Canadian Moms & Moms to be!

[Tiff]

Me too!!!

I'm sure most kids are like this too, but Claire echos everything she sees on TV as well. She was watching Beauty and the Beast and there's this part where Chip (the teacup) goes "See! I told you!!!" and she repeated that non stop for a week.

You guys should hear after she watches Pingu! Aaaaaaagh!

 

[Melissa_M]

Yup Alia says "oh boy oh boy oh boy" because donald duck does

 

[ryder]

Jasmine has never had an issue mimicking speech... but she will act out things she see's, like she loves doc mcstuffins and pretends to be a doctor all the time now LOL

 

[Vickie]

Hannah's current is "Let's go to the Ex" from radio commercials Over and over and over again. Oh and there's a commercial about some "Go Stop" something or other and she keeps asking me if one day we can go to the Go Stop

 

[Sarahkka]

Good morning!
Still dealing with the mountain of laundry and cleaning that comes with a camping trip, but starting to see a dent in the pile, so am taking a few minutes to have while the boys devour their second round of cereal.
Both of them have a cold and I think I may have caught it, so it will be a quiet day for us, I think.
Tobe's speech is still behind, but lots of good progress being made this last couple of weeks. He now says two little sentences, "No nigh-nigh!" (this very sternly), and "Dey is" (which is "There it is!"). And he calls mountains "moumos". So he's getting there.
Bringing up the previous conversation - I did follow the no TV before age 2 recommendation with Simon very carefully. But completely gave up on it with Tobe because it would have meant being out of the room while Simon watched an episode of Blue's Clues or something. And yes, I do sometimes wonder if that TV exposure is a factor in Tobe's later speech development. Simon certainly doesn't watch it for hours. In fact, it's still pretty limited. But Tobe certainly watched/watches it when Simon did. It might be a small factor? One thing among many? Personally, I think birth order has way more to do with it. Tobe gets nowhere near the attention that Simon got as an only child. And he certainly doesn't get half as many books read to him (guilt guilt guilt). It's just not as easy to settle down with one kid to read while the other older kid is tearing up the house. Simon doesn't nap anymore and when he is quiet, it is usually because he is up to something terrible....
I may still sign up for the speech development classes through the health region, but I feel a lot better about Tobe's language now that I am seeing steady progress.

Speaking of mischief, both boys have finished cereal and are currently preoccupied with covering me in truck stickers. I'm a stylin' mama - that's for sure!
Hope everyone has a great day!

 

[impatient1]

I used to act out tv shows all the time when I was younger (late elementary school aged). I would write down dialogues as fast as I could while the show was playing and then make my brother act them out with me after.

 

[impatient1]

Hope everyone feels better soon Sarah.

I am currently packing, painting, and cleaning the house while B is with the sitter on my day off.

 

[Sarahkka]

Thanks, Lisa - it's pretty minor as sickness goes. It caused some grumpy moods yesterday, but all in all, neither boy seems to be letting this cold slow them down much!

Meant to add - we have been having some wild storms here in the last week. We were caught out in our car in one yesterday - holy moly! I thought our car was going to get pushed sideways by the wind and parts of the city were getting hit with driving rain and hail that was bad enough to be described as "white out" conditions.
Crazy!

And..... I need help! Our pale blue couches are shredded by cats and stained to hell by toddlers. I got them made at EQ3, and a big part of our decision to get them there was that EQ3 told us that we could get them re-upholstered fairly easily, should we need to. Well, guess what? EQ3 doesn;t do that anymore and anyone I have talked to about re-upholstering has quoted me ~$1500 for labour alone. The fabric (a scratch- and stain-proof one that I found) will cost approximately that as well. So I am looking at it costing me $1000 more than it would to buy both couches brand new in the cover I want.
Another symptom of our disgusting, throwaway society. Don't repair it! Throw it out and get a new one! So frustrating!!
Anyway, I have sort of decided to just find a throw/slip cover of sorts to get through a few more years of toddler furniture abuse. I have tried Sears, IKEA, and a swedish couch cover company.
Does anyone know of anywhere else that I could try?

 

[JASMAK]

I saw a video on the news of the wind storms in Calgary! Nuts!

