Partial Vent and Partial need of Reassurance

[kitkat]

Ok, I need to start by saying I know this is normal, but I'm getting sooo frustrated! Dcg is 2.5. DD just turned 2 this week. Here are my 3 biggest issues/frustrations:

1. Dcg is telling me every single time DD is doing something she shouldn't. I know it's age appropriate and that she sees DD do something wrong and she knows it's wrong, so she's telling. I'm right there, I clearly see that DD is doing something (the frustrating part). If she can tattle on DD all the time, why can't she apply rules to herself like not hitting or biting (vent and rhetorical question)? Any suggestions on what I can say to her to stop telling so much?

2. Dcg has terrible speech. She can say a sentence, but it is so hard to understand. For example, she'll try to say something. I'll catch the last word and can guess at what she's saying. If I have her repeat the sentence like, "Help me please," it'll be ah uh peez. If I have her say each word separately, it comes out fine. Any suggestions? Should I not even have her try to say it correctly?

3. Letters...she doesn't know her letters, which is normal. My frustration comes when she can't tell me the letter name even after I tell her the letter. We were doing the letter B yesterday. Had no clue and called it something else. DD said the letter correctly. I asked dcg again what the letter was, and she still said something else. It continues like this throughout the activity. I don't think she's playing me, I think she just doesn't get it. I feel like I'm pounding my head against the wall at times. Please remind me that one day dcg will get it and it'll be so rewarding when she does

Like I said above, I know everything is age appropriate. It's just frustrating and I'm sure the pregnancy hormones aren't helping. I just feel like giving up at times. Any encouragement you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

[katie]

Yep, you sound in need of some time off! I understand. Dcg is tired cause she was up late and up again early. It has magnified the unending slew of tattling between her and my daughter. Today I said we are NOT doing this all day! Hang in there. You are doing the best you can and she will get the letters eventually. Every child has their own timeline.

[DCMom]

If it makes you feel any better, I have a 5 year old that acts the same way!

[Bizzymom1111]

You know what might help her learn her letters? Try the "Letter factory" by leap frog. It's a DVD and I swear it works wonders! My DS was kind of borderline with all his letters, and he watched this movie a few times with me helping along, and he knows all his letters, the sounds they make, and recognizes them! All in about 3 days! My dcb knows all his now too! I'd say to try that! Also, hang in there! We all have days where we want to tear all our hair out!! You're doing a great job!

[momofsix]

You know what might help her learn her letters? Try the "Letter factory" by leap frog. It's a DVD and I swear it works wonders! My DS was kind of borderline with all his letters, and he watched this movie a few times with me helping along, and he knows all his letters, the sounds they make, and recognizes them! All in about 3 days! My dcb knows all his now too! I'd say to try that! Also, hang in there! We all have days where we want to tear all our hair out!! You're doing a great job!

i just got this video too, it's the very first time I ever bought a video for daycare b/c I really don't like tv-but you're right, this is the best-all the kids know the letter names and sounds now! The only thing I don't like about it is I walk around all day singing "the a says ah...the b says buh ..."::

[Bizzymom1111]

i just got this video too, it's the very first time I ever bought a video for daycare b/c I really don't like tv-but you're right, this is the best-all the kids know the letter names and sounds now! The only thing I don't like about it is I walk around all day singing "the a says ah...the b says buh ..."::

That is hilarious and sooooo true!! I'll get that darn song stuck in my head for days!

[kitkat]

Thanks everyone! It's been one of those weeks and I'm so glad it's Friday!!

And thank you for getting the lovely Leap Frog song in my head! We have the Leap Frog train. It is a big toy and is so annoying that it only comes out a few times a year! Otherwise I'll be singing that song even when I'm sleeping! I can hear it now, "Alllll aboarrrrd! Chug a chug a choo choo! A says ah, a says..."

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

where did you find the dvd and was it pricey?

[momofsix]

I bought mine at Sam's, it also included a math dvd for under $13. I also saw it at Walmart and on Amazon for under $10 for the one, and also combined with others for very reasonable prices.

