Henry’s Toothbrush Chart

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I thought I’d write a little update on my dear Henry.  He’s going to be TWO in two months.  Can you believe it?  I cannot.  It’s truly mind-blowing how fast it goes… I know that’s a big cliché but it’s true.

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(Dying Easter eggs… That was a HUGE hit.  I had all these grand plans to do natural Easter egg dyes, but that fell to the wayside – the holiday sure snuck up on me!  Maybe next year.  Anyway, Henry thought the whole process was super fun… The only color he consistently can identify is orange, so he was super obsessed with the orange eggs.)

 

Henry is doing very well.  He’s a seriously talkative little dude (truly – he never stops chatting) and also very friendly.  The other day, we walked up to a receptionist and he said very loudly, “This is momma.  This is Henwy” before she could even open her mouth.  I died.

 

Other funny sentences:  His Nana (my MIL) taught him to say, “I promise” so now he says it all the time, except he doesn’t know what it means and cannot pronounce R’s, so he just randomly says, “I pwomise” throughout the day.  Also, yesterday, he threw a book off the upstairs landing and it hit me in the head, and when I grabbed my head and said, “Ouch! That hurt mommy,” he replied, “Oh, sowwy. It was an accident.”  Hah!  He has also starting to say, “Bye bye, see you next year,” and I have zero idea where he got that from… He calls every other kid (if he doesn’t know their name) “friend” – as in, “Hi, friend. Slide, friend?’ – which is truly epic.  Basically, we’re entering the stage where totally awesome and insane things come out of his mouth, and IT’S GREAT!  I love it.  <3

 

He’s healthy, happy, playful, and willful.  He is also very brave and adventurous – he will launch himself down twisty big kid slides without pause.  His bravery scares me sometimes!  He’s tough – the other day, he tripped and bloodied up his knee and hardly even blinked – let alone cried – when I cleaned it.  As I’m sure you can imagine, his strong personality means there are quite a few temper tantrums during the day, but I’m getting better at addressing the tantrums before they really kick into high gear and/or talking him off the ledge.  I count to 10 a lot in my head.  :)  But he also has lots of sweet, gentle moments where he cuddles me or asks me to sing to him – he’s the only person in the world who likes my singing voice!  The quiet moments are truly just moments, though – before I know, he’s up in a flash and back to running around.  I cherish the low-key moments as they come.  🙂

 

He loves tumbling and jumping, chasing the new cat, smashing block castles, and taking bubble baths.  He also loves Thomas the Train (like, intensely), little Matchbox cars, fire trucks – he even got to sit in a real fire truck a week or so ago (full story here).

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Basically, he’s adorable, and we love him a lot.  I can’t even remember what our lives were like before Henry.  <3  It’s so fun to watch him grow and learn!

 

I did want to share something new that I’ve been doing with Henry… One of our biggest daily battles is over toothbrushing.  Henry seriously hates it when I brush his teeth, and I’ve tried so many things to make it better… Different toothpaste, different brushes, the fingertip method.  Everything.  But I THINK that I finally found something that works!

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A few days back, I was thinking about positive reinforcement and realized that Henry was probably old enough to understand and appreciate a sticker chart.  You guys know that I LOVE ‘STICKER’ CHARTS.  It’s pretty much how I motivate myself to do absolutely anything and everything, from working out to flossing my own teeth. 

 

So I printed up a toothbrush chart for Henry… (the photo is of him eating a melty chocolate):

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And bought some very HIGH-WANT Thomas the Train stickers:

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He lets me brush his teeth, he gets a sticker, and he gets to put it on his chart.  We’ve only been doing it for a few days, but so far, it’s REALLY working!  He thinks the process is so fun.  Like mother, like son!  I can’t believe it took me so long to think of this…

 

Question of the Day:  What television show were you really into as a kid?  I remember being OBSESSED with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers – yay, 1990s!

{ 31 comments }

 

  • Adrienne April 17, 2014, 4:57 pm

    Sticker charts are the bomb!!! They worked a treat when toilet training my son. He was only 20 months so I didn’t think he’d ‘get’ it, but he’d RUN to the toilet at the suggestion of a sticker!

    I don’t remember obsessing over shows as a kid but definitely movies – Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Aladdin, Home Alone, all the classics right there 😛

  • Anne April 17, 2014, 5:06 pm

    When I was little, I remember watching “Pinwheel” on Nickelodeon.
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0224947/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
    After my younger brothers started getting a say, we switched mostly to the Disney Afternoon (Darkwing Duck, Ducktales, Rescue Rangers, Tailspin).

    • Kinnereth April 17, 2014, 7:41 pm

      Nice! My husband still loves those shows 😉 We don’t have kids yet, but I’m sure he’ll introduce them to his favs from childhood when they come along!

