Tammy D

Okay, I have already asked this question in home and garden and didn't get many answers so I was wondering if any other parents have had this problem with outside toys.

We bought my kids a cute little play house for the backyard. We set it up and everyday, we find several little spiders all over it. I don't know how to get rid of them. Does anyone know how to safely get rid of the spiders without causing any harm to my kids or dog?

We have tried taking it apart and scrubbing the whole thing with hot soapy water, we washed everything, to make sure there were no spider eggs or webs any where on the house, but we still find several spiders on it everyday.

We bought my kids a cute little play house for the backyard. We set it up and everyday, we find several little spiders all over it. I don't know how to get rid of them. Does anyone know how to safely get rid of the spiders without causing any harm to my kids or dog?

My daughter is autistic and almost completely non-verbal, but she is super smart. She is 3 years old, but not ready for preschool yet. I want her and her twin brother to start the preschool education here at home with me. I have a few websites that I can print free worksheets, but I was wondering if anyone knew of any other ones that would be good, and free.

Currently I use http://www.preschoolcoloringbook.com/

http://www.first-school.ws/

and http://www.coloringcastle.com/

I was just wondering if anyone knew of any others that might be good.

Tomorrow, my 3 year old toddler is going to be evaluated for Autism. I was wondering if anyone has had a child that young evaluated? I would like to know what kind of things they will be doing to evaluate her.

When you take your toddlers to the park, do you watch them carefully or assume they will be okay while you chat with other parents or talk on the phone?

Since the heat wave here finally broke we took our two year old twins to the park a few times. The first time there were close to 40 or more little kids there. It was during school hours so most of the children were small toddlers (too young for school). Most of the parents just sat at tables and didn't watch their kids at all. Our kids are only 2 and they haven't been to the park very many times so we always walk with our kids, we stand behind them while they climb the ladder to the slide so they don't fall. We push them on the swings and make sure they don't walk in front of the other kids swinging. We are never out of arms reach of our children. Most parents just let their kids go. Some will push their kids on the swings, but there are some parents who don't even watch their kids. While I was there a little boy about 3 years old fell and hurt his knee (he wasn't bleeding but he was crying and screaming "mommy"). No one came to the child, so I picked up my daughter nad walked over to him. I asked him if he was okay and if he knew where his mommy was. He didn't so I asked him if he even knew what color shirt she was wearing and he didn't. I walked with him from table to table to find his mother when we finally found him she said "oh, I thought you saw where we sat down". Really? She wasn't watching her kid he was crying for her and she didn't see him or hear him? What if someone other than a concerned mother found him? What if a kidnapper got him?

The second time I took them to the park, we went on a saturday (but later in the day) so there were only two families other than us there. One of the families had a very small child maybe 12 months (he was bearly walking). He was wondering all over the park and the parents were expecting a child about 7 to be watching him while they sat chatting. There is a huge drainage ditch that goes through the middle of that park. He could have fallen in and drown. The other family had three older boys maybe around 7, 8, and 9. They were throwing trucks over the slide and swings. They almost hit my kids a few times. They were even climbing on the outside of the covered slide. The parents didn't say anything to them. One of the kids even said hey dad look at how far I can make the car go. And then he threw the car up the slide as my 2 year old daughter was trying to go down the slide.

My questions are 1. Do you watch your kids at the park or or you let them terrorize the other kids and push others down the ladder to the slide (that happened to a little girl the first day we went to the park). 2. Would you have said anything to the parents of the kids who were throwing toy cars? 3. Would you have said something to the parents of the little boy that pushed the girl down the slide ladder/ What about the mother of the boy that fell and couldn't find his mommy?

I just recently got a new puppy. I was talking to some friends of mine and to my sister in law who were afraid that my new dog was going to kill my toddlers. We have 2 year old twins. Our dog is a lab mix and very large for her age. The vet is estimating that she could easily make it to 80 pounds. So my question is are you afraid to have your children around large dogs.

Of course we don't leave the dog around the kids without supervision. She is only 10 wks old now so she is just a puppy. And if you are one of those people who are afraid of big dogs, Why?

I just got a female lab mix. She is black with tan markings (like a rott). She is only 9 wks old and we are having trouble naming her. Can you give any suggestions. I was thinking of some kind of gem or jewel or stone. Maybe a flower or something. I want something different, I don't want a typical dog name.

So no one agrees with beating a child. And I know that some people don't agree with spanking, but for those of you who do spank your kids where do you draw the line between spanking and abuse.

My father in-law is serious trouble. He really hates me. Today he was here for lunch. My daughter (2 yrs old) crawled under her little plastic table and started using her legs to lift the table up. The table had her plate on it and my son's (her twin) plate on it, and their drinks. My daughter is hard of hearing, so I kinda yelled at her to stop as I jumped to grab the table to keep it from turning over and spilling the food, and hitting her in the head. So my father in law then looked at me and said "don't yell at MY kids". I told him that those kids were not his they were mine, and he had no right to tell me how to talk to them.

