tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post113000125847972106..comments2023-09-20T11:39:52.182-04:00Comments on Crunchy Granola: Learning to Eatsusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000470374101306070noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post-1130475177837776202005-10-27T23:52:00.000-05:002005-10-27T23:52:00.000-05:00Awww...I didn't write this so people would say nic...Awww...I didn't write this so people would say nice things! thanks for the kind words.susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12000470374101306070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post-1130436515577886222005-10-27T13:08:00.000-05:002005-10-27T13:08:00.000-05:00What an excellent post, and what wonderful parents...What an excellent post, and what wonderful parents! Hats off to you!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13441809988487585009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post-1130270089862157142005-10-25T14:54:00.000-05:002005-10-25T14:54:00.000-05:00Thanks for the helpful advice and kind words, both...Thanks for the helpful advice and kind words, both of you! I will get that book and take a look -- it couldn't hurt. Unless it will make me feel bad about how my kids live on cheerios and tortilla chips...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13441809988487585009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post-1130217325912200172005-10-25T00:15:00.000-05:002005-10-25T00:15:00.000-05:00Dear Phantom, This is Politica horning in on Susan...Dear Phantom, <BR/><BR/>This is Politica horning in on Susan's blog again. Thanks for all your kind words. I think that Susan and I did do a pretty good job with CG, but then again we've always been certain that my kid would end up in therapy one day. We just want her to have her own issues, instead of ours, you know? And we joke constantly about how CG's issues will definitely revolve around food... <BR/><BR/>I wanted to reiterate what Susan said: our speech therapist rocked. She was a terrific sounding board for us (even more so b/c her own daughter was going through feeding issues at the same time) and really did convince us that CG was a smart little cookie, probably smarter than either of us. It sounds like LG is smart as well (hence my curiosity and, err, trepidation about putting the two of them together!) For what it's worth, our lives really did get smoother when we put more responsibilities on her small yet mighty shoulders. Not that she always ate more, mind you. But at least were less crazed about something that we, in fact, had no control over short of force-feeding. And I have utterly no idea how one would force-poop a child...<BR/><BR/>Hang in there!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post-1130176055678775442005-10-24T12:47:00.000-05:002005-10-24T12:47:00.000-05:00Our speech therapist was really great for us, Phan...Our speech therapist was really great for us, Phantom, since she always reminded us that a) our child is smarter than we are and b) it really is ok, possible, permissible to go ahead and let her do the work.<BR/><BR/>Maybe you should get Ellyn Satter's <I>How to get your child to eat (but not too much</I> and read it, substituting "potty training" for every reference to food :). More seriously, it really is hard to step back, especially when it seems like so many other people's kids are doing something that is allegedly natural.<BR/><BR/>It is hard to give up the power struggles, though, especially when it seems like a capable kid should be able to do a different behavior. But then afterwards, I'd be thinking "all that agita for what, another half ounce?" and feel silly. It is definitely a rollercoaster.susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12000470374101306070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post-1130119913317783862005-10-23T21:11:00.000-05:002005-10-23T21:11:00.000-05:00Oh, you're very nice, Susan, but notice that I hav...Oh, you're very nice, Susan, but notice that I haven't posted about potty training for a week ot two. Yeah, I haven't been so good about not getting into power struggles lately. Sigh.<BR/><BR/>I really think I could take valuable, valuable lessons from what you and Politica did with CG.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13441809988487585009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post-1130094860852363912005-10-23T14:14:00.000-05:002005-10-23T14:14:00.000-05:00Actually, I think we're the lucky ones, in that we...Actually, I think we're the lucky ones, in that we are far, far better parents for having gone through this whole experience. We have gotten so much support from so many people on our medical/therapeutic teams, and our speech therapist helped us focus a lot of our parenting instincts. Not that anything she said wasn't something I couldn't have thought of myself (for example, at around 12 months she was urging us to use the sign for "my turn" and to practice turn taking with CG: I thought it was too early, but it laid the script for taking turns later on, and also laid the script for turntaking eating games). I think I communicate better, and listen better, for having had all this support.<BR/><BR/>Phantom, you're doing pretty darn well avoiding the power struggles with LG and the potty. You'd rise to the occasion if you needed to, which is just what we did. And this isn't to say it's not always been easy (since this post describes the kind of high road lessons learned). I've certainly had my share of lunches where I yelled at her to eat, had my nights of bleakness thinking she was never going to eat (not that having a feeding tube is really much of a bar to adult life: if that were the worst case scenario it wouldn't have been too bad in some ways), had my share of petulant fits when Politica called me on being too pushy with the food. But on the whole, yes, I've learned to be patient, to serve the food, and let her learn to eat it.susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12000470374101306070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post-1130093927702830372005-10-23T13:58:00.000-05:002005-10-23T13:58:00.000-05:00Thanks for telling this whole story. I am so impr...Thanks for telling this whole story. I am so impressed with how you handled it. Curious Girl is lucky indeed.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13441809988487585009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14962422.post-1130035318944345102005-10-22T21:41:00.000-05:002005-10-22T21:41:00.000-05:00I'm so impressed with the way you and Politica han...I'm so impressed with the way you and Politica handled and are handling the situation. I think the part you left out of the "combination of factors" is the patient and loving parents who focused on ways to help CG learn to eat, rather than turning it into a power struggle. I don't think I would have acquitted myself so well in a similar situation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13441809988487585009noreply@blogger.com