threelilprincesses.com

Category: Raising Girls

  • Interview with a … school principal

    Interview with a … school principal

    Ella in hospital

    IT FEELS like only yesterday my mind was firmly on whether my body was going to turn inside out. Ah, the joys of childbirth. Now, here I am lamenting my li’l princess heading off to “big girl school’’ (aka pre-kindy) later this year. Where did my baby girl go?

    Don’t worry, this isn’t a lecture on what age your child should be when they start school. My theory is, start them when they’re ready. And Princess Ella is well and truly ready (she’s four in November, just for the record). I’ve even started the ABC Reading Eggs with her, because she WANTS to learn.

    Each time we pass the school with the pretty windows, Ella shouts out “that’s going to be my big girl school, isn’t it mum?’’. Each time, I shed a tear. I’m not upset about her not being at home. Give me Oprah over those annoying Small Potatoes any day. Someone, please, bake those buggers. She’s been in child care two days a week since she was one. So I don’t have that same anxiety other parents face in seeing their child walk out the door. It’s more the fact that we’ve reached yet another mark in her fast-moving life.

     

    There is some anxiety though. You see, we have to be… interviewed. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been on the receiving end of an interview? The Bloke in The Shed, having just been through a pretty rigorous interview to become Editor, doesn’t have the same fears. So I’ll be stapling my lips together to limit the amount of times I can stuff up her chances of a private education for her. That’s if we get an interview.
    And we’re not private school snobs. We both went to public school and turned out half OK. Except for a few emotional scars from stealing everyone’s erasers from their desk tubs in Grade 6. As if no one was going to notice. What was I thinking? We’re also not Catholic, which could be a slight issue considering it’s a Catholic school. The Pope’s Catholic, right? Hmm, may need to hit the books (and by books, I mean the bible).

    We’ve opted private simply because the school has a good reputation and… we can. Although it may mean bread and dripping for dinner for the next 18 years. And really, if I fail the interview because I just can’t keep my mouth shut, it’s not going to be the end of the world. Although, Ella does have her heart set on playing on that red and blue swing set.

    How are you feeling (or did you feel) about your child starting school?

  • FEATURE: We’re making a list and checking it twice

    FEATURE: We’re making a list and checking it twice

    Say “cheese''.

    MY NAME is Kellie and I am a list person. In fact, I write lists for my lists. I know, sad.

    Things have been so incredibly busy around here, with Mum PR picking up at an incredible pace, hubby preparing for his new role as newspaper Editor, Baby Holly becoming mobile and Princess Ella, well, just being her usual busy self. So last week when the housework started to look like it needed a little tender care (actually, probably more brute force), I decided to ring in some help and create a new version of my to do list.

    The help was Princess Ella. And this was the list:

    The list.

    Can you guess what each task is?

    It made house cleaning incredibly fun for Ella, as she got to cross off each job after we completed it. Although, not all duties were performed0 to my usual standard. This was the washing:

    Ella's attempt at hanging the washing.

    It was a good effort. While I’m not into slave labour, I do like to teach Ella new skills, show her that life is about balance (play and work) and give her some responsibility.

    Do your children help with the housework? How do you make it fun?

    By the way, the list (in order) is: wipe condensation off the windows; mop the floors; do the washing; bake biscuits; cook dinner; pay bills; clean bathrooms; clean kitchen; finish the doll’s house; and change the sheets on the bed.

  • SLEEP CHALLENGE: Finally permission to dream

    SLEEP CHALLENGE: Finally permission to dream

    Baby Holly asleep. She's taken to sleeping on her side of late.

    MONTH EIGHT: On Monday night, when my puppy dog PJs and I snuggled into bed at 8.30pm to try and relieve a chesty cough, snotty nose and eight straight months of sleep deprivation, I decided I’d change my attitude to sleep. Forget complaining. I have a bad sleeper. It’s just life. There’s nothing more I can do about it. Hourly feeds, we may as well become friends.

    I’d watched a Twitter chat weeks earlier talking about how some babies won’t sleep a full night no matter what you do. So there. End of Sleep Challenge. We can all pack up and go home now.

