From the category archives:

Tending the relationship

Infants and toddlers go thru many changes and it is important – and sometimes difficult – to ensure that you are doing what they need and what they want all the while respectfully guiding them thru these early years. Tending to the relationship is a collection of my thoughts on how to tend the relationship between my son and I.

Learning to give him his space

6 September 2009 Tending the relationship
Thumbnail image for Learning to give him his space

After recovering from the blacklisting I experienced from my son last weekend I thought that we might be onto something. Coincidentally while reading How Children Learn by John Holt, the author outlines some situations similar to the one that we had happen.
It was becoming clear to us that our son needed to feel that his [...]

1 comment Read the full article →

Papa No! Blacklisted by my own son

29 August 2009 Tending the relationship
Thumbnail image for Papa No! Blacklisted by my own son

So my wife has been sick for the last few days and I took some time away from work to be with my son. We had a blast heading out on his bike to the post office, several different parks and spending some time watching an excavator clean out part of a street they are [...]

1 comment Read the full article →

Permission Parenting: getting the thumbs up before taking action

17 August 2009 Tending the relationship
Thumbnail image for Permission Parenting: getting the thumbs up before taking action

So I did it again today. I took action that involved my son without communicating with him first. In this case I should have seeked his permission before taking action. Luckily I didn’t get in trouble for it.
We have in our living room the ubiquitous Ikea table (see image) where we spend time during the [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

Tending the relationship when trying to cut a toddlers fingernails

13 August 2009 Tending the relationship
Thumbnail image for Tending the relationship when trying to cut a toddlers fingernails

On the heels of The Haircut: Toddlers and Barbers don’t Mix, a post about something similar: nail clipping!
It turns out many babies and toddlers do not enjoy nail clipping either, and my wife and I have suspicions that it may be linked to the fear of the why are you removing part of me? kind [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

Let them know what is happening

9 August 2009 Tending the relationship

Yesterday we had some friends and my in-laws over helping us move some stuff upstairs and finish off some work we have recently had done on the house. Things were busy and I had to go down to one of the local restaurants to order a paella for lunch.
My son was waiting at the door [...]

2 comments Read the full article →

Hey son, lets go and {do something}!

7 August 2009 Tending the relationship
Thumbnail image for Hey son, lets go and {do something}!

My wife and I have set up our days such that, after an early rise to get ahead on work and some household things in motion, I have the pleasure of spending an hour and a half every morning with my son before getting down to work for the day. Needless to say I am [...]

2 comments Read the full article →