[blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights

Tue Jan 25 20:20:03 UTC 2011

Well, we thought we would strike while the iron was hot, so we went to 
Burger King last night, and Sarah ate a kids' cheeseburger that we tore up 
into bite-sized pieces.  Then she wanted to sleep in her big girl's bed, 
which has been in her room for more than a year, and in which she had showed 
absolutely no interest till now.  I've got a little twinge because all 
things baby seem to be passing away very quickly, but apparently this little 
adventure has helped her take a few growth steps that I hadn't expected.

Jo Elizabeth

"Some people see things as they are and ask why.  I dream things that never 
were and ask why not."--Robert F. Kennedy

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Veronica Smith" <madison_tewe at spinn.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 1:10 PM
To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights

> She probably ate it because  when in rome, do as they do.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of sharon howerton
> Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 5:32 PM
> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights
>
> Jo Elizabeth, I'm glad things went well, but don't count on Sarah eating
> meat now that she's back home! Yes, go figure is right!
> Sharon
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jo Elizabeth Pinto" <jopinto at pcdesk.net>
> To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 5:54 PM
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights
>
>
>> Well, we're back, and Sarah did great.  Apparently she asked where I was 
>> a
>
>> few times, but that was the extent of it.  More than that, she slept in a
>> big girl's bed and ate meat, which she never does at home.  Go figure.
>>
>> Jo Elizabeth
>>
>> "Some people see things as they are and ask why.  I dream things that
>> never were and ask why not."--Robert F. Kennedy
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> From: "Tammy" <tcl189 at rogers.com>
>> Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2011 1:22 PM
>> To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Oh I completely understand where you're coming from, I hate leaving my
>>> kids for any length of time.  It always seems that they've change so 
>>> much
>
>>> when I see them again, even if it's only a couple of days since I've 
>>> seen
>
>>> them.
>>>
>>> Tammy
>>>
>>>
>>> From: Jo Elizabeth Pinto
>>> Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 3:21 PM
>>> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
>>> Subject: Re: [blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights
>>>
>>>
>>> Well, time is short, but I think I could do something simple with the
>>> five
>>> things for five days idea.  Maybe five of the little suckers she likes,
>>> one
>>> for each day, and when she eats the last one, we'll be back that day.  I
>>> asked her what she wants to take along, and will be sending the big bear
>>> she
>>> always sleeps with.  She's actually excited to the max because she's 
>>> been
>
>>> to
>>> the place where she's going before, and even spent the night there once.
>>> So, like people have said, this may be more my issue than hers.  She's
>>> fairly adaptable and outgoing--sometimes I wish I could say the same for
>>> myself.
>>>
>>> Jo Elizabeth
>>>
>>> "Some people see things as they are and ask why.  I dream things that
>>> never
>>> were and ask why not."--Robert F. Kennedy
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>> From: "Melissa Ann Riccobono" <melissa at riccobono.us>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 10:52 AM
>>> To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights
>>>
>>>> This is great advice.  Reading stories in your own voice and recording
>>>> them
>>>> is a great idea.  Maybe if she likes to look at pictures you could give
>>>> her
>>>> a small album with pictures of you and her dad, and maybe even all of
>>>> you
>>>> together so she has something to look at if she gets sad.  You could
>>>> talk
>>>> to
>>>> your friends and see if they would be willing to have her draw a 
>>>> special
>>>> picture for you of what she has done each day you're gone, or do some
>>>> other
>>>> type of small project to give to you when you come back.  Also, as much
>>>> as
>>>> possible, having her routines will be comforting.  If there's a special
>>>> object she sleeps with at night, or a special book, or number of books
>>>> you
>>>> read, or favorite music she listens to either during the day or at
>>>> night,
>>>> make sure the friends caring for her know about these things.  Perhaps
>>>> you
>>>> could buy her something special before the trip.  When I had Oriana I
>>>> bought
