The rules!

Well, after a couple of weeks really struggling with Jamie's behaviour and getting to the point where I was scared of taking him out, we seem to have turned a corner. I have introduced "The Rules", and Jamie can recite them perfectly - "no throwing, no hitting, no screaming, no shouting, share the toys with all the boys and girls"....and the more recently added "no hit Daisy" (after an incident where he hit her on the leg in frustration at not being allowed to do something).

We talk about The Rules a lot, especially before we go out in the morning, and when we're at a playgroup, I follow Jamie around and tell him all the time what a good boy he's being, how nicely he's playing, etc, etc...basically going really over the top with praising him. It seems to be working and he's been an absolute joy for the past couple of weeks. I had been worried about how I would occupy him last week, as it was half term and there were no toddler groups to go to. But we had a fab time - we did painting, made playdough, collected leaves and made a collage, went to Over Farm to see the animals and get a pumpkin, and rounded off the week with a fab day out in the Forest of Dean on Saturday, walking the Sculpture Trail.

As well as being very cute and well behaved recently, my big boy has learned to count to twenty! We started off with just 1,2,3, and have built up from there. It's amazing seeing him learn new things. He's also fab with colours and can recognise red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, pink, brown, black and white. I don't feel that I've pressured him into learning these things - it's all come from his curiosity. I might start showing him what the numbers look like and perhaps letters too, but I don't want it to be a chore for him.

On the subject of learning, we have been told that Jamie has a place at Christchurch Playgroup, from February next year. He'll be going on Thursday and Friday mornings. I'm excited about it, but also quite apprehensive, as he has never been left without either me, Wayne or one of our mums - ever. I think he'll find it hard at first and I'm anticipating him not wanting to go to begin with. But I do think it'll be good for him and by then he'll be 2 years 9 months old and ready for it. From September next year he'll be able to go 5 mornings a week, so I think it's good to introduce him to it gradually. I'm going to find it hard leaving him, so I suppose it's just as much an adjustment for me as him.