Mutterings Of A Mindless Mommy

If you are anti-spanking or have thoughts on the topic, please join the Center for Effective Discipline as they debate parenting ‘expert’ John Rosemond on the topic of Corporal Punishment.

Is Spanking an Acceptable Form of Discipline?

Personally, I don’t believe that spanking does anything but convince the child to be scared of the parent.  I don’t consider it effective in the least bit.  I prefer to focus on more positive discipline techniques.

Yesterday my husband and I decided to try the kids out at the Playcenter at the local theater so we could see The Dark Knight.  The Playcenter is located in the theater and has licensed childcare staff.  It is geared towards kids 3-8 and has a bunch of fun activities for the kids.  The movie was a long movie and we had to be there early to get good seats so the kids were in the Playcenter for over three hours.

About an hour in to the movie I decide to take a quick potty break and check on the kids.  The staff out front said that they were doing great and then one of the gals says “They are so cute, are they twins?”  I’ve had this question asked before so I didn’t have that look of surprise on my face.  I said that my son was actually 27 months older than my daughter - the staff members were quite surprised.  The kids were doing great in the Playcenter so I went back to the movie.  Good movie by the way.

My son is almost seven and is about 46.5″ tall - that puts him between the 25th and 50th percentile on the CDC growth charts.  My daughter is 43″ tall which puts her at the 75th percentile for height.  My husband and I are both 5′7″.  I’ve seen conflicting reports but the average American male is either 5′8″, 5′9″ or 5′10″ so my husband is shorter than average.  The average American female is right around 5′4″ so I am taller than average.  My father-in-law is 6′3″ and my mother-in-law is maybe 5′2″. My dad is 5′10″ and my mom is 5′4″ (she’d say 5 feet 4.75″ if you ask her) so right about average.

According to the WebMD Child Height Predictor my son’s estimated predicted adult height is 5′9″.  Not bad…taller than daddy!  My daughter’s estimated height is 5′7″.  Of course none of this is set in stone but it is interesting to see.

I think my son’s lack of an appetite is what is really impeding his growth right now.  You can’t grow if you don’t eat, right?  My son is right about 42lbs which is in the 5th percentile on the growth chart.  I know that every child is different and considering the fact that Alexander’s weight was off the bottom of the chart, we’re happy that he’s chartable again. 

Comparing his current stats to previous stats is also fun:  when he was one month old, he was in the 25th percentile for length, 50th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for his head circumference.  I remember telling my dad “he’s short, chubby and has a big head” - it was a joke.  ;)  At one year he was in the 25th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for length - he flip-flopped his numbers.

Fast forward to his third birthday - he was a whopping 70th percentile for height and 60th percentile for weight - he was doing great!  I remember he had a good amount of chunk to his cheeks. Of course he only ate chicken nuggets, yogurt and bread but hey - it was working hehe. 

At five he was 43″ tall (50%) and 38 lbs (25%).  This is when he pretty much stopped eating.  In the last two years he’s grown 3.5″ and gained four pounds.  That is not much.  The period between age five and age six was rough on him growth-wise - he gained no weight and only grew one inch when he should have grown 2.5″ to stay on his own curve.

If he were to stay at the same percentages he was when he was five, he would be 46 lbs and 48″ tall.  He’s not off by much and we’re thankful that over the past year he’s been able to expand his list of acceptable foods and actually eats more often.  

The picture above is Alexander just before his third birthday and here is a picture of Alex just before his recital in June. 

August 1-7, 2008 has been designated as World Breastfeeding Week! There are a lot of festivities planned for the week and Attachment Parenting International (API) is hosting a giveaway on the official API blog - API Speaks.

API Speaks World Breastfeeding Week Contest

Simply comment on this post and you will be entered to win a copy of LLL’s seminal book on breastfeeding: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. If you’re a blogger, give this contest a mention, note that in your comment and you’ll get an extra entry in the prize drawing. Non-bloggers can get an extra entry by going to API’s home page and subscribing to our monthly eNewsletter–make sure you mention that in your comment! Winners will be announced in Friday’s WBW Wrap-up! Don’t forget to check out the other great giveaways on Bloggy Giveaways.