My friend has a home very similar and she put in secret passages through the closets to the other kids bedroom! They loved it then and still do. They are 12 1/2 & 11yrs My son is into FBI, CSI and police stuff too (8yrs old) and we have secret places, old cell phones, spy gear to listen far away etc. I think "spy" has to do with being top secret, so anything police related but you can't tell it's used to get the bad guy LOL Anything that is hidden, special secret boxes, false floor bookshelf, toybox with false bottom, locked safe/type things etc About his room..........one thing I realized was that I would somehow get my thoughts/opinions in what my son wanted because I wanted it or thought it was best 'down the road'. I've come to realize.........let them decide and do it, it's what they want and will like it no matter what because they thought of it. I also have a teen........it's all changed anyway, new bigger bed, new mattress, painted dresser, painted walls,posters etc. What ever he decides he'll grow out of it in 6yrs or so........and it's time to paint by then anyway and sometimes buy new funiture too. Good luck with it (btw....green walls help if he changes to outdoor theme, jungle theme, military theme : )

A large rubber mat to catch fallen food, snacks, drinks. Only half kidding. I drove our 20 mo old twins roundtrip to NC twice last summer. I can not say it was the most enjoyable trip ever and since I was the only adult, even bathroom breaks for me were difficult but the majority of the trips were overall good. Worst was sitting for over 3 hrs in traffic. We went a whopping 1.2 miles in those 3 hours of which the twins screamed most of the time. I had a cooler that I could reach with pre-filled sippy cups, additional bottles of water, juice to refill when we stopped. I also had made little cloth bags for cheerios and crackers and that sort of snack. I can't trust them with plastic bags but the cloth bags worked out well. I made sure the sippy cups fit into their car seat cup holders and bought extras of that type. We do not usually eat fast food but for the trip, I stopped at fast food places that had a place for them to run around a little and stretch their legs. Take toys but watch for how big or hard it is for holding in the carseat. Also, larger, hard toys hurt if they are thrown and hit you. Expect some protests at some point. Our one twin doesn't use a pacie but I took extras and she did use it for a few minutes before falling asleep in her seat. I left at 0 dark early first trip and I thought the kids would go back to sleep but they really didn't. Next trip I left after rush hour traffic and that was better except for the traffic jam. The trips home we left after 6 pm. That was actually the best time for the twins because we ate dinner, then left and by 8 pm they were asleep in their seats. We have traveled as far away as 34 hours with babies, toddlers, kids. Have your plan but also be flexible as to when you stop and where.

Are you with your son all the time? Have you left him before? It's not that your son is too young to be left with someone, some people do it right from 6 weeks so they can go back to work and they're kids are fine. What the problem may be is just that he's so used to being with you that he does have to have that time away. My DS is with me all day and even now at almost 3 when I try to run to the store or whatever he'll start bawling and want to go. It's just because I'm such a major part of his life and he's used to Mommy always being there. It actually helps us the more I get out even if it's just for 10 mins. Kids kind of just have to learn that Mommy will be right back and they'll be fine. Also there aren't too many kids from about a few months up that don't get upset when Mommy and Daddy leave them somewhere. They'll cry and tell you not to go but usually as soon as you leave, they're fine. I'll feel so bad about leaving DS with his grandparents so we can do somewhere and you'll call and they'll say he was fine as soon as we got out the door. It's like a test with them. Even my MIL said about when she helped out at the Elementary School years ago that the children there would do the same things. And TREKaren is right. Most times we dont' realize it as mothers but we make the situation worse. We keep hugging the child and saying it's alright and hang around as long as they keep begging us to stay and it becomes a habit or they sense we're upset about leaving them and use that. I guess what I'm saying is that give it time and see if he gets better. Also look at other factors like maybe one of the kids is bullying him? ~Leslie~

It's a conversational skill, to be able to change the topic of someone else's monolog in a friendly or at least diplomatic way. Their topic could be anything, which is why it's a general skill and not restricted to 'bragging' per se. Concentrate on your breathing, count to 10 internally or whatever you need to do in order not to feel too frustrated or angry or irritiated. Then try to add something that can take the conversation in a slightly different direction. It can still be about whatever the child did, only in a more general way; or about something else which might be at least a little related even if it's a bit of a tangent. Asking a question in that way can sometimes work to change the topic and let the talker keep on talking. Sometimes, especially with something that feels to the listener like bragging, aknowledgement can curb things. A simple kind of 'he's lucky to have you and you him' or something else that kind of pats her on the back verbally. Basically, give her some feedback that lets her feel like someone else on the planet notices her efforts, and her child's little new successes. Different people have different habits of expression, and different interpretations for what they hear. Try to grant your friend any benefit of the doubt because she may not be intending to be tiresome, or to brag. What you hear may be her best attempts to convey information about what's new for her child or in her child's life. Even if your method of delivery is very different try to react to her as you would like people to react to you when you try to share information about your own child. general conversational techniques will work, or be gentle with her and share your feelings (don't forget she is a 'friend' and a human being who is probably doing her best, just as you are even though she may have a habit you find irritating)