Overcoming Frustration

What to do with a six-year-old who is frustrated from learning to tie his shoes? Make him do it again. Grit and Grin and tie it again. And again. And again. OR end up tying shoes for a 30-year-old man (???) Yeah. No.

Each of my three older children are different in this way. Maestro has had a lot of experience at things coming relatively easy for him. With music, he has never had to really press through frustration because he "gets it" on the first or second try. It's just his thing. Smeagol, on the other hand, has long had to work for every. single. step.

Meeting on Common Ground

We sleep in a queen-size bed. Given that we've been married for twelve years, I know this is not a shock to anyone. Buttercup is transitioning out of the queen-sized bed. That might be somewhat more of a shock, but we keep a family-bed concept going for the first couple of years and then move them to their own space (or more likely, space that they enjoy sharing with a sibling.) Most nights, the queen-size bed is fairly comfortable for the three of us: all have enough room and covers; we're cozy and warm without being crowded.