    That was, until Monday night when my eight-month-old daughter Holly finally gave me permission to dream. Unfortunately, the head cold had other plans. But that’s beside the point. Holly went down to sleep at 7pm and, apart from a dummy run at 11pm, she slept until 4.45am. OK, so some of you wouldn’t be thrilled about starting your day at such an ungodly hour. But for me, that was bliss.

    So what did I do differently?

    SOLUTION:

    • She now goes off to sleep easier than she ever has. This is a combination of now being in a sleeping bag fully unwrapped, persevering with self settling (it’s hard yakka, but worth it) and mastering the do-your-own-dummy technique (with hundreds of them, scattered throughout the bed).
    • We dabbled with no meat and just veggies and it didn’t make an ounce of difference. So we’re back on slabs of steak again. However, I think it came down to adding more carbs to her dinner that proved the winner (rhyme not intentional). And thanks by the way, Elisha!
    • The real change came when I stopped giving her the 10pm feed. The first night I popped the dummy back in and she grizzled for half an hour before returning to sleep. She woke again and was fed at 1am, 3am and 6am. The second night she woke at 11pm and grizzled for 10 minutes, went quiet for 10 minutes, then screamed for an hour. I gave in and fed her at midnight. She woke and was fed at 3am and 6.30am. The third night (Monday), she grizzled for 10 minutes, then nothing again until 4.45am. I was just thrilled not to be feeding her every hour, let alone getting a sleep through. The fourth night (Tuesday) she woke at 12.45am, grizzled a little, then I didn’t hear from her again until 4.45am. What’s with that time? Now the task is to work on getting her to wake “after’’ the sun has come up. I just don’t know how many more Ab Circle Pro ads I can take.

    ‘Til next month… when I’ll probably have to switch this challenge to help sleep deprived mums learn to self settle again.

    What age did your little one finally give you a full night of sleep?

    Read more from the Sleep Challenge.

  • FEATURE: I don’t want to leave my daughters helpless

    FEATURE: I don’t want to leave my daughters helpless

    I never want to leave this one and her big sister helpless.

    THE other night I had a pain in my chest. It frightened me. So much so, I realised if something happened to me at that moment, three-year-old Ella and her eight-month-old baby sister Holly would be helpless. Ella has no idea what to do in an emergency.

    So, after assuring myself it was a touch of indigestion, I Facebooked. As you do. You can read the full transcript on the TLP Facebook page.

    Sharna: My kids always knew 000 from younger than pre-school just incase. They were also told of the massive consequences if they rang it for no reason. It was rung once or twice and the people on the other end were happy that the kids knew what to do, but asked them not to do it unless it was an emergency. What about a number on speed dial? Like Daddy is 1, other people other numbers. Maybe change the numbers for coloured dots. Does she know dad’s fave colour?

    Sheralee: We have numbers programmed into our phone so all you need to do, for instance, is hold down the number 2 button and it automatically dials Adam. Maybe even put a dot of colour on the numbers on the phone and a pictures of people on the fridge with their colour next to them.

    Barb: Have been a bit slack with Darcy, but when Ellie was about 3 I did some re-enactments where I told her it was a game and that if Mummy fell over or hurt herself and couldn’t talk or move, to go get the phone and call 000. Taught her address and practiced a few times and then did a couple out of the blue to see if she got the gist. First time I feigned collapse she jumped up and down on my guts… not a good result. But next time I tried, she did it perfectly! Worth the peace of mind, for sure.

    Sharon: One funny/serious/odd new thing about teaching kids to call “triple O” is that with text messaging so big these days the young are trying to dial “666” as that is the letter “O” button!!! No joke. Tell kids it’s “triple zero”!

    So the next day I set about teaching Ella to ring her dad and the emergency number. Whoa, was this a challenge. Because I couldn’t figure out how to work the speed dial function, we drew a picture each to help her navigate the address book. I know, I may as well have taught her to knit with one needle. Much easier.

    Two very different versions of what to do in an emergency!