Last day with a one year old for me.

Went to go get photos at WalMart yesterday for K's birthday (but of all the kids too) and it was very disastrous. We were there for FOUR hours. Our appointment was at 10am. Had the kids showered, tattoos removed (fairy ones on the girls), nails trimmed, nail polish off the girls, clean new outfits on, hair washed and brushed. Went to WalMart where we practically spun on our heads to make them all smile AND look at the camera, at the SAME time...which, with a toddler, and a child with autism...is not freaking easy. An HOUR we were taking pics. Then we sat and waited as she uploaded them on the computer to show us...and then she disappeared!! Then she appeared and gave us a $25 gift certificate and said the photos 'got deleted', but it 'wasn't her fault'. Honestly, I couldn't even get mad, because I just had to stop myself from crying. I am there...13 days after a hysterectomy, sore, tired...trying to do this....OMG....so, hubby took over because my head was in my hands and I just couldn't deal. So she said come back in about 1/2 hour. So, we fed the kids....candy....and came back. The kids were in an OK mood, because of the sugar rush, but now the photo lady didn't care. She didn't bother positioning the kids, or even caring if they were smiling...she jut was doing it as fast as she could. At the end...there was not ONE group photo I liked...not ONE. Looking back, I should have MADE her do another then, but this was after we had to leave again, while they uploaded, and we had McDonalds...and there was ketchup on the kids. Grrrrr. Anyways, so we picked one, but....then there's more!! We had that gift certificte, for the eff up...which she kept saying 'wasn't her fault' (just made me annoyed)...so, the big one was supposed to be free, the group, so we just picked one, because it was free (they originally phoned us for a 'free' photo we had won). Then we picked one each of the kids....which she said was only $15 and we hadn't used up our $25 gift certificate....so, fine, we get another group 'package' for $7.99 to use up the gift certificate. Next thing you know...my subtotal is $25 something...and I am waiting for her to take the gift certificate off the total. She said she did. WTF! So, I just pay, bcause I am so tired from my surgery and being there way too long at this point...and hubby takes the receipt and goes back, and they tell hm that there was a 'sitting fee' for the kids....$5 each..that they NOT ONCE told us about. Eff...I am so mad...and the photos are CRAP. The ONLY reason I was getting them was because they were FREE. I got sent a survey this morning, and I said I was never going back. I can't afford a fancy photographer.... Anyways...that was yesterday, today, we are going to the beach. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

 

[ryder]

Sorry your pics didn't turn out jasmak!!

Sarah, I'm not sure about tv or books... Jasmine watched tv from really young lol! Peyton won't watch it... We read books and sing all the time. Jasmine was very advanced with speech and Peyton is way behind her. So it's hard to say, I think kids just do things when they're ready!

 

[readynwilling]

now seeing as i don't have 2 kids i should probably keep my opinions to myself LOL. But i have often heard that the 2nd baby doesn't develop their speech as quickly as baby #1 often does a lot of talking for them... so they don't need to use it. I have seen this with my BF's little girls. Alyssa was very average in terms of speech development and while Selena isn't behind, she is not as advanced as her sister was. And i have observed them and A does a lot of talking for her.

 

[Sarahkka]

I agree, Sara. I definitely think that birth order is a HUGE factor.
And Joss, I also agree that there are so many contradictory experiences to the "no TV" recommendation that it is an easy one to dismiss. I think in our case that it is possible that it could be a factor, particularly considering that there is significant scientific evidence that large amounts of TV exposure can impact language development. But if it is a factor, I think it is a very small piece of the picture. Firstly because it is a rare day that the TV is on for any length of time in our house. And secondly because there are just so many other things that would have more language influence in Tobe's life.
But I do agree that I sure know a lot of kids who are exactly the opposite of that TV-is-bad evidence. I am certainly not feeling guilty about Tobe watching any, and I still let him watch stuff with Simon now. I feel guilty that he doesn't get as much attention as Simon did, but there is only so much I can do about that. Secondborns just have to deal!

