that younger children are not allowed to do. 

There are definitely activities we save for the whole family, but we still do some fun things with just the two of us or with other little friends of hers.  

5-Volunteer at the school

If you go in to the school and volunteer, with your youngest child, it will be a big excitement for her! I know not all teachers will be okay with this, and not all children are going to be cooperative here, but if you can, give it a try. You might be able to find things you can help with with a child in tow. That way, the younger child gets to see the siblings every so often and feel a part of their school life. Brinley has come help in class with me (I bring a pile of books for her to look at). She has come help me take photos of events at the school. she has helped me just make copies for people. Keep the time short enough the little one won't get into trouble. I find longer than an hour and Brinley gets into things she shouldn't. 

6-Attend events at the school

At our school, parents and younger siblings are allowed to come eat lunch with the kids at school. This is another fun way to visit older siblings. We can also go to assemblies, small talent shows. etc. Brinley loves to see her siblings at school. 

Conclusion

Remember back when you had just one child? Remember how sweet your time was together? You may have worried over the change that would come to that bond and that sweet time when baby number two was on the way. When you are down to just the youngest at home, this is when you revisit that one-on-one time. It might seem scary for you and your might worry that your child won't know what to do with himself. It is an adjustment for everyone, but it can also be a joy.

Related Posts

• The Ultimate School Supply List {Friday Finds}
• Great Books for Back to School
• Getting Organized for Back to School
• Thriving and Surviving the Morning Rush

• Transitioning Your Focus to Positive Behavior and Natural Consequences
• Transitioning from nap time to rest time
• How we transition a new foster kid into our home
• Transitions: Helping my child move across the country

SLEEPING

Sleeping. Oh Sleeping. Brinley has always been one to try to negotiate and find ways to delay sleep time. She wants one more kiss. One more hug. Socks on. Blankets arranged just so. Wait! She can't find her blanket. When you get to the door, she has 10 questions and 30 bits of information to share. 

This gets exhausting time after time. And she gets grumpy if you do anything out of order or out of her expected desire. You pretty much can't get it right because her only goal is to delay nap. So the moment you cut off the delay nap show, she gets upset. So you spent all of that time and effort trying to get her to just happily go to nap, but in the end you failed anyway because there is no winner in the game. 

So I had a "lay down the law" day this month. I told her I would be doing XYZ before her nap. Once that was done, she was not allowed to get upset about nap time. If she did, I would not read her stories before nap the next day. 

She loves her stories. 

So she was an angel.

Now, if this was her only time of day she got stories, I woldn't be willing to remove them as a consequence. But she gets stories at least 1-2 other times a day. It is a huge currency for her, and it worked.

I am not dellusional enough to think this was my last time ever needing to lay this law down. I am sure I will do it many more times throughout her youth.

EATING

Eating is great.

SWIMMING LESSONS

I decided to lay the law down on swimming lessons. As I have shared, Brinley had a tradition of crying through lessons. She would do what she was told, but she would cry through it, and obviously she was not making very significant progress as she cried through every skill. 

Brinley is very obedient by nature. So I told her she was not allowed to cry during lessons anymore. I told her if she cried, I would walk out of the room during her lessons, but if she didn't cry, I would stay. So she didn't cry. And guess what? She passed off two skills that first week and got close on two others the next. She has made so much more progress since then. She is loving lessons. Instead of getting worried and upset on lesson day, she is super excited.

CHATTY

Brinley never stops talking. Ever. She loves to talk and she prefers to have no competition while she is talking. Never ending stories.

These young ones can make even the extrovert moms crave a quiet, solitary room. 

CRAZY SUMMER

Oh boy. This month we did something interesting. We traveled almost the entire month. We literally rolled in from one state one night and flew out to another the next. It was busy with a lot going on. It is fun, but Brinley definitely likes her structure so I think having school start will be good for her in many ways.