    In the end she mastered ringing Dad twice and if he doesn’t answer (obviously in a meeting… or the toilet), ring 000. Then it was onto answering the questions the operator may ask her. Her name? That was easy. What was wrong? “Mummy’s sick’’. OK, that’ll do. Her address? Well, that was a whole new challenge. For the sake of this post, let’s say our address is 7 Hippopotamus Drv, Devonport.

    Ella: “Hippopatmus Drv, Devonport’’. That’s fantastic, except we’re missing the all-important house number.

    “I don’t know.’’ After explaining that, yes, it’s seven, we tried again.

    “7 Hippopotamus Dve, Hobart’’. What? OK, so we’d just been to Hobart for a holiday. Let’s try again.

    “Devonport’’ OK, what about the rest of the address? Try again.

    “Um, I can’t remember.’’

    Oh dear, we’ve hit a hurdle. I must add that, generally, she gets our address first time. I’m wondering if the whole pressure of HAVING to remember it is doing her head in. We’ll keep working on it. Since this conversation, The Bloke in The Shed has promised to work out speed dial for me. In the meantime, their chances of survival are slim and none – and slim just left town.

    Have you taught your child what to do in an emergency? What are your tips?

    Linking up with Where’s My Glow? for FlogYoBlog Friday.

    FYBF

  • SHED: Fearing my girls are growing all too fast

    SHED: Fearing my girls are growing all too fast

    THERE used to be two things in life I was scared of – spiders and swiveling around on the toilet to discover there was no toilet paper. Now it’s three things. Yes, now I am scared my li’l princesses are growing up way too fast. Not Kel, as she has achieved her vertical capacity in life and is destined only to shrink with age. No, the other two – Princesses Holly and Ella.

    Holly is growing up quickly, despite having a serious allergy (she is allergic to sleep and if Kel doesn’t get a sleep through soon it could well be a life-threatening condition). It only seems like yesterday Holly was born (have I mentioned before she was born the day after a Collingwood premiership? I have? Oh, good). While it has been a hard slog with her aversion to sleep, it’s hard to believe she’s come from being a newborn to now looking at you with an understanding that only a developed littlie can.

    Recently I’ve been trying to teach Holly how to do “kisses”. I can see Holly processing it as she sits there like a fish, mouth open, giving me sloppy “kisses’’ while obviously thinking “for god sake, go and brush your teeth, man’’. In one recent “kisses’’ lesson I was too enthusiastic and we ended up butting heads. It shocked me as she looked at me, paused for a second, then screwed up her face and broke up in uncontrollable tears as if to say “you stupid idiot, that really hurt’’.

    As for Ella, she’s three going on 13. She already rules the house. Yet we forgive her because she has a personality which is entertaining, addictive and downright hilarious. Her inquisitive mind already has me stumped and dammit it is frustrating.

    “But how does it work, Daddy?’’. I don’t know, darlin’.

    “Where does the moon go during the day, Daddy?’’. I think it goes for chicken nuggets at Maccas, darlin’.

    “Why do boys have scoody-doodies Daddy?” Go ask your mother.

    Oh well, Kel and I have accepted this is our lot in life. And truth be told, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

  • FEATURE: I’m grateful for my daughter

    FEATURE: I’m grateful for my daughter

    This week I’m grateful for:

    • For my three-year-old daughter allowing me to see what I’ve become this week under the effects of a cold and sleep deprivation. Jiggling her “baby’’ on her hip this afternoon, she remarked how her bub was very tired. “You woke her up. I’m very annoyed with you. She’s going to be very tired now. OK? You were very naughty.’’ She then produced a rather over-the-top frown, with furrowed brow. Oh dear. I need to relax.
    • Again, for Ella, realising my misery this week, allowed me a 20-minute nap one afternoon. Well, after poking me in the head 15 times and then shouting “Wake up, Jeff’’. But there was 20 minutes uninterrupted sleep, none-the-less.
    • A pain in the chest (most likely indigestion) being the catalyst for me teaching Ella what to do in an emergency. There were some rather humorous moments (of course), but you’ll have to wait ‘til Tuesday for the full story.

    I’m joining with  Maxabella Loves to share what I’m grateful for.