Now, I realize saying my daughter is hard of hearing is not an excuse for yelling at her. I feel bad any time I yell at my kids, but sometimes when there is an immediate danger of injury you have to get their attention fast.

So that is what happened earlier today. So then this evening after my husband went to work he called back to tell me that I am never to yell at his kids again. So I reminded him of some of the things that I have been told about what he did to his children when they were young and he told me that it was all lies. But my husband's mother told me about abuse that is just unbelievable. So my father in law got mad and told me that if he came in our house and found me kicking my 2 yr old son in the head he wouldn't stop me "because I would be right." First, it makes me sick to think he would even think I would do anything so horrible, and second, What makes him think that would be right?

But my question is this. If my father in law is going to constantly tell me how to deal with my kids (this isn't the first time) how can I have him around my kids. My daughter heard him undermine my authority right their in front of her. I don't want my kids to think that they can get away with anything as long as he is here. How can I get him to stop this?

So what skills should a 2.5 year old have. MY have twins and the little boy is showing interest in learning to write his name.

We color lots and lots of pictures all the time. When we sit down to color I always write their names on their picture. I always write it in front of them and call the letters out loud when I write them. As soon as I am done writing my son's name he always trys really hard to make the same letters. I was wondering could I teach him to write his name. If it makes any difference his name is Kayden. His twin sister doesn't even care if her name is on her paper or not. So I am not so sure she is really ready to try to write her name, but is it right of me to teach one child and not the other. But it isn't right to try to make her do something that she isn't really ready to do.

Both my kids are in speech therapy. My son is really getting a lot of the experience and is saying several words now. But my daughter isn't really talking yet. She only says dada and mama. But she doesn't connect those words to myself and my husband. She just says them without understanding the meaning of the words. I don't know how to help her. She goes to therapy but it just doesn't seem to be helping.

I feel bad about teaching my son something and leaving her out, but I can't hold him back just because she isn't ready.

So any ideas? Ideas on how to help Kayla start talking? Ideas on how to get both kids at the same level or at least close? Ideas on what kind of things I should be trying to teach them at this age?

And also at what age should a child start to learn how to write their letters and numbers?

My twins are 2 years old and they don't talk. My son only says 6 words, and my daughter doesn't say anything at all. She used to say mama and dada but she stopped at about 1 year old and hasn't said it again. I had them evaluated and the therapist suggested two 45 minutes sessions each week. I am concerned that at 2 years old holding their attention for 45 minutes is not only just hard but it is certainly impossible. I was wondering if anyone had any advise on how speech therapy is done for such a small child, and what kind of things can I expect? Thank you in advance for your advise.

I know a girl that has 2 children. A 2 yr old boy and a 1 year old girl.

When the boy hits someone (don't ask me why her kids are always hitting) she spanks him and then puts him in time out. When the girl slapped someone in the face they told her no and swatted her hand once. They spank the little boy somewhere around 3 to 4 times in one weekend. (don't know about the rest of the week). But as far as I know the little girl has never once been spanked. So I ask you, do you think this is fair?

What do you think I should say when I hear she is complainign that her son isn't really contected with her?

Why do so many parents expect their children to act like adults. I read several questions everyday that ask things like "why does my kid do this" and "how can I stop my child from" and "is this normal" and "is this autism"

And its all about normal child behavior. Why to parents want their toddler to act like an adult? What is wrong with a child acting immature? Isn't it true that the definition of immature is "child-like" Shouldn't a child act child-like? I have twins and they run, get loud, jump up and down, and don't sit still for long, loose interest fast, and don't listen. That is normal they are happy and healthy and have no problems. I would be concerned if my 2 yr old sat quietly on the couch watching a full 30 minute show, then got up and turned the TV off before leaving the room and picked up one toy to play with and put it away before getting another one out. That is not the sign of a healthy 2 yr old, that is the behavior of an adult.

So, why do people expect that out of toddler? Why is it bad that toddlers are loud and energetic? What is wrong with a child jumping and running and squealing at the top of thier lungs? Its called playing. Why should a toddler not be allowed to play?

My daughter is having ear tubes put in tomorrow morning and I have to admit I am a nervous mess. My son (her twin) had to have an MRI when he was about 7 months old and I was a nervous mess then too. Seeing your child under anesthesia is very hard. I am really worried.

I know that this is a simple procedure that is done millions of times everyday across the world, but that really doesn't make me feel any better. So I guess my question is what should I expect? How long after the tubes are in will it take to notice a change in her hearing? What about bathing her? How can I wash her hair without getting water in her ears? And to anyone whose child has had tubes, is there any pain, will she be cranky?