One of our trips was a long road trip. It was about 10 hours in the car each way. The great thing is that Brinley is old enough that neither my husband nor I worried about what to bring for her to do on the drive. The bad thing is that even though she is almost four, she is not old enough to be in a car with nothing to do. She did great even with just her few toys. Hurray! 

DENTIST

We had a dentist visit this month. Things went well and Brinley's teeth look good. As usual, we did the practice the night before where I had her lay on the floor and open her mouth while I brushed her teeth. It just helps her mentally prepare for doing that with the hygienist and dentist. It can be unnerving and leave you feeling vulnerable, so I like to do a practice with the little ones. 

FAVORITES

Brinley loves her Legos and ponies. She also super loves to look at books. 

4th CHILD LIFE (YOUNGEST)

The life of a fourth child is so interesting. She gets spoiled in many ways. Her older siblings are all very sweet people who love to dote on her. They don't find her annoying or pesty (most of the time :) ). They will sacrifice a lot to keep her happy. So in many ways, her life is charmed. Here she is getting carried around the amusement park because she was tired.

In other ways, there are things I don't think about because I have come to realize young children don't care too much. But sometimes I forget just because there is so much other stuff to think about. 

Her birthday this year is a good example. 

We were camping for the weekend prior to her birthday. We drove home from the trip on her actual birthday. On the drive, I realized that she would need a cake. I typically spend some time in the weeks before a birthday thinking about the cake and pinning ideas. I am not a fancy cake maker, but I can make stuff cute enough that my kids are happy (and kids are easy to please). Nope. Not this time. I had no thoughts. Maybe it was the many days of travel preceding her birthday, maybe it was the poor "youngest" child issue. Maybe both.

She cared more than I realized. She started talking about the cake I made last year and how much she liked it. So I asked what she wanted this year and she said a Paw Patrol cake. She had just gotten some Paw Patrol toys that day from my parents. So I baked a cake, put some colored frosting, and added a couple of Paw Patrol toys. She was pleased as could be. Whew!

SCHEDULE
Here is what was pretty consistent for summer:

8:30 or 9:00--wake up/get ready/eat breakfast
9:30--play with siblings
usually independent play for an hour in between now and lunch
12:00 --lunch. Then play.
2:30--Nap
4:30 or 5:00--Wake up. Eat dinner. Then family time.
8:00--Get ready for bedtime
8:30 or 9:00--Bedtime

Related Posts:

• McKenna Summary: 4 Years Old

• Kaitlyn Preschooler Summary: 4 Years Old

• Brinley Preschooler Summary: 47 Months Old

Then I wondered, what should I do about it? 

Did I need to force him to eat the corn even though he hated it? Should I say okay and never put corn before him again? I definitely did not want to raise a picky eater, so I didn't want to make the wrong call here. 

One thing I always do is think of my child's behavior and compare it to myself.

Do I have foods I don't like? Yes, absolutely. Sometimes I choke down foods that aren't my favorite just because I know they are good for me (hello kidney beans). There are other foods, however, that I just don't eat. 

If I, as an adult, am allowed to have foods I don't like and wont eat, shouldn't a child be allowed to have foods he doesn't like and won't eat?

My feeling is yes. Children should be allowed to have foods they do not like. 

This situation is a slippery slope, however. There may be many things your child doesn't prefer to eat and if you never require your child to eat foods, your child all set up to head down picky eater lane. 

So how do we balance respect for our child as a person while still teaching our children to be overall healthy eaters? Here are some tips.

1-Require the Disliked Food to be Tasted Every So Often

Brayden is now 11 years old, and he still does not like corn. I am sure we have all heard tale of taste buds changing every so often (the popular tale is 5-7 years). I don't know if that is true, but I DO know that there were things that I hated as a child that I now love as an adult. 

I require my children try a food they historically haven't liked every so often. Just a bite. You never know if you have changed and now like the food. 

2-Watch For Patterns

Brayden has very, very few things on his list of foods he does not like. He is not overall picky, and corn is the only vegetable that he really just does not want to eat. He has others he doesn't prefer, but  he will choke those down. Because of that, I am fine with letting him have his corn that he just dislikes strongly.