>>>> Austin a Pillow Pet he had been wanting for a long time.  This is a
>>>> different situation, of course, but I told him the Pillow Pet was from
>>>> his
>>>> new brother or sister and was his Big Brother present.  I actually gave
>>>> it
>>>> to him a couple of weeks before Oriana was born, and he slept with it
>>>> every
>>>> night.  We really talked it up, and we told him he could bring the
>>>> Pillow
>>>> Pet to our friends' house when I went to the hospital to have the baby.
>>>> I
>>>> don't know if it was the Pillow Pet, or the preparation we did ahead of
>>>> time, or a combination of the two, but he had no problem going to our
>>>> friends' house and staying there for the nights I was in the hospital.
>>>> You
>>>> may want to try something similar--I don't know.
>>>> Preparation is also key.  I certainly wouldn't over do it, but
>>>> telling her that you and Daddy have to go on a trip, but that people
>>>> will
>>>> be
>>>> caring for her, and that you will call her and be thinking about her
>>>> would
>>>> help her at least to understand a bit about what is going to happen.
>>>> You
>>>> will probably be more upset than she is in the long run, but be 
>>>> prepared
>>>> for
>>>> tears when you leave and possibly some tearful phone 
>>>> conversations--that
>>>> is
>>>> if she'll talk to you at all on the phone.
>>>> One more thing I thought of...  It sounds as if she's all ready
>>>> familiar with the people who will be caring for her, but perhaps having
>>>> them
>>>> over ahead of time to play with her a bit so she is even more used to
>>>> them
>>>> might help.  Austin went to Wisconsin this summer with my sister for a
>>>> week.
>>>> I was really worried about having him away from me for that long,
>>>> especially
>>>> since he doesn't see my sister very much.  She came a couple of days
>>>> ahead
>>>> of time however, and when it came time for them to leave for the 
>>>> airport
>>>> together it was me who was crying after they left...  He was all ready
>>>> to
>>>> go.  Believe me, I know this type of thing is hard, but I am sure she
>>>> will
>>>> be fine, and you will make it through as well!  As always, she'll take
>>>> her
>>>> cues from you, so the more upbeat you can be about it, while also
>>>> acknowledging the fact that she might feel sad and that you will feel
>>>> sad
>>>> and miss her--but that it's going to be all right--the better off 
>>>> she'll
>>>> be.
>>>>
>>>> Hope some of this helps!
>>>> Melissa
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>>> On
>>>> Behalf Of Brandy W
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 6:32 PM
>>>> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
>>>> Subject: Re: [blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights
>>>>
>>>> One thing that tends to help is to read a book on CD or something that
>>>> she
>>>> can hear when ever she misses other you. Otherwise bring some things 
>>>> she
>>>> loves at home, and know you will be more upset than her. Hope it works
>>>> out
>>>> fine.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some
>>>> and
>>>> draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day
>>>> some."--Robert
>>>> Fulghum
>>>> Brandy Wojcik  Discovery Toys Educational Consultant and Team leader
>>>> (512) 689-5045
>>>> www.playtoachieve.com
>>>> Follow me on Face Book by searching Discovery Toys- Play to Achieve
>>>>
>>>> Do you want to: *earn extra income?
>>>> *get toys for free?
>>>> *get sale updates on our award winning products that have never been
>>>> recalled?
>>>> Just ask!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>>> On
>>>> Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 4:02 PM
>>>> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
>>>> Subject: [blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights
>>>>
>>>> Hi.  Circumstances have come up that have given me no choice but to
>>>> leave
>>>> Sarah with a family friend for about five days and five nights while 
>>>> her
>>>> dad
>>>> and I go out of town.  The sitters are completely trustworthy, so I'm
>>>> not
>>>> worried about that at all, but I've never left her for nearly that 
>>>> long.
>>>> Two nights has been the max.  I'm wondering if there's anything I can 
>>>> do
>>>> to
>>>> make this easier on Sarah.  Have any of you had to do this, and what
>>>> helped?
>>>> Or maybe it's only me who's worrying too much, and she'll be unphased 
>>>> by
>>>> the
>>>> whole thing.  Thanks for anything you all can offer, this list really 
>>>> is
>
>>>> a
>>>> helpful resource.
>>>>
>>>> Jo Elizabeth
>>>>
>>>> "Some people see things as they are and ask why.  I dream things that
>>>> never
>>>> were and ask why not."--Robert F. Kennedy
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