Harlee, my 3-year-old, loves to interrupt an adult conversation with some profound statement about the grass being green or a new dance move she learned. I try to let her voice her thoughts freely, while at the same time expressing the rudeness of disrupting someone who is speaking. Brinlee is just now entering the speech-growth stage of life, mostly using her voice to say "da-da", followed by a fat-cheeked raspberry. I have made every attempt to use a calming voice while conversing with my daughters, but also speaking to them in an intelligent manner. I can have a very "grown-up" discussion with Harlee, even though some dialogue needs defining.
I ran across an article on Yahoo! News about talking to your children that claims the interaction between child and parent is just as important to speech development as the adults input alone. Basically, Talk TO Your Child, Not AT Them.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Do You Talk AT Your Kids?
Family Time is the Best Time
As I watch my little girls play, I notice the bond they are starting to forge. I've also noticed one thing for certain, when Brinlee is big enough she is going to beat the poo out of Harlee. Maybe it's the inherent dominance that comes along with being 'big sister' but Harlee treats Brinlee like a toy. She wrestles with her, wags her around, and pushes her over. If it weren't for Brinlee's toughness, I would be scared of Harlee accidentally hurting her. Watching the two of them play is very entertaining. Harlee's favorite thing to do is pull Brinlee on top of her and bear hug her until she gets riled up. One day Brinlee will fight back, and I have $20 on the baby. Besides, Harlee is a cream puff and will more than likely tap out within the first minute.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
How To Teach Your Baby To Walk
There are many experts out there who give great advice on teaching your baby how to walk. Most of the information you find can be summarized in three steps:
- Once your baby is crawling, help him/her learn to pull up to a standing position
- Hold your baby's hands and help them learn to take one step at a time
- Once your baby learns to take a few steps, stay close to encourage confidence
Now these are all great ways to assist your baby in learning one of the major milestones in his/her life. But I have come up with my own list that seems to be a little controversial.
- Put your baby outside until they learn to stand up and bang on the door
- Let your baby grab the self-powered mower, and CRANK IT UP!!
- Once your baby takes a few steps, teach them how to hold a golf bag
I wouldn't suggest this for everyone, but for those of you who are looking to REALLY challenge your child give my tactics a try and let me know how well your baby does.
My baby girl Brinlee Kate
Note: The views expressed by Matt McKee in no way reflect the views of Ahh...The Poo Poo. The truth is Matt McKee shouldn't even be raising his OWN kids.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The 'Terrible' Truth
I have always heard the saying 'Terrible Two's' but I must admit when Harlee was 2 she was an angel. It wasn't until she reached the age of three that she started being 'terrible'. Now I understand this is a time in life where a young person evolves from the 'baby' stage and begins to question consciousness and character. But I'll be danged if they aren't hard to deal with. After seeing some of the other 'terrible three's' situations that our family and friends are going through, I must admit Melissa and I have it fairly easy with Harlee. Which worries me because Brinlee seems to be a very outgoing and adventurous baby right now. I think she will be a little more defiant.
I have always been a little rough and somewhat of a pest with my girls. OK, I'm down-right annoying most of the time. But I treat my girls that way so they will be used to being picked on and hopefully develop a constructive defense mechanism. They are both red-headed after all, enough to give the kids on the playground plenty of ammo to pick on them.
I was playing with the girls the other day and taking pictures of them. Most of the time Harlee is a complete camera hound, but I evidently upset her somehow. I'm sure it was my unequivocal ability to annoy her at any instance that caused her to storm off to her room. I followed her to her room, which made the situation even more upsetting for her. Now remember she can turn on the water-works at will. She started pouting and turned around to see my camera in her face. Her reaction was adorably hateful. She said ,"don't take a picture of me I look TERRIBLE". Melissa and I couldn't help but laugh even though she was obviously distraught. I guess she realizes when she LOOKS terrible, I only wish she would realize when she ACTS terrible.
I have learned very quickly there is no way to skip this 'terrible' stage in your child's life. I just accept Harlee how she is and allow her to express emotions freely. However, I do not hesitate to have a 'daddy talk' whenever she gets too big for her princess panties.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The story of "Skippy and the Spotted Horse"
I always enjoy story-telling with Harlee. We have a lot of fun making up new and exciting adventures with our imaginations. If you have never tried this with your kids, you really should. A child's imagination is so much fun to be a part of. Harlee reminds me of what it's like to be creative and care free, and she helps me forget the daily stress that comes along with being a grown-up.
I asked her to tell me a story last night, and it went something like this.
"One day a little girl was walking down the road. She ran into a man named Skippy riding a horse named Spotted. She was really scared of the big horse and was afraid to talk to Skippy. So she ran away and came to a boat. When she got on the boat a big monster came out and she ran again. She ran all the way home. When she opened the door a ghost was there and scared her one more time. Finally the little girl just decided to play outside with her mommy."