Kaitlyn, on the other hand, can be quite picky. She has many foods she claims to not like, so she has many foods she doesn't like that she is required to eat anyway. She doesn't get to banish every food she claims to not like. 

3-Require a Replacement

When we have corn with dinner, Brayden still eats a vegetable with dinner. He doesn't just say "no" to corn and get to skip the veggie food group that meal. I think that is a key. If you let the vegetable be skipped because a child doesn't like what you are having, you are likely to have a child who "doesn't like' a lot of things. 

4-Talk About How Much You Love the Food

When Brayden was born, I still harbored a total loathing for peas. Major. Peas turned out to be one of Brayden's very favorites, and I could just feel his joy when he got to eat peas. One day, right around the time he turned one, I scooped up a bite of peas without thinking and talked about how delicious they were. And I did love them! From that day on, peas have been one of my favorite vegetables! Watching Brayden gobble them up with delight for many months just convinced my mind that I loved peas, too. 

5-In the End, Let Your Child Dislike the Food

Do the first four listed, but as long as your child isn't liking a food, go ahead and not stress about that. Your child can  have foods he doesn't love to eat. He doesn't have to like everything on earth. 

Related Posts:

• Picky Eaters: Born or Made?

• Picky Eaters are Made

• Creating a "Good Eater"

• Picky Eaters

• Refusal of Favorite Foods

• Overcoming the Picky Eater

• Appetite vs. Hunger

• 10 Mealtime Policies for Children

• Food Portions for Children Baby-8 Years

• Poll Results: Picky Eaters

And I am glad I did. 

Why? 

Because when I made my special trip to town to round off the school shopping Walmart was closed. Closed! Not their fault--power surge. But still closed. In the meantime, my Amazon products arrived on my front porch. 

See, I live far enough outside of "town" that I have to drive to town. Stores aren't a block away. They are 10 miles away. I know--people live further. Guys, I have relatives who until recently had the nearest store 120 miles away. 

But my trip was made special for Walmart, and they were closed, so I am glad I went with Amazon for the bulk of it. So here is what was on our school supply lists from the teachers and what we got. This post contains affiliate links. 

Crayons

I went with Crayola Crayons because I think they are the best. Now, THIS is something I should have bought at our grocery store because they have these boxes on sale right now for .50 cents. 

Markers

Again, Crayola. I went with the super tips so they are easier to use for coloring school projects. 

Colored Pencils

I went Crayola and went for the Crayola Twistables. These are very nice--they are like a cross between a crayon and a pencil. They don't have to be sharpened, which is handy in a classroom for teacher sanity. Kaitlyn absolutely loves working with Twistables. They are one of her favorite mediums, and she is far more artistic than I, so I trust her judgement here.

Glue Sticks

I went with this big pack of Elmer's glue sticks. On Amazon, you can often get a big package for the same price or cheaper than a much smaller package. This pack has 30 sticks, which is enough for each child to take some to school and for us to keep a few at home AND for me to give some to the teachers to have as extras. I like to donate things as much as possible. 

Pencils

My kids' favorite pencil is the Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. It is also the favorite of McKenna's teacher this year. They sharpen nicely, hold up well, and the erasers actually work. I bought this case of them, which is a really good deal. Usually one box will cost $3-$4, and this gets you eight boxes for less than $14. Again, enough for each child, one for home for homework pencils, and to give teachers. 

Pencil Top Erasers

You can get a a pack of 144 pencil top erasers for very cheap off of Amazon. Again, enough for everyone!

Disinfectant Wipes

I like to give one of these disinfectant wipes  to each teacher each year. I am not particular on Clorox versus Lysol. I go with whichever I can get for less, and this year it was Clorox.

Hand Sanitizer

And we have the hand sanitizer. Again, I get enough to share with all of my children's teachers. I want to make sure this is available in each of my children's classrooms all year long. 