  • Aishah @ Coffee, Love, Health April 17, 2014, 5:13 pm

    Caitlin why do your Henry updates always make me cry? Literally filled my eyes up with tears. He is such a loving, sweet boy- like his mommy! Don’t know you, but feel like I know you lol This sweet post made my day <3

  • Emily April 17, 2014, 5:24 pm

    Oh tooth brushing…! I have a 2 year old, and the song and dance we have to go through twice a day for successful tooth brushing is epic. He has to lay down in his “silly spot”, which is under a table, and I have to lay on the floor near him to brush his teeth. Not easy at 8 months pregnant! He thinks it is just hilarious! And then he must watch Thomas the Train Blue Mountain Quarry song on you tube. Geez. It’s all worth it though – I can’t imagine what it would be like for him to have a cavity filled.

  • Alina April 17, 2014, 5:53 pm

    Sticker charts are the bomb.com! They also work REALLY well with older kids… we use them in my practicum (Gr. 1) classroom for sight word recognition, and the kids are SO into getting a sticker every time they recognize a new one!

  • Mary April 17, 2014, 6:07 pm

    Love the sticker chart idea! We had ‘jobs’ and ‘point charts’ when we were a bit older and we could accumulate points to go for family days out.
    I work with children and wish I’d started writing down everything they say…sometimes they come out with some hilarious comments!

  • amelia April 17, 2014, 6:47 pm

    Everyone says that the time goes fast! Wasn’t it just yesterday that you were pregnant and wondering when the first tri was over? 😉 speaking of….Henry needs a sibling. 🙂
    Awesome chart! I would brush my teeth!!!

  • Nancy April 17, 2014, 7:56 pm

    I’m an 80’s kid so I remember shows like

    Today’s Special (A Canadian show)
    Full House… of COURSE
    Cosby Show

    • Clare April 18, 2014, 10:14 pm

      Oh, I LOVED Today’s Special! So weird, so magical 😉 Danger Bay, Degrassi Junior High and the Littlest Hobo were great Canadian shows too.

      Also loved Saved by the Bell and the Fresh Prince of Belair which were both seemingly run on a continuous loop.

      In the 90’s it was all about 90210/ Melrose Place. How dated they seem now!

  • Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs April 17, 2014, 8:31 pm

    Henry is just too cute! 🙂

  • Jenn April 17, 2014, 8:55 pm

    TV shows: Smurfs, Teenage Mutant Nija Turtles, He Man, Bionic Woman! Loved them!

  • K. C. April 17, 2014, 9:35 pm

    an idea for tooth brushing at 2, use a wash cloth to wipe his teeth instead

  • Megan April 17, 2014, 10:58 pm

    He’s adorable. I did a sticker chart in January for bedtime with my 3.5 yr old (she goes to bed great for everyone but me!) and her prize at the end was a nightgown she saw at Kohls and really wanted. It worked great but the little stinker realized that her chart was over and bedtimes were a battle again. She outsmarted mr big time. Luckily it’s better (for real, no bribing this time!)

  • Emily April 17, 2014, 10:59 pm

    I remember loving Rugrats and Billy The Cat and apparently I loved Playschool when I was much younger. There were a lot of Australian shows I used to like as well (being Australian) like Wayne Manifesto and The Ferals 🙂

  • Megan April 17, 2014, 11:00 pm

    Also, look up “Day Out with Thomas” and see if he is ever near you. Both of my kids loved it- we went when each of them was 2.

  • Ted April 18, 2014, 4:40 am

    The sticker charts idea rocks! I am borrowing it.

  • Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork April 18, 2014, 7:43 am

    What a great idea! I’m sure he’s excited to put another sticker on it every time.
    I really liked Care Bears (waaaay back in the day to the original series). I was only allowed to watch the Disney Channel, so I missed out on a lot of other shows that my friends watched. I make it sound like I was more sheltered than I really was. I did like the Disney Channel–the original one that didn’t have any commericals.

  • Maryea {happy healthy mama} April 18, 2014, 7:43 am

    My 28 month old son also REFUSES to brush his teeth. It’s ridiculous and drives me crazy. I have a 5 yr old daughter who was so compliant that this is such new territory for me. I’m going to have to give your sticker chart a try! It can’t hurt, right?

  • Samantha April 18, 2014, 8:00 am

    D’awwww. I think it’s pretty cool that Thomas is still popular with the kids. My little brother was OBSESSED with Thomas and I believe it was the theme for his second birthday party as well……in 1992! He’ll be 24 this year.

    I loved the Smurfs, She-Ra, David the Gnome and Duckula. Good times back then!