 

[apple84]

Yeah Sarah I'm in the same boat. Andrew didn't watch anything on tv until he was 18 months and even then it was only the occasional DVD that I selected carefully for him. The twins are already unintentionally watching tv simply because they're usually in the same room. Andrew doesn't wach tv often though. He likes a few select shows that I pvr but doesn't even want those a lot of the time. Sometimes I try to bribe him with tv so I can take a shower or something, but half of the time he'll tell me he doesn't want to watch tv; he wants a puzzle instead.

 

[ryder]

Sara, I defintelay think that is true regarding the older sibling doing more of the talking, on top of jasmine doing all of the talking, she has always understood whatever gibberish peyton was saying LOL

 

[tasha41]

JASMAK- that's awful! I would complain to the portrait studio manager or the head office.

I HATE photo studios and similar companies... I paid for a package for Elyse's soccer photos, they turned out awful, we didn't get our pictures (they don't send out proofs and you have to pay ON photo day) until 2 days after they ran retakes for our soccer club... they offered retakes at the 'headquarters' which is 20 minutes away, no transit there, during the work week--- not worth time off to go there. I'm so aggravated that I spent money on these stupid pictures and I am now stuck with them- and I won't give them out, they turned out THAT bad. I did phone their head office and the park retake day (which had passed) was suggested or coming out there. They weren't willing to work out refunds or anything Next year we do our own! (Our club gives you a group shot free- that's my avatar, that one was nice!)

 

[Vickie]

I can see Hannah taking over and trying to talk for Rhys

Jasmak that's awful What a bad day! I would have been seriously ticked off. We had the kids done at Walmart a week and a half ago? Anyways there was a spot on all the pictures, every single one of them She offered to retake them another day but really I just didn't even want to bother because it's to much freaking work! So we just took the pics with the spots

 

[Tiff]

Sarah -

Spoiler

Gonna give my 2.5 cents as I have researched this whole speech thing inside and out. Definitely not trying to say that Tobe is going to have the same situation as Claire, and take what you want from it. Also, not trying to tell you what to do.



Personally, I'd get him signed up for whatever programs that you have out in your area ASAP. I've learned the hard way that just waiting with the thought of it getting better was not exactly the greatest thing for us. I should have been more proactive when this all started a little over a year and a half ago.

It took us over a year of waiting just to have Claire assessed by a Speech/Language Pathologist. We are at a year and a half wait and counting with no hope of getting a SLP assigned to her to help anytime soon. I don't care what anyone says - that is an excessive wait.

It could be anything really. It could be Simon speaking for him, could be the TV. He could have been destined to just not be speaking much by this age even if he didn't have an older brother or TV influence. We'll never know! I personally would investigate it. I choose to look at it no different if Claire had been struggling with math or with her spelling. I wouldn't leave it and hope that in time, she'd get it. I'd hire the tutor, help her get past whatever stumbling block that's preventing her from getting it and we've move on.

So same with speech. Before the mention of Autism and we just figured she had a speech delay that's what we decided. Get her the help. We saw progress as well, which was what made getting a SLP more lucrative for us as the SLP could teach Claire in a way that we had no idea.

Anyhoo... just my 2.5 cents. Whether you decide to wait or decide to investigate its up to you. Personally I just don't think there'd be any harm in having him attend any Speech groups. Its something to learn and that is never a bad thing!

I will say how I feel is totally biased by what's been going on with our own situation, lol.

Jasmak - That SUCKS! I'm so sorry that happened. You should see if there are any local amature photographers in your area. Some put on deals that are super cheap and best of all they come to your house! I would have been really upset as well.

 

[impatient1]

I would have been very annoyed Jasmak! I hope you complain to the manager and they own up for the bad customer service.

 

[Melissa_M]

Oh that's terrible Jasmak Stupid walmart!!!

As for the whole TV thing, I always thought they said no TV before 2 because it caused ADD But then I thought....maybe it doesn't cause ADD...maybe mother's let their already ADD-prone children watch TV because it's the only freaking break they get

 

[ryder]

^ lol Melissa that is hilarious actually... and maybe true?? I have to admit, the tv usually is the only break I get from Jasmine and her prodding and harrassment lol

I am looking forward to her being gone a couple days a week at school.