Tissues

I like to give each teacher a box of tissues. I just figure if every parent could give one box of tissues, it would go a long way and save the teacher a lot of money. 

Toys for Recess

You might not think of toys when you are thinking about school supplies. Teachers love getting toys for children to play with at recess. Our school is moving to a retrofitted middle school this year, and the playground isn't quite done. So I wanted to be sure to have items to donate for recess since the playground won't be an option for a while. 

McKenna loves these skippers, so we got a pack of 6 swing balls for her class to have. Other fun ideas are dodge balls, soccer balls, hula hoops, jump ropes, basketballs, footballs, etc. Some schools might even allow sidewalk chalk. 

Water Bottles

I love for my kids to have water bottles in class if their teachers allow it because then they have a better chance of staying hydrated at school. This year, we are trying the Contigo Water Bottle. It rates very well, so we are giving it a try. I purchased this three pack so each child can have one (each child in school). I will report on them after we have used them long enough to know how well they work for holding up, washing, etc. 

Scissors

This is an item I intend to purchase at a store in person. I want to get scissors larger than the little kid size (which is 5 inch). The size I like for McKenna, a second grader, is 7 inch from Friskars. This is a great size for second grade through sixth grade. I can get that on Amazon, but the colors vary, and she would rather choose her color. Second grade is the first year we purchase a pair of scissors for the kids to take to school. 

Pencil Box

A pencil box is another item I like to get in person. That way, I can touch it and be sure the quality is good enough for the price. 

Lunchbox

We just get a lunch box in person, too. There are a lot on Amazon. Actually, so many that it is
overwhelming for me to scroll through. Sometimes there are just too many options. I have shared in the past that we typically buy a new lunch box every year. They just tend to get a little gross after a year of constant use. This past year, Brayden's stayed in great shape since he is older AND since he often eats school lunch now. So he will re-use his old lunch box.

Folder
A folder is a very common need in school. We just bought one at the grocery store (since Walmart was closed! And guys, there is no Target in my area. I know, feel sad for me. Silver lining is, imagine the money saved). Folders are always so cheap at back to school time that I would go for the store rather than Amazon.

Notebook
Notebooks are another very cheap item at stores at this time of year. We again bought our notebooks at the grocery store, which I usually do because our grocery store is cheaper than Walmart. I can get them for 5 for $1 at the grocery store. On Amazon, they are over a dollar each.

Related Posts:

• Back to School List {My Favorites}
• Getting Organized for Back to School
• Friday Finds posts

1-They Can Dress Themselves

I talked about how two year olds can undress themselves...three year olds take it up a notch by dressing themselves. This is super awesome, especially if you are pregnant or if you have other children. You can give your three year old some clothes, attend to another child, and viola! Your three year old is dressed! Things might end up backward and shoes might be on the wrong feet, but the independence is coming. You can breath a tiny bit more. 

2-They Say Things Incorrectly

Kaitlyn called Parmesan cheese "farmer on the cheese." Brayden called one piece of cheese "chee". The "Th" sound often comes out "f" instead. These are cute things that you will indeed miss when your child gets older and starts saying things correctly. 

3-They Can Be Helpful With Chores

As a three year old, Brayden could vacuum a room and I didn't have to re-do it. Three year olds can actually start to contribute to chores. Three year olds can clear the table and can pick up after themselves. They can be depended on to put their shoes away every time they come home (so long as you teach that and require it!). This is just another small thing that is happening with three year olds that start to lift some of the dependence off of you and allows some growth in the child. 

4-They Laugh So Easily

These three year olds start to find things amusing, and they easily laugh at things. Their giggles are squeals of delight and the let those giggles loose freely.

5-They Forgive Readily

Even though we are parents, we make mistakes. These little ones forgive our mistakes readily. And they forgive fully. They don't say they forgive but hold that secret grudge. They forgive, move on, and trust you fully. Their forgiving hearts are truly a lesson to us all.

