Picky Eater

Lately RC has turned into a picky eater. Well it's really more so he just doesn't want what we offer him even though it's one of his favorites. It seems lately we will give him his food and he will just look at it and start crying. Generally ends up with him throwing his food as well. We have even tried offering up for him to pick and he still won't eat it.

Suggestions what to do? Should we just keep giving him food and if he doesn't eat it tough, he just has to wait until next meal or snack time? He still is pretty skinny for his age and low on the weight scale so he really can't afford not to eat.

Hitting, bitting, scratching, pinching....

are just the few things RC keeps doing in the nursery at church. When I got called back today for what I thought was a diaper change was really because he had done something to 3 kids. Church service had only begun 20 minutes or so prior. We had a long time to get through today with it being a bit longer service today.

I was asked if I was hanging around so one of the girls could talk to me today. She wanted to talk about RC and what we do to discipline him, etc. since he keeps hurting other kids.

I just don't know what to do. The advice I have been given so far has been that we need to smack his hands when we to him "no hit." Our thoughts are we are sending mixed signals about no hitting when we are hitting him! 

Another piece of advice was having something designated for only spanking. This reminds me of a cousin that was disciplined with a wooden cooking spoon. I remember a day that my Aunt got out a wooden spoon to cook with and my cousin starting crying because he thought he was in trouble. Needless to say, I don't believe in that either.

RC gets told no, he is starting to get timeouts, but lets be honest in the nursery at church, a timeout is almost impossible right now. There is really no place to set a designated spot. At least not that I can think of and not without removing him from the room which will make him think he gets to leave (which is usually what he wants!).

We really can't figure out why he is acting out. He typically doesn't do this outside church when we are with his other friends. Sure he will hit occasionally when a toy is taken from him. He is learning how to appropriately respond in those situations without hitting. He has hit without a reason outside church, but not consistently and maybe only a couple of times.

At church, he does something at least once EVERY single service...so every Sunday and Wednesday! I just don't know what to do. If we are gotten out of service to discipline him, that really does no good since the whole incident is over and going in almost 5 minutes later is pointless. He has forgotten what he did and wouldn't understand mommy or daddy come in to discipline him. Especially if that disciplining is hitting him on the hands to tell him no hit. He would just think mommy and daddy are coming to hit him!

I feel he may just be too active for the age of the room. The nursery is 6 months - 2 years. At two they move to the 2 - 4 year old room. RC is just go go go, but at the same time, isn't there developmentally to sit still and listen to a short Bible lesson that the 2 - 4 year olds get. Plus he still sticks most things in hist mouth!

What would you do? How do you discipline or did discipline when your child was around 18 months? What would you suggest?

I am about to just keep RC with me during service (which would be a pain since he likes to go go go) but I feel that would be giving into him if he just doesn't want to be in the nursery. I just don't want RC to be that kid parents don't want their kid around. One parent already asked the staff to keep RC away from their kid because RC has pinched and bitten him.

Why do I...

always get the bright idea to do a HUGE project, get started and then the momentum just totally slow down or even stop? This happened months ago and is starting again! This time though I have to push though and finish.

Months ago I decided to rearrange our guest room to make it a better office for me. The problem...I got the big furniture moved, but didn't get organized. This became a gigantic mess. My problem now is that we decided to be a welcome family for an exchange student this upcoming year. You are probably thinking...she has several months why worry now? Well, I have to submit pictures of various areas of the apartment, including a picture of the students room. Getting the idea yet?

Yesterday I started tackling the mess. Only as I started I was beginning to find I had no where to go with most everything that is in that guest room! I brought up the idea to my hubby that we should change around closets in our bedroom. We have 4 closets in our bedroom (yeah I know ridiculous right?). Of these 4, one is a walk-in that would make a perfect office! Well that is Travis' closet and he won't give it up. Which, by the way, he only utilizes about a 1/3 of the space with his clothes. It's a totally waste of perfect space. We got to talking and he finally decided our problem is that we just need to get rid of stuff!

Well this came down to mostly wanting to get rid of MY STUFF! Not quite fair, but I do have lots of stuff. The front entry closet was the first to be tackled. Between us we went from a huge mess to having it super organized. I just wish I had taken before and after pictures for our huge disorganized chaos!

Larger furniture was also on the chopping block. My side tables for one. Not too happy about that, but I have something next to the couch that will work for now and at least RC can't crawl under it to escape out of the living room! Today we took a decent amount to a local thrift store that donates to one of the children's hospitals. There is still a ton more to do though! I still am no where near being able to take pictures...of any of the rooms!

Come Monday, I pick up all the rest of the paperwork that is needed for the student's placement. That is the day I want to be able to post the pictures. That gives me one day to really get a ton done. One day to balance RC, other house chores, organizing and deciding what to get rid of, and somewhere in there sleeping!

Wish me luck! I need it!!!