McKenna Preschooler Summary: 3 years and 4 months

A full summary of life for this 3 year, 4 month old. Find out what daily life was like and find a 3-year-old preschooler schedule to follow.

EATING

This will be of interest to you–eating was not smooth sailing this week. She ate fine so far as willingness to eat and try new foods. But with breakfast, she would eat only what was necessary and then stop so she could play. She insisted she was full. Then an hour later, she was back and she was starving (her words). The first time it happened, I let her eat because that was odd for her. Then I quickly saw this was becoming some grazing thing where she thought the entire span of the morning really could be eat here and there. 

I had to get strict with her. Breakfast is over when it is over.

I do need to make sure there is a snack mid-morning (about 10-10:30). I have come to notice that often times, three year olds cannot make it as long between eating as they did as two year olds. I don’t know if it is due to being more excited about play so they spend less time dedicated to the meal or if there is some major growth spurt action going on. 

PLAYING

Playing is great. The novelty of having both siblings home at all times is definitely gone. She does not mind playing alone in the least anymore. My guess is over time, she will go back to not wanting to play alone when they are home once school starts. I think that is understandable–she misses them and wants to spend time with them when she can.

SWIMMING LESSONS

We have continued with her having lessons without us right there and it has worked really well. She is loving swimming lessons. She is excited to go and loves to jump into the water, which is a great improvement from not wanting her head to go in. 

ROOM SHARING

Room sharing went perfectly for quite some time, and then McKenna decided to test her limits. She will do well for several nights, then she will have a night she gets up and pesters Kaitlyn. On those nights, we currently move her into the baby’s room in a pack and play to sleep. She doesn’t love it, but not enough to stop herself from the thrill she gets in bugging Kaitlyn in the moment. 

That is definitely a difficulty we have with her–she is very much a live in the moment type of person. That surely has its benefits in life. That is what contributes to her pretty much always being at the peak of happiness. The down side is that it also contributes to her not being so concerned with the consequences. 

For McKenna, the room sharing is okay. I don’t mind having to move  her out some nights (I would obviously prefer she just obey, though). She still naps so any lack of sleep that can come from room sharing is easily compensated for during her daytime nap. I will say, however, that she is definitely on the tired side of the scale. I have even moved her nap up to 1:30.

For Kaitlyn, however, there are some issues. Kaitlyn is not getting the sleep she needs. If it weren’t for school, room sharing would be something I would fight through to the end. I will not send her to school in a sleep deficit. We have decided to get bunk beds for Brayden’s room and have Kaitlyn sleep in there with him for now. We don’t have the bunk beds yet (we are actually going to make them), but hope to soon. We won’t be moving her over fully–she will just sleep in there. I know for a fact I can trust those two to go to bed and be responsible.

McKenna will be sad to not have Kaitlyn anymore. I will explain that if she can respect Kaitlyn, Kaitlyn can move back in. Hopefully it will be a consequence that will speak to her. We will revisit it again–probably at Christmas break. Maybe we will try Fall break. For now, with a new baby coming, I need to not have to worry about Kaitlyn’s sleep as she enters Kindergarten.

DISCIPLINE

McKenna has definitely been testing limits all around this month. She is testing every rule. I can fully believe that she is getting too many freedoms right now with me being at the end of my pregnancy.

The other day I was explaining to a friend what she was doing and the friend responded, “So she is being a three year old?” Ah yes. I don’t remember Brayden or Kaitlyn testing with such tenacity–but McKenna  has always contained more than her share of tenacity. 

My husband and I both believe a lot of the discipline issues she is having this month are tied to her lack of sleep this month. This is another reason we want to have Kaitlyn sleep with Brayden for now. Her discipline issues directly correlate with her lack of sleep. 

LOTS OF FUN

Through the difficulty of the month, at least McKenna maintains her total fun. She has a great personality and a great outlook on life. She is optimistic and enjoys each day to the fullest–those are valuable qualities that are hard to teach.

OUR SCHEDULE

7:15-7:30–Wake up and eat breakfast. She then can play with siblings. Right now, I like them to play outsisde after breakfast so they get some outside play in before it gets too hot.
9:00–Get ready and chores
10:00–Learning Poster and read stories
10:30–Independent Play
11:30–Free play with siblings
12:00–Lunch
1:00–Learning activity and free play with sibling if time
1:30–Nap
4:00 or 4:30–Get up–TV Time 
5:30–Dinner
6:00–Family Activities
7:30–Get ready for bed
8:30–Bedtime 

GOOD BOOKS

• On Becoming Preschool Wise
• Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood
• The Five Love Languages of Children
• The Preschoolers Busy Book
• Children’s Learning Activities (website) 

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