The Grandparent Thread

Looks like I’ll be back on this thread!!! Younger s and DIL expecting first in March!!!

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Me too JYM. Our son and DIL just presented us with the ultrasound picture last weekend. (It was H’s birthday).Baby is due in early March. We haven’t been given the go-ahead yet to tell the world. They’re still waiting for some test results.

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@Mansfield we are on this ride together!! Early March is a great time of year!

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Potty training is an area where human parents set unrealistic expectations based on other people’s experiences. For some reason potty training early seems to be a bragging point. It’s one of those first “leg up” parents secretly battle to be part of the group. Like sleeping through the night, reading early, and a # of other milestones that are not indicative of how successful or happy a child will be in life. :slight_smile:

In actuality, 40-60% of children are successfully potty trained by age 3 or 36 months. Often (not always) what happens is that PARENTS become potty trained - meaning they initiate the daily trips to the toilet on a very regular basis more so than the child initiating the need to go.

Exceptions of course but parents need to remember that controlling potty habits requires both physical readiness and mental readiness on the part of a child.

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Totally agree! GD was ready for daytime potty training a few months after turning 3. Daycare had regular potty times, and it was a matter of the home front - and her being ‘not scared’ of popping on the potty - she would hold it in at daycare. She uses a pull up at night (fits her better and is more ‘big girl’.) Her brother who turned 2 in July is not ready and doesn’t show interest. Now they have a newborn at home. Daycare will probably also give indications when he is ‘ready’. Parents were stressing over it, but now that one is ‘done’ I think DD will also do training at the appropriate time, and GD will also be a reminding helper.

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As my daughter was reminded, GD will not go to college in a diaper. While is sounds like GD is ready, my D and SIL, I believe tried to push; something that doesn’t work for this headstrong child!

They will revisit, or what until school starts the process of taking the class to the potty regularly. They were waiting for a new toilet to arrive, which should be there this week. They already do diaper changes standing up; no more changing tables. As GD loves her new teacher, I believe once they start taking her to the potty, she will go.

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I recommend the book “Toilet Training in less than a Day.” It stresses the idea of teaching the child how to stay dry, not asking if they need to use the potty.

We just told the kids they needed to be out of pull-ups before they started summer preschool at age 3.5. Both were able to do so and no drama nor accidents.

Jym626 and Mansfield, I’ll join you in the rejoicing! I think we are seeing a mid-Covid pandemic baby boom. DD and her wife have an adorable just turning 2-year-old boy, and are due in late January with a little girl! DS and his wife are due with their first, also a little girl, in midMarch, just 6 weeks later. I have the joy of babysitting grandson every day for a few hours, and I look forward to helping out with grandbaby 2. DS and his wife are trying to figure out a way to move near us. They have seen how warm and joyous it is to have grandparents nearby, and we hope to be able to help them out with some childcare. (And if you are Facebook friends with me, you will seen no sign of the absolutely cutest grand toddler ever. Neither of my kids want their children on Social media, so I restrain myself.) :rofl:

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Well, we shall have to call it a tie for cutest grand-toddler! :grinning:

I can post pictures, judiciously, but absolutely no name ever. D doesn’t want them searchable. She has given them cute online nicknames for when posted or discussed on her page.

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My DD does post a few pictures of her children. She complains a bit if I do use any of her pictures on FB, so on my FB so I usually limit myself quite a bit. She just posted a picture of her 3 YO DD, her 2 YO DS with a doll in the baby’s carrier - they were playing putting their baby brother (born Aug 31) in the carrier.

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I am absolutely, positively prohibited from posting any photos of my granddaughter. And I respect that.

It kills me! But I respect it.

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CONGRATS @anxiousmom! They are sooo much fun! Right now we are across the country to visit them for older granddaughter’s 4th birthday. We babysat for them last night and tonight granddaughter came over where we are staying and we made dinner together and she is sleeping over here. What a joy.

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Oh no, you guys would have to compete with me for cutest grandbaby. :slight_smile:

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My friends on FB are friends in real life. I do not have many acquaintances on FB. I told my kids that when I share pictures on FB is similar to when I share photos with friends at home. That being said, I do not post my GD’s pictures often (fear of annoying my friends) and I do not use GD’s name.

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Same here; no social media presence, at all.
I am allowed to show photos on my phone, or email direct to family/friends.

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While my kids will post an ocassion picture of their own daughter’s on Instagram, their followers are only true friends and family. Like @mominva I am only allowed to share with family and friends by email or show on my phone.

My dad, prior to the birth of his great grandchildren, would post on FB pictures of my kids with personal information; he would give their full names, where they lived and where the picture was from. The kids had to ask that he not do that, especially when the grandkids were born. While dad was not happy, he understood; he was given permission to post a photo or two without names, just “my great GD.”

My husband listens to a podcast, and sends weekly emails to the host; husband is actually mentioned regularly by name. It is a small podcast, but we have family stories shared on there often. Husband had been sending pictures to the host of the GDs to go along with his emailed stories. When my kids found out, especially my daughter, she when ballistic! The host is a public figure, so I am pretty sure he isn’t sharing these pictures, but I do agree with my daughter. What if his email was hacked and the kids information was violated? Husband still saw no harm in sharing the photos and sent a few more before my SIL found out; husband would share the podcast portions where they were mentioned. As far as I know, he no longer sends photos, but he still sees nothing wrong with what he does. :open_mouth:

Yes, some people have photos on their phone and use it like the almost non-existent ‘brag book’. My kids are ‘friends’ on FB. I sometimes show real pictures or I do have a few pictures on my phone. I don’t have pictures well organized on my computer - I need to get my ECE DH to get things ‘uploaded’ to the cloud, to our network, whatever. I have my areas of expertise and he has his.

I also am not really ‘expert’ on my phone either. I have gotten onto Kohl’s or Dollar General or Kroger out of necessity to get the coupon deals - or with Kohl’s if I forget to bring latest coupon with my loyalty status. Limited with other ap uses. I retire next week, so maybe as I see a need to learn, I will learn more.

I do agree we have to all be very careful these days with lots of things especially internet, secured bank info/financial information. I do like the two step security - I have my cell phone with getting the code and DH has his email if I am not home.

I am quite careful observing in our neighborhood and where we go. Criminal opportunists are everywhere – and somehow the feds are not really going after those stealing mail or going into mailboxes, which is a felony. Having to have more electronic security at home too.

My D posts photos of grandD on Instagram. D and family are on vacation this week and I enjoyed seeing photos of them on the beach. Saw grandD’s first time in the sand. My D usually sends me photos of grandD via instant messenger. I don’t show those to friends unless they ask and the only people who ask are my close friends.

DD2 ‘got mad’ when I was on FB (she was a teen then) but I told her I am not on a lot of the other things that can be ‘hers’ like Instagram. She is now 25 and private messages me on FB all the time. When she began college (at a large state U) she at first was ‘wanting to do it on her own’ but then realized I would find out about all kind of things she didn’t know (friends with kids already there, and great parent facebook groups) - so then she appreciated the help. “What do your friends know about…?”