Now I know this story may seem somewhat silly. But after thinking about it I realized my daughter had shared with me a very simple lesson. She told me in one little story what her three main fears were and what makes her feel better. Big animals, monsters, and ghosts scare her and playing with her mommy makes her feel better. When I asked her what the moral of the story was she said "you should play when you get scared." How easy is that? With everything that is going on in the world right now, maybe we should just stop and play. Too many times we get caught up in work, finances, and other stress that takes our focus away from what is truly important. Our family and our happiness.
Take this lesson from my 3 year old and try to apply it to your life. Slow down, think about the fears in your life, and try to spend just one hour a day doing something that makes you happy. For more information on family time visit FamilyTime.com or visit the YMCA for ways to have fun with your family.
My Girls...My Inspiration
Just wanted to take this chance to let my readers meet my little girls. So next time I mention them you can put a face with their names. Here's my girls.
I apologize for the clarity of the photos, they were taken with my cell phone. If you want to see them you can visit my Picasa Site.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Top 10 Reasons having two daughters is NOT COOL
Before I start the list, I want to remind my readers that I feel very blessed to have two beautiful daughters. Fortunately they are still very young, 3 years old and 10 months old, so the fears I have are somewhat premature. However, they are real and one day will come true. Here we go.
10. Hitting the BAD years at the same time
If you do the math you will realize my girls will eventually be 16 + 13, God help me. Not to mention 18 + 21. So I have already planned for a stress-induced heart attack somewhere around the age of 45.
9. The day I quit being 'Daddy'
One day my little girls are going to stop seeing me as their 'daddy' and start seeing me as this tyrannical fascist that is out to ruin all their fun and future social development.
8. The SEX talk
OK, I'll be honest, when the time comes to discuss 'the birds and the bees' I will most assuredly take a prolonged golf vacation and leave the life lessons to my wife.
7. The first date
This is one of my worst fears, but also one of my most well thought out battles. I will just have to tell their first boyfriends I have no problem going back to jail over beating a teenager senseless.
6. Wearing Makeup
Now I do not agree with old-school rules on this subject. More than likely my vote won't even count. I just don't want my girls using makeup incorrectly. I would much rather see them made up as the girl-next-door as opposed to the rookie hooker on the corner.
5. Drama...Drama...........Drama
Enough said. If you're a female you know what I'm saying, and if you're a guy...YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING.
4. Too much shopping
I hope my girls and I can find common interests to share our time together, but I assure you it won't be shopping. I also know that their genes contain one-half of my wife's complete obsession with it. I will be there for prom and wedding shopping though. It's a must do to ensure proper dress 'coverage'.
3. The first car
This may sound like a stereotype, but teenage girls are not the best drivers. I know.....BOOOO. They just scare the hell out of me.
2. Three women with PMS
Wowwy...Wow. Scientific research has proven that women living together tend to have their monthly visitors at the same time. I will be making my monthly visit to the golf course.
1. Boys...Boys...Boys
I'll kill 'em. I know how boys are, having been one for a long time. Especially teenage boys who can barely walk without slipping in their own pool of testosterone. They leave a trail like snails. My #1 fear.
I can only try to enjoy the time I have with my girls while they are little. They still see me as a hero, role model, and authority figure. I won't be like every other father and wish for them to stay little forever. I can only hope they never figure out that getting 'cooties' isn't that bad.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Top 10 reasons having two daughters is cool
I grew up with a brother and no sisters, God bless my mother, so I never really experienced what it was like to live with girls until I had two of my own. Here is my list of the Top 10 reasons having two daughters is cool.
10. Getting in touch with my feminine side
I know what some of you guys are thinking, What is a feminine side? Well, I am a big, sloppy guy and sometimes we all need to to learn how to deal with things with a little more brain and a little less brawn.
9. Learning how to fix hair
Well my wife is a stylist so I don't have to deal with this as much as some fathers do. But being able to just pull up a simple pony-tail can be a valuable talent when you're in a hurry.
8. New experiences and interests
My oldest daughter is in dance and gymnastics classes and she's only 3 years old. It is very impressive to see the talent that some of these girls have, including my own little girl. These are not activities that a typical little boy is in to.
7. Opportunities to act silly
With little boys you can just throw a ball at them or wrestle with them on the floor and they are completely occupied. Little girls invite you to tea parties, singing competitions in their room, and cheer leading try-outs outside. My little girl serves a mean cup of air.
6. Date night
I know my girls are very young, but I hope to instill some manners and social consciousness in them at an early age. Besides, how else could they get in those PG-13 movies. = p
5. Teach them how bad boys are
I hope I have many years to go before I have to worry about boys. But who better than me to teach my girls about how YUCKY! boys are.
