Taking Care of Jack 2.0

Jack's a great, big two year old now, and there are a few changes from last year. We've been talking about going back to Mark & Ju-Ju's and that Mommy and Daddy have to work so they can make money for our family. We're trying not to say "We miss you," because we feel this puts too much pressure on him. Jack is really looking forward to coming back to your house this year.

Eating

Jack doesn't really like to eat when he first wakes up--in fact, he's been known to skip breakfast when he gets up later. Terrible, I know. I can usually get him to eat a few "krispies" (Rice Krispies), yogurt, or, in a pinch, gold fish crackers. I would like for him to eat breakfast every day, but knowing how he is......just do the best you can :)

For lunch, Jack likes hot dogs and nuggets. Or nuggets and hot dogs. Sometimes he'll eat a hot dog, sometimes he'll eat a nugget. And then there are the times when he eats hot dogs and nuggets. Seriously. For lunch, I try to get a little protein down him, usually in the form of hot dogs or nuggets, and some fruit. His favorite fruits are apples and bananas. He will occasionally eat blue berries and baby carrots, but only if they are really tiny.

Believe it or not, Jack doesn't really "snack" like he used to. If he is going to snack, I'd prefer for it to be a small snack in the afternoon after his nap--a few crackers or a cookie is fine. I try to be careful with the sodium that he eats, so please keep the crackers to a minimum--the kid could eat a whole sleeve of Ritz if he was given the opportunity.

Regarding milk: We give Jack milk when he first wakes up and at his nap time. He may ask for it at other times, but please encourage him to drink water. Because he drinks whole milk, it really fills him up and then he won't want to eat his food at lunch or dinner time. We'll send the milk in a small bottle for him to drink at nap time. And, just like last year, milk cups have sippy lids, and water goes in straw cups. He doesn't drink juice and should never have soda. If you take him to McDonald's, get him milk, never Sprite.

Naps

Jack takes one nap in the afternoon. Setting a routine with him will make nap time a breeze. I've had great success with putting him down as soon as lunch is over. He should sleep between 1 1/2 to 2 hours daily, but may sleep longer if he's played hard in the morning.

When I put him down for a nap, I give him a milk cup, blanklie, donkey, and his pillow. He might not fall asleep right away, but he still needs to take a nap. He'll sing and play for a while, but will eventually fall asleep.

Play time

I've been working with Jack on playing with toys. He often wants to play with things that are not toys--brooms, soup cans, toilet paper, screw drivers, wedding favors, shoes, dirty dishes from the dishwasher, etc. I say, "Go play with toys" when he's playing with something that he shouldn't be.

Jack loves to play outside, but I encourage you to be extremely careful when allowing him to play outside. He is fast, he is two, and he is tiny. If he is outside, we of course want Mark or Julia to be out there, too, and right with him. It's fine for the girls to play with him, but we're not okay with them being outside alone with him, even if you're just in the back yard and he's in the front yard. Jack responds best to the authority of an adult and could put himself in danger if left alone with a child.

Television

I try not to let Jack watch too much TV, but it is a great babysitter, and I read somewhere that if 30 minutes of Mickey Mouse or Sesame Street buy you a cleaned out dishwasher or a folded basket of laundry, it's worth it. I try to limit him to two shows a day. One in the morning and one after his nap (usually while he has a snack). His favorite shows are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (Disney Channel) and Sesame Street (PBS). Both are available on OnDemand TV through Comcast Cable.

Diapers

Jack's still in diapers for the time being, but he's getting ready to be potty trained. He wasn't ready until recently, and I wanted to wait until he was fully transitioned into your care. He will now tell you when he needs to be changed and sometimes asks to sit on the potty. Putting him on backwards is a good trick for now, and we'll deal with getting a potty for your house later. We'll keep you updated as we potty train. This is one area of Jack's care that we do not want the girls involved with at all.

Time-outs

Time out is still your best method of discipline. He responds really well to this and usually corrects his behavior immediately after. This is how we do it:
Warning--Jack, you will get a time out if you touch the camera bag again.
(continues touching camera bag)
Time out--Jack, you're going to time out because you disobeyed Mommy by touching the camera bag when I told you not to
2 minutes time out
Apology--Jack, come say sorry to Mommy for disobeying. Hug & kiss.

Games & Learning

Jack likes to play simple games like Memory. We play it with 12 cards and match the ones that are the same. He can also count to 10, say the alphabet, and we are working on shapes and colors.

Jack & Bailey

Jack is a great big brother to Bailey. He plays with her, brings me things I need (burp clothes, etc.), and likes to hold her. He does an okay job of sharing with her and we are encouraging that. Sometimes he plays a little rough (falling on her, jumping around), but she seems to love it, so as long as she's not crying, we go with it.

Travel

I put Jack's seat in the middle so that I can turn around and unlatch him. He then climbs up into the front seat and waits for me to let him out. Meanwhile, I get out of the car, close my door, and get out Bailey (who sits directly behind the driver). Then I get Jack, who holds my hand into the store/doctor's office/church.
OR
I get Jack out and carry him around to Bailey's door. I put him in the corner of the triangle that the open car door makes with the side of the car. I tell him, "Do NOT move." I get out Bailey's seat, then take Jack's hand and we walk in.
ALSO
Sometimes Ieave Bailey in her seat, but I usually take her out and put her in the front pack or just hold her. She's just going to fuss in the seat, anyway--unless she's REALLY out.