Jessica TwosTeacher

Something to think about …

“We have to leave the park in five minutes.” “How about six?”

“You need to work on this for ten minutes.” “No, I choose nine!”

What do you say next?

Do you dig your heels in? Fight for that sixty seconds? That sixty *grumpy, angry, dysregulated* seconds, that might just poison the whole thing?

I heard this back-and-forth play out quite often at some of the schools I worked at. Many of them felt like the right thing to do, the thing they were required to do, the thing they felt came naturally to them, was to refuse.

Hold the line.

Dig in.

Make sure they know that their own empowerment, their agency over their body, is not worth sixty seconds to you. Try to break them of thinking that they could ever have that kind of right, to tell you that their brain would like a say in the way they’re treated.

Really?

It’s hard for me to think of a “less expensive” way to empower a child than to spend sixty seconds on it.

Are there some kids and some situations when they ask for one more minute and what they really mean is “I need eight more hours, I’ll never ever be ready to leave”? Yeah there are. Does that mean they should be shut down before they ever get the chance to try? No, I don’t think it does. This would be an excellent time for my “naming the subtext” tool — an excellent time to say, “Hey, I’ve noticed that when you ask for one more minute, it’s still really hard for you after that minute is up. Is there a better way that we can make a deal we can both keep?”

Heck, I make promises to do things for people and then later those promises feel impossible and I can’t remember why I made them. I don’t know why I’d expect any different from a child.

Am I saying you have to get caught in an infinite loop and never hold a limit? No, of course I’m not saying that. There are times when there’s no wiggle room. Or when the wiggle room has already been wiggled, and now that’s done. I actually think there’s a world of difference between a kid who’s carried (lovingly) off a playground after 5 minutes, having never had their voice heard, and a kid who’s carried (lovingly) off a playground after 6 or 7, because one negotiation wasn’t enough and they’re not able to be ready to go of their own volition.

This is also all assuming that a child is old enough for time to be a meaningful measurement to them, which is only really true by like 6, 7, 8 on up…. Before that, measuring it in something concrete (“five more slides”, or “one more episode”, or “we’re going to clean up for as long as this song is”) is a lot more meaningful.

Some kids thrive on having a timer set or being a part of choosing to set it; for some, the very concrete visual of their time slipping away is understandably overwhelming. You gotta know the kid you’re working with.

Just… keep the long game in mind. A kid bartering with you is a kid who wants to work with you, but also wants to get to have a say in their own life.

That’s not bad. That’s not outrageous. That’s just human.

[Image description: A stock photo of an old-fashioned hourglass timer filled with blue sand against a dramatic black background. Words to the side say: It’s hard for me to think of a “less expensive” way to empower a child than to spend sixty seconds on it. End description.]

One of my heroes!

The Mister Rogers stamp was first issued on March 23, 2018, in Pittsburgh, PA. It served as a tribute to Fred Rogers and his enduring values of kindness, honesty, and deep care for others.
Now we have a special opportunity to bring this stamp back! As part of its 250th anniversary celebration, the U.S. Postal Service is inviting the public to vote on a past stamp for reissue, and the Mister Rogers stamp is one of the options. Let’s give Fred our stamp of approval and help bring a little more kindness back to the mail.
You can vote as many times as you like through September 30, 2025. Visit https://www.stampsforever.com/vote to vote.

So great for littles nervous about doctor visits! My twins played doctor even prior to this, but they love taking turns checking everyone’s heart with our stethoscopes!

Coming this week! Our *DOCTOR* episode!!! 🩺🥼❤️🎉🥳

Huge thank you to Manhattan Valley Pediatrics Dr Hoffman & their wonderful team!

And our super special guests Emma Memma & Loryn Brantz Books and Illustration 's amazing daughter Dalia ✨💜

Huuuuuugggeeee thank you to our amazing team for working SO hard to make this video SO special! Aron Accurso Beth Jean Loryn Brantz, Ashley DeLeon, Kevin McShane, Rina Cohen, Augie Marchese, Marcy Pritchard

We can't wait to share this with our amazing community.. YOU and your wonderful little ones!!! Thank you for all your wonderful support! WE LOVE YOU! 😍😍😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

February 16 • Nacho Cheese!! Safe to say it’s Gideon loves nacho cheese like his mama! I know this situation probably makes some people a bit nervous, especially having the mess of it all in your house. But I was excited! I got to capture one of his first hand washing experiences!!

February 16 • I remember getting tears in my eyes when I got this photo of Annabelle. She was standing on her own, for the first time at school! So proud of herself, she stood for a while I was told. And though I had been waiting over a year for my baby girl to stand on her own, it was somehow still bittersweet. She was late to the game, but she didn’t give up. She worked so hard to get here, and now look at her! 🥺 Of course, now she wants to run and encourage while silently hoping she will still follow safety rules and not do everything Gideon does so fearlessly. 🫠

UNFILTERED • February 4th • I have to laugh every time this picture comes up in my memories or I’m scrolling through memory lane. I used to think have twin two year olds would be a blast! I do it every day at work. I’m a PRO right?!? 😂 WRONG! (And any of you who see me come/go with the twins everyday can see they got mommy wrapped lol. The amount of times we have done a setup like this, I can count on one hand. The amount of times we have used an open cup is laughably low. It’s hard!! When there is two, it starts off so sweet. Then they start to play, but you want them to eat more so you make them stay, and they eat/play, make a mess. And that mat underneath? I cannot remember the last time we used it! It’s gotten better now that they are two and half. But let me tell ya, I learned as a parent, that things are different at school! It’s a different environment, a different experience, with different expectations (yes, even from a teacher lol), and just a different comfort level being at home. So raise ya hand if you’re kids sometimes eat on your lap 🙋🏾‍♀️sometimes have dessert before or with dinner🙋🏾‍♀️rarely “serve” themselves 🙋🏾‍♀️drink milk only for dinner🙋🏾‍♀️usually drink from an sippy cup 🙋🏾‍♀️ oi. It’s a wild ride. We are a work in progress!

February 14 • This was one solution to the twins always pulling my glasses off to wear them! They were a little big at first, but clearly Gideon did not mind!!

February 14 • Anna and Gideon’s move to twos was staggered, giving Anna time to catch up physically to her peers. It was filled with sweet moments of her independent play, forming new friendships, and many cheerful reunions at the end of the day. While she was still in the toddler room, her teachers made sure to show up with activities that were still fun and challenging.

February 13 • Pure Joy. These are the moments I live for and am so thankful to be a part of it through words and pictures. My kids have been privileged enough to attend school at this age and seeing their development and growth makes it all worth it.

February 12th • Sleepy babes. I got them little couches so they could sleep for nap on the ground like at school. This lasted….umm a month? Before they revolted and didn’t want to sleep…. So back to their cribs they went! But it was cute while it lasted! 🤣 They love the couches still so that’s good!