4. Learn more about women
I know absolutely nothing about women. Watching my girls grow up might finally give me a little insight on how to deal with the opposite sex.
3. Easier to potty-train
There are those of you out there who will probably debate this, but it only took us 2 months to get our first daughter completely potty-trained.
2. First word is "Da-Da"
Both of my girls said 'da-da' before anything else. My wife says it's just an easier sound to make, but I know who they love more.
1. LOTS OF FREE HUGS AND KISSES
Little girls are just SO much sweeter than little boys. And eventually boys get tired of that mushy stuff.
On my next post I will give you my Top 10 reasons why have two daughters is NOT COOL. Now don't get upset with me, I love my girls. There are just some things that fathers fear and I'll share them with you next time.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Funny Baby Pic of The Day
I am always on the lookout for funny baby pictures and videos. Here's a good one from ICanHasCheezburger.com.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Poop 'n' Pool, Pee 'n' Play
What's the first reaction that comes to mind when you have a new puppy, you're trying to get it house-broke, and it goes 'poo' behind the couch? Rub its nose in it, right? Well what do you do with your kids when they just refuse to potty sometimes, even though they've been potty-trained for over a year? I experienced two examples of this 'phenomenon' yesterday.
My wife and daughters, and a good friend of mine and his son, all went swimming. As you probably know, when kids get to playing and having fun they lose all track of anything else going on, including any alerts to possible bodily functions. Well my friend's little boy failed to inform him that he had to go 'poo' until it was too late. Of course the first instinct of a parent is to get upset and scold their kid because they spent so much time getting them potty-trained in the first place. However, he uses the same kind of parenting I do. Tell the kid "it's OK" and let mommy be the bad guy.
Later in the evening, my daughter and his son were playing at our house. We were in the living room and heard a short scream. My daughter came out of the room, holding herself and dancing. I knew what was next and how little time I had. I never even made it out of the chair before she gave up the fight to hold it in. This has happened a few times and it infuriates my wife. She forces her to wear her mistakes for a little bit to shame her into not doing it again. It may sound cruel but it worked very quickly to get her potty-trained initially. Again, my idea of parenting is to be the 'good guy'. When mommy left the room I told my daughter she wouldn't have to wear her wet panties and she could go back and play.
The funny thing is that boys and girls have different ways of dealing with 'potty time'. Little boys will just go ahead and do it and reap the consequences later. Little girls will wait until they are at the point of absolutely exploding, and then do a 'happy dance' while running to the nearest bathroom, ultimately not making it. I can't give my daughter too much grief over her little mistakes. My mother says I would be outside playing, pee my pants, run in and change clothes, and then go right back to playing. Must run in the family.
If you want help or want to hear some stories about other parents and their potty-training ventures visit Parenting.com.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Why "Ahh The Poo Poo"?
When I became a father I learned very quickly how my life was going to change. I faced my new responsibilities with a headstrong attitude that I would be the 'best' father I could be. Three months after my first daughter was born I decided to go back to school full time. I quit my job and became "Mr. Mom". Needless to say, those first three years of studying for school, changing diapers, and keeping the house going was a very challenging, low-paying, occupation. I made it through and arrived on the other side with a BS Degree and a relationship that most young fathers never experience with their daughters. In retrospect, the life lessons I've gained from my daughters are much more valuable than any piece of paper from a university.
Now my first daughter is 31/2 and we have a second little girl that is 9 months old. Which brings a truly literal meaning to "Ahh the Poo Poo" when you think about how many diapers I have to change.
For those who have young children you know how much fun it is to watch them grow. The "stuff" they say, the "stuff" they do, and the "stuff" you sometimes just want to scream about is what inspired the title of this blog. It is my endeavor to share my experiences, stories, pics and videos about my girls that always make me think ..."Ahh The Poo Poo".
A little about the McKee's...
I started this blog to share my journey through 'Daddy-hood' and learn from other people going down the same path in life. I have realized in a very short time that living with a wife and two daughters is not an easy task. And definitely not something I was completely prepared for to be honest. Don't get me wrong, this is not an attempt to find sympathy but more of an opportunity to share stories, advice, and general interests with other individuals who have young children.
Just to give a brief background of myself, I married my beautiful wife Melissa on January 15th, 2005. Our first daughter, Harlee Callan, was born on August 14th, 2005. Three years later our second daughter, Brinlee Kate, was born on August 28th, 2008. Now our family is pretty much complete, minus maybe a family pet in the future. Melissa and I have been married for 4 1/2 years now, Harlee is now 3 1/2 and Brinlee is 9 months old.
I have many stories, pictures, videos, and information to share and I hope to get some much needed feedback from my readers. This a work in progress and hopefully it will become a great way to our family and see how we grow together.
Matt McKee
Founder
Ahh The Poo Poo
