Posts Tagged "development"

Preschool Update

Posted by Michelle on Jan 20, 2012 in Parenting | 1 comment

I recently attended my first Parent-Teacher conference at TLE’s preschool. I’ve been to other Parent-Teacher conferences at TLE’s other school so this isn’t a new experience. Neither, it seems, is the report. Gross motor and fine motor skills are either age appropriate or above though she still only scribbles and doesn’t really draw anything recognizable yet. And her self-help skills and math skills seem to be age appropriate as well.

Speech continues to be an issue. She talks a lot but her speech is hard for others to understand and she is prone to meltdowns if she thinks no one can understand her. The director of the school asked if I was okay with bringing in a school district observer, which I am. I am hoping that the school district may have some suggestions but for now, keeping her in a typical preschool seems to be helping her a lot.

She’s continuing to develop socially. She tends to play alone and still doesn’t initiate play with other children though she will join in on invitation. Her teachers mentioned that she’s shown a lot of progress from when she initially started school in the summer to when she started going again full-time in December after that partial hiatus.

Overall, the conference was what I expected, including the same issues of attention and willfulness that her other school observed over a year ago. She’s better about it now than she used to be but still won’t do things like sit still for story time and directing her to do something can take some time. Hopefully we’ll find some ways wrangle her to be more compliant in the coming months.

Better late than never

Posted by Michelle on Mar 11, 2010 in Parenting, Therapy | 0 comments

While I’ve alluded to the fact that The Little Empress is turning out to be slow to speak, I have been a bit hesitant to talk about it openly. The reasons for this are varied but a lot of it comes down to guilt and feeling like I have somehow failed her as a mother. But I realize that hiding and avoiding a situation only tends to aggravate worry than alleviate it. Rather than worry in private, I figure that it is time to start talking about it and document what steps we will be taking to help TLE overcome it.

The Little Empress had begun to babble pretty early on in infancy and I was always sure that her first word was just around the corner. By 12 months she still had not uttered her first word but I was not worried — surely it was coming soon. But when her 18 month birthday slipped by without “Mama” or “Dada”, I began to get concerned. At her well child check at 18 months, our family doctor wasn’t particularly worried as TLE was obviously alert, curious and capable of understanding what was going on around her.

By about 22 months old, TLE’s had developed a small vocabulary, main filled with simple, two syllable words and a few garbled phrases. Though I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t gauge TLE’s development by comparing her to other children her age, I double checked her development against widely accepted milestones for her age. By my unprofessional estimates, her vocabulary was behind though her comprehension was about where it should be. I asked around online, seeking advice from other Moms. Several Moms advised me to look into early intervention programs through the county. After doing some research online, I found the early intervention specialists in our area.

Catching up…

Posted by Michelle on Dec 9, 2008 in blogging, Life, Parenting | 0 comments

Oh my poor, neglected blog, how I have missed you! I haven’t written in you since November… which was only about a week and a half a go but that’s a lifetime in blogtalk. I had been writing up a bunch of plans for a revamp of this blog, start getting some actual useful content to go along with my blitherings and maybe get a project or two up to see.

The blog revamp has been slow as I am still testing stuff on my test server. I have several yards of fabric waiting to be washed and pressed before being made into whatever I’ve planned for them, which I’m hoping will be a reversible pouch and a meitai. Daily life and happily, my freelancing has been keeping me busy. (*waves to folks stopping by from Freelance Parent* ) I’m happy to write stuff to add to that portfolio of mine. Yay

But the one thing… or should I say person… that has been keeping me busier than anything else is, as always, The Little Empress. In the last week or so, The Little Empress has learned to creep. OH DEAR GOD SHE IS MOBILE. She is creeping around, her arms dragging her body with her legs sort of helping. She’s amazingly fast and ever since she’s realized that she can get around on her own, she’s been more than happy to do so. Gone are the days that I could leave her on the couch without worrying about her rolling off. Now instead of rolling off, I’m afraid she’ll creep off!

As proud as I am of my little girl for growing up, I can’t help but be a little sad, too. Time marches on and every day, she’s getting closer to walking away from me.

The Mini Toddler Empress

Posted by Michelle on Nov 2, 2008 in Parenting | 2 comments

This is a NaBloPoMo entry for November 2008

When The Little Empress was just born, I — like most new mothers, I would imagine — thought I couldn’t wait for her to grow. All the possibilities that this newborn little one held were yet to be revealed and I was impatient for her to show me what she could do.

Like most parents with newborns, every little thing she did — from the rise and fall of her chest, to the wiggle of her tiny toes — was new, magical and awesome. Could you believe she did that?! And as time went on, we began to live for the milestones, her first social smile, holding her head up, rolling over, things like that. Before our eyes she grew and developed from a cranky, basically immobile little creature to a happy, gurgling little baby. It was awesome.

And then… she began to sit.

Sitting, I’ve come to realize, is probably the last “safe” mobility milestone though arguably the ability to roll over should also make vigilant parents nervous. I remember fretting around The Little Empress’ 6 month birthday when she still didn’t show any ability to hold herself in a sitting position; she always pancaked flat onto her face. Don’t worry, other moms and the doctor told me. She would sit on her own soon enough.

And they were right. While she still can’t put herself in a sitting position, she can hold one for an indefinite amount of time. I’m so proud of her!

But with sitting has come another development: a surge in her curiousity. I guess the new point of view on the world has opened up a new world of possibilities. But it is like a demon has taken control of my already demanding Little Empress — she’s obsessed with seeing, touching, tasting new things. And while I want to do all I can to encourage this, I have to admit: she’s driving me crazy.

The Little Empress has decreed that she must see and touch EVERYTHING POSSIBLE. Meaning that if she wants a certain toy, she wants THAT TOY and nothing else will do. She tires easily of her scenery and has quickly learned that throwing tantrums will more often than not at least get her the attention she wants to get her moved.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to figure out how my infant turned into a mini, non-walking toddler without my knowing it and finding myself wishing for that mostly immobile, (relatively) easy to care for newborn. And I’m also trying to figure out how I’ll survive when she begins to walk. YIKES!!