  • Mary April 18, 2014, 8:27 am

    My nephew is obsessed with Thomas, too! He knew which train was which and called them by their names before he ever said my name! So cute but just a tad frustrating for his loving Aunt! He’s 3 1/2 now and is still totally into his trains!

  • Ellen April 18, 2014, 8:52 am

    Henry sounds alot like my son who will be two in August. He talks alot all though not stringing to many words together yet. He is obbbbsssessed with bugs…for now, and has no fear and barely cries when he gets hurt, which is often. My question is what do you do when Henry is being strong willed. My son is very strong willed and likes to get our attention by doing things he knows he shouldnt do. I am trying to do time outs, but really he thinks its a big a joke. I also get down on his level and explain to him what I dont like and why it makes me upset. So far I feel like im not getting very far with these strategies. I would love to hear what you do.

    My favorite show when I was a kid was Full House-TGIF!! Except my mom made me go to bed before so my brother would watch it and when he came to bed ( we shared a room) he would recap it for me.

    • Caitlin April 18, 2014, 1:03 pm

      We do time outs in his crib after a warning but only for tremendously bad things that could get him hurt or really really not listening at all. It’s not 1000% effective but it helps. I wish I had more advice for you but I’m just now trying out new things.

      Anyone else?

      • Catherine April 18, 2014, 11:09 pm

        LOL @ “trying new things.” That’s the perfect way to put it. Doesn’t it feel like a big, ongoing experiment? I also have a strong-willed baby. Everything I’ve tried seems to backfire. For example, I tried the crib thing and we had to stop because when it was nap/bedtime, she would start screaming “Lana is good, no bad, no bad!” I think she created a bad association with the crib, which didn’t help us much in the sleep department. What I’ve learned is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for parenting a child… why should there be? They are individuals, too. You just have to try, and if you fail, then try again. The best advice I got was from an old man inline at the grocery store (my child was in the midst of a tantrum) who said “Love your kid. Don’t over-think your parenting, and she’ll surprise you in the end.” I think he had a point 🙂 Good luck!

  • Christy April 18, 2014, 9:58 am

    Love sticker charts! We used the sticker motivation when we potty trained. If he went in his potty he got to put a sticker on it. Even if he went on the big potty, we let him put stickers on that too! When we battled brushing teeth, my husband started telling him a story while brushing. He was so into the stories that he would sit there with his mouth open and listen. Now he is 3 1/2 and is telling stories to my husband!

  • Reenie April 18, 2014, 10:07 am

    OMG…. all the things he’s saying ~ ~ absolutely adorable!!!

    🙂

  • Catherine April 18, 2014, 10:46 am

    Great idea with the sticker chart! It’s absolutely insane how much faster time flies when you’re a parent. I have a 22-month-old, and I can’t believe how much she learned and grew in less than 2 years. Makes me so proud. And then there are times when I’m not so proud like when she purposely slams her head against the floor because it was time to come inside. But ya gotta take the bad with the good. 😉 I also have a son who turned 6 months old today, and I’m staring at his “birthday” pics in absolute awe of how tiny he was. He already tripled his birth weight (23 lbs 5 oz!!!), yet the memories of that tiny 7-pounder still seem so fresh. I think I’ve become every parenting cliche that I swore I’d never be.

  • Susie April 18, 2014, 11:03 am

    Great idea on the chart! Maybe instead of the written words “Morning” and “Night” use pictures of a sun and moon? That way he can visualize different times of the day. I try to use symbols for kids under 5 when making sticker charts for my patients at work.

  • Julie April 18, 2014, 12:25 pm

    Little House on the Prairie
    Family Ties
    The Facts of Life
    Eight is Enough
    I’m old! 😛

  • Rebecca April 19, 2014, 2:20 am

    I was definitely into cartoons as a kid. I would watch DragonBallZ with the boys at daycare only because Sailor Moon was on right after. Powerpuff Girls was a big hit for us, and in late elementary/early middle school I got really into Pokemon, Digimon, and YuGiOh (though I guess that’s anime versus cartoon)–in junior high I was almost always awake at like 6:30 on Saturdays to watch YuGiOh, and I was always upset if we were going somewhere and I was going to miss it. Hah.
    I babysat a little boy once who loved Thomas. He’s probably 6 now, but I swear I played a Thomas DVD for him like three times in the course of one night watching him when he was probably 3. And he didn’t even watch it all the way through each time, which for me was frustrating, but whatever. Kids bounce from thing to thing a lot, I’ve noticed. 🙂

  • Jolene @ Homespun Heritage April 19, 2014, 1:43 pm

    My youngest is 19 months and brushing his teeth is now a battle. I can’t wait till he’s old enough to look forward to reward.

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