Johnny has something new and fun to play with.
Maureen.
This is a good thing because he has accepted her into the family, and it's sweet to watch the sibling dynamic. Plus he helps keep her happy if I have to make a phone call or sit down for a minute or something. He brings her piles of toys, shows her all of his toys (and tells her who gave it to him). If she is in her exersaucer he sits next to her, showing her all the toys, saying "Look at this one, Maureen! Look!"
This is a bad thing because he has no concept of being gentle.
The other day I put Maureen in her bouncy seat so I could get Johnny dressed so we could go somewhere. I left the room for exactly 30 seconds to grab my toothbrush, and when I came back, Maureen was on her back on the floor.
"Maureen wanted to lie on the floor!"
*feeling faint* "Ummm...did you put her there?"
"Johnny put Maureen on the floor!"
Now, Maureen is not a big baby, but she's probably somewhere around fifteen pounds. Johnny can't weigh anymore than twenty-six pounds or so.
I put her back in her seat and asked him to show me how he put Maureen on the floor, then sat next to her to run interference.
He unbuckled her. He leaned over and grabbed her around her waist. And heaved. And heaved again. Sort of like I would look if I was trying to pick up a hundred pound bag of dog kibble.
So we sat down and had a discussion about how babies are little and how babies need tender loving care and how Johnny is not allowed to pick up Maureen.
He looked puzzled, as if he didn't understand what the big deal was, so I put it into Johnny terms.
"If you pick up Maureen, she might clunk her head and then she'll cry."
He looked alarmed. I'll have to remember 'clunk your head' as a catch phrase!
Maureen.
This is a good thing because he has accepted her into the family, and it's sweet to watch the sibling dynamic. Plus he helps keep her happy if I have to make a phone call or sit down for a minute or something. He brings her piles of toys, shows her all of his toys (and tells her who gave it to him). If she is in her exersaucer he sits next to her, showing her all the toys, saying "Look at this one, Maureen! Look!"
This is a bad thing because he has no concept of being gentle.
The other day I put Maureen in her bouncy seat so I could get Johnny dressed so we could go somewhere. I left the room for exactly 30 seconds to grab my toothbrush, and when I came back, Maureen was on her back on the floor.
"Maureen wanted to lie on the floor!"
*feeling faint* "Ummm...did you put her there?"
"Johnny put Maureen on the floor!"
Now, Maureen is not a big baby, but she's probably somewhere around fifteen pounds. Johnny can't weigh anymore than twenty-six pounds or so.
I put her back in her seat and asked him to show me how he put Maureen on the floor, then sat next to her to run interference.
He unbuckled her. He leaned over and grabbed her around her waist. And heaved. And heaved again. Sort of like I would look if I was trying to pick up a hundred pound bag of dog kibble.
So we sat down and had a discussion about how babies are little and how babies need tender loving care and how Johnny is not allowed to pick up Maureen.
He looked puzzled, as if he didn't understand what the big deal was, so I put it into Johnny terms.
"If you pick up Maureen, she might clunk her head and then she'll cry."
He looked alarmed. I'll have to remember 'clunk your head' as a catch phrase!
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