6-They Have Cute Little Hands

This is something you probably appreciate more about the three year old when you have older children as well, but these little three year olds still have the tiny hands that fit fully inside yours. Those hand-holds are precious and will be something you miss in years to come. 

7-They Start to Have Sympathy...Maybe Even Empathy

It used to be that when you were sick, it was kind of a miracle if your child even noticed, much less showed concern. The three year old will start to care about others and have some concern for the feelings and state of other people Don't get me wrong, they still live in a very self-centered sort of state, but you start to see them come out of it during this year. Those are tender moments when you see your three year old gently patting another person who is upset. 

8-They Copy People

Your three year old will strongly copy the people he/she looks up to. You will noticed little ticks and nuances of your spouse, your older child, your mom, and yourself! You will see your three year old doing something over and over, in a very exaggerated way, and try to figure out where on earth she got it from. Imitation is the highest form of flattery! 

9-They Can Start to Do Activities

Three is a common age when children start activities like a dance class without mom or dad there the whole time. Most three year olds are typically okay with Mom leaving them some place for a short time, and they enjoy having a fun activity to do. Now, if you have a three year old, it doesn't mean you NEED to do an activity outside of the home. But it is an age where if you feel like your child would like it, it is pretty easy to do.

10-They Have a Zest For Life

Three year olds just enjoy life. They are happy and optimistic. They have amazing imaginations that can help them to be content anywhere they are. They love life. They are still absorbing so much of the world around them and they find things so very interesting. They aren't moody. They love simple things in life. Playing with toys is one of life's most cherished adventures. They are easy to please and usually pleased. 

What are your favorite things about three year olds?

EATING

Eating is good! 

SLEEPING

Sleeping is very good. Kaitlyn is just a great sleeper. An interesting thing to note is that Kaitlyn had reflux as a baby and still likes to sleep propped up. The positions she likes to sleep in do not look comfortable to me at all, but it is how she likes to sleep. 

EXTRA CURRICULAR

During this period, the big event was soccer. Kaitlyn plays on a competetive team. Her team was moved up an age bracket, which took them from beating every team but one to only beating one team. They were playing girls older than them and much bigger than them. It was a challenge for them. Some parents were very frustrated over the situation and some thought it was good for the girls.

I think these things are always easier to really analyze in hindsight, but as of right now, I think it was good for the girls. They were easily beating every team but one before the switch. Because of that, they weren't having to push themselves at all. Everyone was very comfortable. They responded well to the challenge of playing older teams and played harder. They tried harder. That trying was met with loss after loss, but they worked harder than ever. When they finally got that win at the end of the season, they were more excited for it than all of the wins combined the season before. 

Kaitlyn also did dance class during this time. She enjoyed dance class a lot, but at the end of it, she asked if she could stop dance. I figure she is old enough to know if she wants to do it long-term or not. The only hang-up is she loves theater, and if she wants to pursue that, then she will want to stay up on her dancing skills. We found a solution, though. There is a local theater company that offers theater dance classes by semester, so she could take one each fall when her time is less stretched and then take the late winter/early spring off. 

Kaitlyn also continued with piano and swimming. We keep her taking lessons when we are doing them since we have a private teacher. She continues to sharpen her swim skills. I am not convinced she will never want to pursue swimming, and even if not, it helps her be a stronger and better swimmer. It doesn't cost us any more money and she would be there anyway since we are all there together. I can't swim, and doing a lot of water things just makes me nervous, so it is important to me that my children are all comfortable in the water. 

SCHOOL

School ended really well. Kaitlyn's teacher does prizes at the end of the year for who has the top grade in each subject. Kaitlyn was awarded every prize except one. That was spelling. That surprised me because she missed only one spelling word all year. The girl who won didn't miss any words. 

GUINEA PIGS

Kaitlyn is a big animal lover. She went shopping with my mom one day and called me from the pet store asking if she could get a guinea pig. I figured she was old enough this was inevitable, and my mom offered to buy everything (in an effort to convince me to say yes), so it seemed like as a good of a time as any. I actually think it is great for children to care for animals and I loved having pets as a child. I just want my kids to be old enough to take care of the pet independently, because I don't need another thing to worry about right now!

