Monthly recap @ 17 months

Mother and son.

My little one is growing up up up! He's officially 18 months now! No more little anggugu. This 18-month boy has a mind bigger than his size and he's getting more and more independent too.

Monthly recap @ 17 months

From babycenter.com:

Week 1

Your child's growing independence is asserting itself in numerous ways. He may be able to take off his own socks or diaper and brush his own teeth (though "brushing" at this age pretty much means sticking the toothbrush in his mouth and chewing on it, so he continues to need your help).

Regarding speech, lisping and mixing regular words with babbling phrases isn't unusual at 17 months. As your child's tongue and mouth muscles develop, enunciation should improve. Help him out by repeating what he says.

Trying out his new backpack.

Week 2

Does your child ignore you when you ask him not to do something? Try not to lose your temper. At this age, it's best to choose your battles wisely. Making a big deal over little things like pulling petals off a flower or spreading newspapers around the house may inspire your toddler to test your limits even more. Save your lectures for the really big "no-no's," like biting a playmate or pulling the dog's tail.

Screaming is one of the less pleasant habits your toddler might develop. As with everything else in his life, he's constantly experimenting, and his voice is an instrument that can do all kinds of neat things. What's more, shrieking gets immediate attention. Some kids condition their parents to give in to make the shrieks stop. To avoid that, explain that yelling hurts your ears. Tell your child that you can't respond until he uses a normal voice. But take care not to yell your instructions. You can also say, "That's your outside voice. It's okay to use your outside voice when we're playing at the park."

Show your child other ways to have fun with his voice, like whispering or singing. In fact, if you really want to get your child's attention, try lowering your voice to a whisper – it's even more powerful than raising the volume. It sounds not only different from the usual but special and secretive, and just might stop him in his tracks.

"Strumming" his plastic guitar.

Week 3

Your toddler probably has a language of his own – it may seem like you need a translator to understand him. When you really can't decipher what he's saying, try taking a guess rather than saying "I can't understand you." This will only cause him to feel stressed and frustrated. Speak in clear, simple sentences to encourage your child's articulation and make it easier for him to understand you.

Week 4

Your toddler's probably on an emotional roller-coaster now: One minute he's as happy as ever, and the next he's a mess. It may be a year or two before he outgrows temper tantrums. Until then, expect to deal with regular outbursts of anger and frustration. While it's difficult to predict what's going to spark a tantrum, you can cut down on their frequency by making sure your child gets enough sleep and eats well during the day. Remember, a hungry, sleep-deprived toddler is a meltdown waiting to happen.

Tantrums are an expression of frustration over something a toddler can't do, either physically or because it's not allowed. Mix in fatigue or hunger, and kaboom! Tantrums are more likely to occur when your child is hungry, tired, or over-stimulated.

As much as you may wish you could soothe the savage beastie right away, there's no magic formula. A tantrum usually burns itself out faster if you act neutral or even ignore it instead of responding with a sympathetic cluck or rational explanation. Sometimes a tantrum is a plea for your attention: a reassuring hug and your undivided attention can make the storm clouds go away.

Tantrums aren't easy for parents. It can be hard to listen to a lot of crying, or to have your child be angry at you. But tantrums are a completely normal part of toddler development. Once your child calms down, offer her a lap and a chance to regroup. Try distraction (rather than giving in to something you refused). Don't punish a tantrum. At this age, your child can't help himself.

Read more:

Dealing with tantrums (scroll down the post to find the guide)

Your 17-month-old's behavior: Self-control - or lack thereof

Taking a nap or my lap.

My little foodie insists on feeding himself.

I update his food journal to recap what he has been eating. :)

The spaghetti was "stranded" on his head. :)

Make every meal time, FUN time.
The floor will be messy. Just clean it up.

Father and son - my favorite photo!

I've started to understand that to a young child, LOVE means TIME and time means everything. When I learn to spend time with him - just sit with him, play his toys with him, sing to him, read a book to him, make funny faces and sounds at him - tantrum occurrence is almost 0%.

But, there are house chores to do; I still need to cook and bake and blog; I still need to prepare his next-day meals to be sent to babysitter; I still have to clear away the toys...

Amidst all these, I've learned that I shouldn't get things done at the expense of his happiness and my sanity. I look for a balance. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail. But I learn again. I believe I'm becoming a better (although far from perfect) mother each day.

I hope one day, when he has grown up to be a fine young man, he will cherish his childhood days and there will be no regrets..... :)