[momofsix]

Ok, I need to start by saying I know this is normal, but I'm getting sooo frustrated! Dcg is 2.5. DD just turned 2 this week. Here are my 3 biggest issues/frustrations:

1. Dcg is telling me every single time DD is doing something she shouldn't. I know it's age appropriate and that she sees DD do something wrong and she knows it's wrong, so she's telling. I'm right there, I clearly see that DD is doing something (the frustrating part). If she can tattle on DD all the time, why can't she apply rules to herself like not hitting or biting (vent and rhetorical question)? Any suggestions on what I can say to her to stop telling so much?

2. Dcg has terrible speech. She can say a sentence, but it is so hard to understand. For example, she'll try to say something. I'll catch the last word and can guess at what she's saying. If I have her repeat the sentence like, "Help me please," it'll be ah uh peez. If I have her say each word separately, it comes out fine. Any suggestions? Should I not even have her try to say it correctly?

3. Letters...she doesn't know her letters, which is normal. My frustration comes when she can't tell me the letter name even after I tell her the letter. We were doing the letter B yesterday. Had no clue and called it something else. DD said the letter correctly. I asked dcg again what the letter was, and she still said something else. It continues like this throughout the activity. I don't think she's playing me, I think she just doesn't get it. I feel like I'm pounding my head against the wall at times. Please remind me that one day dcg will get it and it'll be so rewarding when she does

Like I said above, I know everything is age appropriate. It's just frustrating and I'm sure the pregnancy hormones aren't helping. I just feel like giving up at times. Any encouragement you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

Sorry you're having it rough right now Hopefully the weekend will give you the break you need and deserve!

[missnikki]

For vent # 1,
I read on here about the 'tattling ear' (forgot what they called it). It's a big ear that hangs on the wall, and you just tell the girl that she needs to go tell the ear, it will listen. I tried it on a 5 year old miss bossypants, but it wasn't an ear, it was a big pole. She looked at me funny and walked over to it, sure enough she was talking away, flailing arms and all.... next time she started to tattle, I said, "you know who you should tell?" She looked over at the pole and started walking to it. It was really funny. I didn't think it would work on a 5 year old. People here swear by it.

[Crystal]

She's 2 and a half. I would quit pushing it on her to learn her letters, give her time to develop her speech on her own, and RELAX.

Why does she HAVE to learn her letters now? I don't get that. The typically developmental age is near 3.5/4 years before they truly understand what letters even mean. Memorizing the letters doesn't mean anything, other than they can impress the adults in their lives. All you are accomplishing is frustration for yourself, and for her.

[kitkat]

She doesn't HAVE to learn her letters now. We are doing them as part of our curriculum. Who doesn't expose kids to letters by age 2.5? I am not pushing it on her. We are doing crafts that involve letters and I go over what the letter is and the sound it makes. We talk about the letters in our names. She is not frustrated, I am and I keep it inside so she doesn't pick up on it. And memorizing the letters is the first step in learning how to match sounds with the letters. It's an important building block for reading.

I posted this thread because I was looking for some support and encouragement. Perhaps I'm reading the tone of your post incorrectly. I apologize if that's the case. I'm not trying to sound snotty or rude, but I feel like I have to defend that I'm teaching the letters to my kids. We all get frustrated in our jobs and I needed to know that I wasn't alone.

[kitkat]

For vent # 1,
I read on here about the 'tattling ear' (forgot what they called it). It's a big ear that hangs on the wall, and you just tell the girl that she needs to go tell the ear, it will listen. I tried it on a 5 year old miss bossypants, but it wasn't an ear, it was a big pole. She looked at me funny and walked over to it, sure enough she was talking away, flailing arms and all.... next time she started to tattle, I said, "you know who you should tell?" She looked over at the pole and started walking to it. It was really funny. I didn't think it would work on a 5 year old. People here swear by it.

You just painted the funniest picture:: I can see my 4.5 year old dcg doing that! I'll have to try that with her. Not sure the younger one would get it. However, she has been copying her big sister a lot lately, so maybe she would.

[seashell]

I use an old telephone and call it the Tattle Phone. I encourage them to tell the Tattle Phone. One little girl asked me if it goes to ***XX mommy's voice mail. LOL!