Turning up the parenting

Ever since Jeremiah turned a year old, he has suddenly blossomed. Growing taller, chunkier, more talkative, and even more independent than ever before. With that independence has come an even bigger curiosity- causing Jeremiah to get into things he shouldn't more frequently (and ignoring my No's!) Opening and closing drawers, touching the TV, messing with the DVD rack. He thinks it's silly when I tell him "no." If he obeys the first time I say no and I compliment him for listening (positive reinforcement,) he sees this as permission to go back to doing whatever he was doing. Agh. He's only 12 months old...

However, I do not want to be one of those mothers that uses the excuse of "he's only __ months/years old, he's just a little boy!" to waive any inappropriate behavior. As a teacher (and a big cousin!) I have seen first hand what can happen when a parent (or guardian/influential family member) chooses to spare the rod and spoil the child. It's not pretty. The three offenses I listed above are my three main "rules." If Jeremiah disobeys them, I immediately pick him up and move him while telling him "no" if he doesn't listen the first time. I think Jeremiah threw one tantrum (two at most) before turning 12 months old. Ever since his birthday, however, when he doesn't get his own way about something, out comes the tantrum! ESPECIALLY if he sees my cell phone (honestly, what is their fascination in it? Is it because he sees me use it several times a day? Because it has buttons? Occasionally makes noise and lights up?). Mostly I've been leaving him alone to let him work out his frustration and ignoring him during a little episode. I honestly do NOT know how to deal with tantrums and I'm praying to God that I'm doing the right thing. I also want to start implementing time-outs when he's around 15 months old. (Too young? Not soon enough?) I still need to read up and research on this whole new turn of parenting toddlers. I have two books on my Christmas wish-list: "Raising Boys" (can't remember the author but he's a Christian family writer) and "What to Expect- the Toddler Years." Before I gave birth to Jeremiah I had read the "what to expect the first years" cover to cover and could tell you exactly how to care for and raise a newborn, and would refresh on every new month as he was going through it. Well, between all of our celebrations and the upcoming holidays I haven't exactly had time to read lately!

If you are a mother of toddlers, especially little boys, any and all advise on disciplining would be greatly appreciated, especially in the area of time outs! Or even if you aren't a mother and simply have opinions on the matter, I'm wide open to suggestions and tips. My mother thinks time outs are a fabulous idea. She already puts Jeremiah in his high chair for a few minutes if he repeats an offense 3 times under her care. He's starting to learn. I don't even dare mention any sort of discipline with my mother in law, who thinks that 99 percent of her 6 year old nephew's obnoxious behavior is excusable because he's "just a little boy." Discipline of any sort for Jeremiah, her only grandson, would be thrown in my face- and yes I'd be called a bad mother. So frustrating.

In other news, Jeremiah, purely by accident, split my upper lip last week. The three of us were lounging in our bed one morning, and eagerly trying to come give me a kiss, he whacked his skull my lip, next to my tooth. The split lip turned into a canker sore, which spread to three different canker sores. Plus overly chap lips. Every inch of my mouth hurts... a lot. It hurts to talk, it hurts to kiss Jeremiah (and my husband). To eat, to drink... you name it. Chapstick is starting to help the chapped lips. Normally when I have canker sores they go away on their own in a few days, but not this time. I finally got some over-the-counter canker sore ointment from Target tonight, plus some peroxide to rinse my mouth with and an even stronger lip ointment. It's pure bliss for the full hour that it works. If things aren't better by Friday I'm going to break down and go to the doctor.

I finally got Jeremiah's thank-you cards out in the mail today,and tonight I started tackling Christmas cards. I got our portraits back today. I'm about 70 percent done with the Christmas cards. I want to get an address book because I am sick of scouring my email and text messages for everybody's addresses. I don't send out mail very often, but when I do it would be nice to have everything hand-ready. Even though snail mail is becoming a lost art.

So far Jeremiah has been really good about not getting into our Christmas tree! He loves looking at it with me but for the most part pays no attention to it while he plays. I can't believe that Christmas eve is one week from tomorrow!

Going to try and track down my husband now, goodnight everyone!