McKenzee's Story - My Qs.

Amanda - posted on 09/06/2009 ( 5 moms have responded )

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37

McKenzee Ann Greer was born two months early on April 27, 2007 at 3lbs and 9oz. She had to stay in the NICU to learn how to suck on the bottle and gain weight, as she was healthy otherwise. McKenzee got to come home on May 14, 2007 at 3lbs 15oz and I was the happiest mother in the world! :)



McKenzee was normal other than her growth/weight for a long time. She sat up, crawled, and walked all around the average ages of full term babies, she was never behind like doctors say that premature babies are. She was one that's when she began speaking often and clearly and as she got older the more words she learned and the longer her sentences have become. She turned two in April and this is what she knows now:



- She speaks 6-8 word sentences and can have conversations with you as her vocabulary advances each day, but she struggles with answering questions. Like, "Why?" etc...



- She can say her ABCs and can recognize around 17 out of 26 letters of the alphabet, mostly on her own. She has learned recently several of them and learns more as the days progress. After recognizing letters, how soon do I expect her to learn their sounds?



- She can count to ten, sometimes up to fifteen, we really haven't worked on counting higher. She can't recognize numbers as well but on occasions she can recognize very few. She is very good at counting objects, she doesn't speed count "onetwothreefourfive..", she takes her time and counts the objects, one at a time. If she is doing so well at counting, can I expect her to do well in mathamatics? I ask because I am not good with math, at all, but my husband is extremely gifted in this area, as is my father.



- She knows these specific shapes, everytime: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, oval, diamond, heart, and star. She really enjoys learning shapes, we learned these through her Winnie the Pooh learning cards so these are the only shapes we have on cards. If she enjoys learning about them do you think I should try showing her more or let her learn them on her on or when she sees a new shape and asks?



Those are pretty much the basics that she knows, educational wise. As she has memorized many nursery rhyme songs and sings those a lot, though.



Her struggles are colors (she only gets black, white, and brown right everytime) but I catch her every once in a while doing something like this,



Example One: "Mommy, I have blue socks on today." They were blue.

Example Two: "Mommy you have a new color on your bed." "What color is it?" "It's red, just like your red bag." Both were red.

Example Three: "Can I have a yellow crayon?" She hands me yellow.

Example Four: "Spongebob is yellow mommy..".



If she doesn't tell me colors and I ask, this is what I get.



Example One: "What color is the bathroom wall?" "Gweeeeeeen." She'll say this and look up at me with innocent eyes and a smile. If I say no then she says, "Pupppppullll."



She does this episode a lot. If it's not green, then it's purple. Even if I ask her to think about it... she doesn't want to answer or she wants to name off random colors until she gets the right one. I assume she knows them and she'll come around when she is ready, but how do I know if she really knows them or not? Should I be worried or should I just sit back and be patient?



She also struggles with the potty training. She knows what the potty is, she knows that big girls and boys wear panties and she knows that she has the potty to go peepee and poopoo. But she never seems to tell us when she has to. Do you think she's just not ready yet, body wise?





I think that's all I have for now. Thanks!

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5 Comments

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Amanda - posted on 09/15/2009

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37

Quoting Julie:

Well, I wouldn't worry so much about her colors, numbers or the alphabet. My daughter is now 23 years old and highly gifted. What my husband and I did was to play games using all of these things. So it was fun for all of us. We played rhyming games, number games, geography games, etc. At the time she was 2 there was a wonderful book out which was called The Pig's ABC book (I think this was the title). Amazing book! The letters are hidden on each page throughout the story.

Regarding the potty training: best advice I ever received: It is the parent who must be trained along with the child! Meaning the parent must take the time, if necessary to go and place the child on the toilet every 10 minutes until they use the bathroom. And continue in this manner until they use it themselves. Although we as adults may think they "get it," we must remember this is really quite foreign to them.

One of the things I did was take my daughter to a clothes shop and show her panties. I explained once she could use the toilet on her own, she could stop using diapers and wear pretty panties, whichever ones she picked out. I kept reminding her of this and within about 2 weeks, she was wearing her brand new panties!

Again, relax and try not to worry so much. I hope his helps :)



She has been getting better with her colors, I try not to worry... but mostly I think she is holding back with things she knows just to come off as an actual two year old, you know what I mean?



 



And as for the potty training, I completely understand and I have done it all. I assume my patient is just running thin, that's all. :(



 



Thanks for the encouragment.

Amanda - posted on 09/15/2009

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37

Quoting Susan:

Hi Amanda,
Well you are just starting on the journey....my daughter could understand me at the age of 6 months...could not verbalize her thoughts....would get frustrated until I told her it was ok and we would figure it out.
Anyway, she is 15 now, taking 11 courses in school, is class vp, started a club for invisible children, is in 2 choruses, weightlifting, and a few other things.