She has done very well in caring for them. Not perfect. I do have to remind her at times. But overall, I have been impressed with her. 

BOOKS

Kaitlyn has been deep into Babysitter's Club books this summer. She has also enjoyed Animal Ark books. We have been reading Tom Sawyer together, and she really enjoys that. She really has eclectic tastes in books. Kaitlyn really loves to read. One of the first days of summer, I took the kids to the library. As I tucked her into bed that night, Kaitlyn sighed contentedly and said, "Mama, thank you for taking us to the library!"

Little Man Ice Cream
Little Man Ice Cream is quite famous. This ice cream shop has unique flavors and delicious ice cream. It is a popular place, so be prepared for a long line. There are times that it is more crowded than others. There is a park right across the street, so if there is a line, one parent can take the kids to the park while the other orders. Once you have your ice cream, you can go eat it at the park since there isn't much seating at Little Man.

When we got there, the line wasn't HUGE, but it wasn't short, either. We were far enough back that we couldn't see the list of ice cream options at all. So I walked up to the menu and took a picture with my phone so we could look over the options while we waited in line. that way when we got up front, we were ready to order. 

Red Rock Amphitheater

image source

This is another very famous Denver spot. It is a natural amphitheater that is breathtaking.

Or so I hear. When we got there, they were prepping for a concert so the theater was closed. We were able to walk to the entrance and we saw some of the natural beauty, but we missed the actual amphitheater.

So when you go, I highly recommend you find out the concert schedule and visit your trip when you will be able to go in.

Another big reason for avoiding the concert crowd is you will be able to avoid the overwhelming marijuana smell. Ugh.
Downtown Denver
One of our favorite things to do in a place we visit is always to walk around the area. We like to get a feel for what life is like in the area and walking around it helps give a vibe. If you decide to walk around, just be sure you are doing so in safe areas. Not every place in the city is recommended for walking. We went to the State Capitol building where you can stand on the step that is exactly one mile above sea level (mile high city, right?). You can also get tours of the building. A short walk from there is the Denver Art Museum. We also walked to the convention center and saw the big blue bear and walked over to Union Station.

Dinosaur Ridge
Plan your Dinosaur Ridge trip for the same day as the Amphitheater. They are right by each other. Dinosaur Ridge has a free trail you can walk that is full of fossilized dinosaur tracks. It is really neat to see. Normal tennis shoes will suffice. Sunscreen is a good idea with the high altitude. Bring water for everyone.



Denver Art Museum
The first Saturday of every month everyone gets in free to the Denver Art Museum. Kids are always free. This is a fun stop for a couple of hours and makes it a fun thing to do in Denver with your children. They have kids sections of the museum and you can show your children some of the other art. If your children are like mine, they won't last through the entire museum, but they will appreciate it for a short period.


Denver Mint Museum
The Denver Mint is a stop we planned on, but we did not realize that we needed to make reservations ahead of time early enough. We were disappointed to miss it. If you want to take the free tour, be sure to set up a reservation ahead of time. We called about a week before we wanted to go and they were filled up. 

Maria Empenada
My husband served a mission in Argentina, as did my brother-in-law, who lives in Denver. He introduced us to Maria Empenada. When my husband took his first bite, he was in heaven. He said it was very authentic. We loved the food! This restaurant was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, also. This is a great place for some authentic food.

Aurora Reservoir
A reservoir is not terribly unique in the west. We live in Utah and they are everywhere. But, wow. This reservoir in Aurora is unlike any I have ever been to. It was well-developed and is well-maintained. The beach is nice with a lot of covered picnic tables. Our kids love spending time at the beach and playing in the water. It was a nice relaxing way to spend a day on our vacation.



Colorado Railroad Museum
The Colorado Railroad Museum is a place we would have gone if we had one more day in Denver. It is in Golden, which is about 25 minutes west of Denver.