I cannot believe Tommy is officially 3 years old! We celebrated this weekend on his actual birthday which luckily was a Saturday! It’s so stupid how accurate that saying is, “The days are long but the years are short.” Right? It’s so annoying because EVERYONE tells me it but it’s TRUE.
In honor of my first born’s birthday, and per request, here is a brief update:
My Fat Baby Leaned Out
Tommy was always big as a baby but once he started walking, he leaned out and is pretty average now in my opinion. He weighs about 33 lbs I think and wearing age appropriate clothing but we buy big so he can wear it longer.
This theory seemed like a good idea at first but he destroys his clothes so I’m not sure Connor is going to be getting many hand me downs and if he does, they surely will have that vintage worn in look.
Potty Training
Potty training was a huge milestone for Tommy this year. We started with the Oh Crap! Method in March and are pretty much fully potty trained during the day at this point. He requests no diaper at night but it’s hard to do laundry every other day so we try to force one on him especially since he loves to crawl into our bed in the middle of the night. They say it takes a full year and for us it definitely took about 6 months. He totally regressed when Connor was born which I expected was still surprised when it happened. I still try to always have a pair of backup pants on me however.
Favorite Foods of a 3 year old
Tommy takes after his mom and loves sugar. I jokingly say he follows a Buddy the Elf diet. He loves gummies, cookies, frosting, donuts, and chocolate. We of course moderate his consumption but I’m not one of those moms who never allows treats. He is also a big fan of pizza, hot dogs (I get the organic chicken Bell + Evan’s at Whole Foods), french fries and ice cream like most children his age. I’ve always wanted an ice cream buddy so this works out well for me. Nick is not a dessert person.
However, our go to healthy meals include apples with almond butter, raspberries, mango, watermelon, strawberries, eggs and toast with any nut butter for breakfast. He eats roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower sometimes voluntarily. I have found that if we play “dinosaur” and pretend to eat the “trees” he gets excited to eat his vegetables. Chickpeas are also a favorite when picked out of my Greek salad from Flour.
I honestly struggle with getting Tommy to eat vegetables however he also likes octopus, scallops, shrimp cocktail and other expensive food items, you wish your children didn’t exactly want to eat, so he’s not terribly picky.
Personality
Tommy has always had a huge personality. He is a character and knows it. He’s funny and charming when he needs to be. He is also quite the rascal and loves to say no to his mom, what 3 year old doesn’t? At school, he is well behaved so I’m not worried but I do wish he learned to listen to me at home. Sounds like this is normal. He is a daredevil and how we have not visited the ER is crazy.
He loves to run around, jump and wrestle us. He loves animals so much and is asking for a dog already. He would benefit from a personal parkour course in a basement somewhere so maybe if we ever move out of the city, he can have one.
I also discovered this year that Tommy is shy! I had no idea. If you ever see me in the city and say hi, Tommy will definitely not say hi and probably sprint away. He may even tell me not to talk to anyone. This is new.
3 year old Sleep and Nap Time
Tommy has never been a great napper. He doesn’t nap in his bed, never has. Finally when I don’t want him to nap, he loves it and puts himself down. After school, he crashes on the couch or falls asleep in his stroller walking back. We are trying to get rid of the nap because on days he naps, he doesn’t go to bed until 9-9:30 pm. It’s a struggle and he asks us to lie with him. Days with no nap, he’s out by 7 pm which is ideal. Some nights he stays in his bed, others he wakes up and joins us in our bed. He sleeps OK in our bed with us these days and is super snuggly, so we don’t mind.
We try to put him down at 8 or 8:30 pm on days with a nap.
He shares a room with Connor and doesn’t seem to be bothered too much by it. When (if) Connor wakes up in the middle of the night, it doesn’t wake Tommy up usually unless it’s 5 am or later. Tommy usually wakes up for the day between 6:30 and 7:30 am.
Communication
This is probably the most drastic development from 2 to 3 in my opinion. Tommy went from 2-3 word “sentences” to being able to have a full conversation with me. Half of the time I’m thinking, what the heck are you talking about, I mean he still tells me a new character or animal that he wants to be for Halloween but it’s so rewarding. He enjoys tattling on his dad which is hilarious.
He also understands us and is able to do things that we ask like “Grab me a diaper,” “Freeze,” or “Turn off the TV.” The later is a new trick.
My niece has special needs so I understand how parents are anxious about this one. Early intervention is very important and helpful for children so if you think your child might be behind, it’s a smart idea to have them checked if you’re worried at all. It will give you peace of mind or a plan of action that is best when implanted early.
Age Appropriate Activities for 3 year olds
Some of our favorite activities in the city are the Museum of Science and Aquarium, going to the various parks, grabbing ice cream at FOMU, taking classes at Urbanity and just exploring.
I think Tommy is ready for his first movie but we haven’t gone yet. I haven’t been to a theater since before Tommy was born to be honest. He loved Disney On Ice which I was hesitant to try. Now, I think I’ll bring him to more shows in the city! Tommy went apple picking this fall and didn’t want to eat every apple he picked!
We tried Soccer Superstars this year. It wasn’t for us. I think we will have to wait another year. There was too must “demonstration” and not much “soccer” in my opinion. Could have been our coaches or class but I was bummed. Tommy needs to go somewhere like My Gym. I need to just drive to Allston but with winter/snow/parking/naps/falling asleep in the car, it’s just that much more of a challenge to do.
Challenges For Mom at 3 Years Old
Going to bed is the hardest thing for us right now. If he naps, he just won’t go to sleep but then he can’t go more than 1 or 2 days in a row without a nap. He makes us lie down with him and won’t let us leave without a tantrum. Some parents could just shut the door but we can’t because he shares a room with Connor who is already sleeping when it’s his turn to go to bed. We use a timer on our phone and say, “Mummy will lie down with you for 2 minutes and then when the timer goes off, I’m going to leave.” After 2 or 3 timers, I’m usually able to get out of his bedroom. Lights are now off but he still requests the door open and we leave the light on in the bathroom.
Getting dressed always seems to be my next biggest struggle of the day . He loves to be lazy and hang out in his pajamas. I don’t blame him but it’s challenging to get out the door with two kids and he makes it even harder by sprinting away from me in giggles every time I try to get him to put on a pair of pants.
Other challenges include getting him to eat a variety of vegetables or other “good for you” foods, listening to mom especially when it comes to playing nice with baby brother and limiting screen time. Tommy is very into watching TV which is a challenge to limit when you have a baby brother and live in a small condo with a TV 2 of the 3 rooms.
I’m trying to write this post with you, the reader in mind, and not use it a personal baby book.
I love this age, I’ve loved every age of Tommy’s except the first 3 months (lol) and can’t wait to have even more fun this year!