My best suggestion is let her guide you. If she wants more stimulus, she will let you know. There were times that Cate wanted to read everything she could get her hands on and others she when she wouldn't pick up a book. The biggest problem is holding her back so that she doesn't stress herself out.

Sit back and be patient with everything...Cate came to me one day and said I want big girl pants...she was about two. I asked her if she was sure. She said yes and never had an accident.

Take one day at a time...it is scary and confusing. The one thing I will say, is for her schooling make sure she is tested for gifted and if you can get her into a gifted classroom. It makes all the difference in the world.

Good luck.

Susan


Hi Susan,



Thank you so much for your response. Your daughter sounds awesome and I wish her all the luck in the world. (:



 



McKenzee has been able to understand for quite a while, but at times she struggles with answering questions and it puzzles me. But I assume she can't be advanced at everything, so I don't let it bother me. Because I can tell her just about anything and she knows what I mean, even if someone would look at me like I was insane for speaking to my two year old like she was an adult, but I can't help myself... it's how she wants to be treated! I have never, ever baby talked and I hate to say it, but I find it ignorant. McKenzee must have thought so too because she prefers the company of adults to children... but just like like me, she can entertain herself with anyone, no matter the age.



 



And I will take your advice with the gifted progam. (:



 



Thanks for the support.

Meghan - posted on 09/07/2009

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10

Hi Amanda,
I see this and laugh because it sounds so much like my daughter Anabelle who is also two. Fortunately for me I am an early childhood educator and know the developmental stages which comforts me a little. Still I have to stand up for my little Einstein when people question her.
With all that your daughter can do it is hard to understand why some things she just might not grasp. With regards to her colors, sit back and be patient, they will come. Tell everyone who questions it, that she is only TWO! I have had 4 and 5 year old's come to me not knowing their colors. I am sure she is treated older and people expect more of her because of her vocabulary and intelligence. We must remember to let them be little and remember their ages. While somethings they may understand and reiterate, this does not mean that they should know everything and all at once. That is why their are developmental stages. Some things the brain is ready for at different ages and times, it will come.
With regards to potty training, I just concurred that battle, woo hoo! What worked for me is just leaving her alone. I did take her shopping, buy the panties, put them in a drawer she could reach so that she had access to them. She knew all the same things as well. Once I let go, she potty trained herself in about 3 days and has only had one accident in 2 months. When she is ready, she will let you know. Until then, let it be, as it might just be a power struggle and is probably stressing you out more than her.

Hope this helps, if at least just a little. Have a great day!
Meg

Julie - posted on 09/07/2009

25

12

Well, I wouldn't worry so much about her colors, numbers or the alphabet. My daughter is now 23 years old and highly gifted. What my husband and I did was to play games using all of these things. So it was fun for all of us. We played rhyming games, number games, geography games, etc. At the time she was 2 there was a wonderful book out which was called The Pig's ABC book (I think this was the title). Amazing book! The letters are hidden on each page throughout the story.

Regarding the potty training: best advice I ever received: It is the parent who must be trained along with the child! Meaning the parent must take the time, if necessary to go and place the child on the toilet every 10 minutes until they use the bathroom. And continue in this manner until they use it themselves. Although we as adults may think they "get it," we must remember this is really quite foreign to them.

One of the things I did was take my daughter to a clothes shop and show her panties. I explained once she could use the toilet on her own, she could stop using diapers and wear pretty panties, whichever ones she picked out. I kept reminding her of this and within about 2 weeks, she was wearing her brand new panties!

Again, relax and try not to worry so much. I hope his helps :)

Susan - posted on 09/07/2009

111

48

Hi Amanda,

Well you are just starting on the journey....my daughter could understand me at the age of 6 months...could not verbalize her thoughts....would get frustrated until I told her it was ok and we would figure it out.

Anyway, she is 15 now, taking 11 courses in school, is class vp, started a club for invisible children, is in 2 choruses, weightlifting, and a few other things.



My best suggestion is let her guide you. If she wants more stimulus, she will let you know. There were times that Cate wanted to read everything she could get her hands on and others she when she wouldn't pick up a book. The biggest problem is holding her back so that she doesn't stress herself out.



Sit back and be patient with everything...Cate came to me one day and said I want big girl pants...she was about two. I asked her if she was sure. She said yes and never had an accident.



Take one day at a time...it is scary and confusing. The one thing I will say, is for her schooling make sure she is tested for gifted and if you can get her into a gifted classroom. It makes all the difference in the world.



Good luck.



Susan