TV Turner

That thing that he did was the first time he did it. It was cute for the first 24 hours. He has also taken an interest in the remote controls. He isn't just fascinated with the buttons, but he has learned to point it at the TV which results in weird things happening. The TV flashes to different channels, changes volume, and gets his parents to yell and run around after him. That means it's time for discipline, but that is less effective than it used to be. Discipline usually involves putting him in his playpen in a room alone. It used to work really well, but no longer. He used to holler, scream, and he once threw up. Now he whines. We don't want to start hitting him yet, but he's too young to understand scolding and sending him to his room would be not only ineffective, but potentially dangerous at his age.

Have you ever seen the cartoons when the characters start running but they don't actually move anywhere for a few seconds and their feet just spin around? Yeah, my son does that spinning thing. He can't run forward yet, but he can run in place with the best of them. I don't want to create the wrong impression. I don't want him to run yet. I don't need him to run until kindergarten at the earliest. He walks as fast as I mosey. He can already outrun most of his grandparents indoors. The playground is a different story. He is an only child. Because he has wonderful grandparents he doesn't go to daycare. He's never had a playdate. He can't run or climb or talk. When I take him to the playground he looks at other kids like they are wild animals that need to be observed. He doesn't know how to be a kid yet so he just looks at kids but he doesn't care to play with them. I tell him to go closer, but he won't let me go further than 2 feet away. I take him over to the jungle gym to watch, but he won't let me back away more than 1 step. I know he isn't a seven year old ready to be on his own, but I wish the playground was as fun for him as grandma's house is.