Well Summer is officially here! Swim lessons are over, Sam is in his new bed, and I'm in the process of packing up my classroom to move it to the fourth grade hall. *Beware: The following is a mommy blog in which I will seek advice from fellow mommies. If you have no desire to read, then please check back with me later in the week. *
Things have been a little crazy lately. You see...Sam loves his naps. And his Momma certainly loves his naps, too. For the past two weeks, it's been the same thing (in the same new bed). Swim lessons from 9:30-10:00, get home around 10:15, snack at 10:30, nap to follow. Sam is/WAS still taking two naps a day...one in the morning and one in the afternoon. That didn't bother me because anytime we would try and take one out, he turned into another person's child that I would not claim. So we just thought he was like his momma...he needed his sleep. :) Well...since swimming lessons have started he's been napping at 10:30 until about 1:30 with no afternoon nap. No biggie right??? Well, about 6:00 he turns into this crazy kid who only cries and pitches fits. Last night, Jared & I had both had enough so we put him to bed. Even if he didn't sleep, he was in the "time out". Bad parenting? I don't really know or care because at this rate I've been with him all day throwing fits (which he only blesses his parents with, mind you) and I'm about to lose it. Now instead of him sleeping until 7:30, he's up at 6:00 and this morning (SATURDAY of all days) he was up at 4:45!!!! Yes, you heard me right! My little angel baby who loved his sleep has turned into this wild and crazy monster toddler. I can't seem to figure it out, and that's what bothers me the most.
1. How do we get back to a regular sleep pattern with just one nap a day (which is apparently where we're at these days)?
2. What do your kids do when they wake up before you? Sam's door is closed because he figured out early how to open it and run and scream in Momma's ear (talk about starting the day off on the wrong foot). Now when he wakes up, he sits beside his door and knocks on it until someone opens it. First, I wanted him to just play in his room, but during naps it's nice that he knows he has to stay in his bed. Oh....this is new territory for us, friends.
3. This is a whole seperate issue altogether, but my angel baby now turned toddler throws fits. Yep....not cool. He grunts when he's mad. We've tried EVERYTHING! We've tried time-out, spanking, ignoring, anything we could think of. What has worked for you? I've heard that ignoring is the best thing, and at home we could do that, but in public? I do not want to have "that" kid. And I refuse to not go in public until my child is at age 5. He needs to learn ways to behave and not to behave, right?
4. Someone who's raised boys: are they always this wild or is it just the age? Sam literally wakes up spinning in circles. From the time he wakes up until the time he goes to bed, it is NON STOP. We're not the caffeine family either. No sodas, chocolates, sweets, etc. We stick to the main food groups and IF he gets a juice it is watered down and only half of a juice box at that. I'm praying that Baby Nate will be the mellow one of the bunch, otherwise...there is no chance of us trying for a girl. Sorry folks.
Anyway, all this is whirling around in my head. Combined with other moms who seem to have perfect angel toddlers and who make me feel guilty when I say I have a monster toddler. Don't get me wrong...I love Sam. He is such a great, smart, funny kid. BUT...he knows how to push the limits. And that is what Dr. Dobson says is "shaping his will" vs. "crushing his spirit". I never want to crush Sam's funny and creative spirit, but I do want to change his independent, I'm going to do what I want to do, will. And there in lies the questions tumbling through my brain at this moment. I'm loving being at home, but being nearly nine months pregnant and dealing with these things on a daily basis is taking it's toil on me. Am I alone? Is there any other mommy going through these same things? Has anyone made it to the other side? HEEEEEELLLLLPPPPP! (By the way...in the time it took me to write all of this, I had to get up three times to correct my child for kicking/hitting the wall while he was supposed to be taking a nap since he got up at 4:45 this morning!) Ahhhhh!
Needing mommy help,
~Elizabeth
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I am in NO position to comment really, but what has worked for Abigail's sleeping routine is one nap after lunch. It took a little while, but she will usually sleep for 3 hours now. If she gets a fussy in the morning, I can give her a mid-morning snack or take her outside or something, and she feels better! Then, I put her to bed at night at 8:30. She is a light sleeper/early riser, so she's up at 6:30 or 7:00, but I can deal with that!
ReplyDeleteShe is quite a fit thrower like Sam, so we're also trying to work that out of her! I will be very interested to know if you find something that works! :)
If Tucker or Savannah want to throw a fit in public I usually say something like this "I know you are frustrated, but if you want to throw a fit you have to wait until we get home, then you can throw a big fit in your room with the door closed, but we aren't throwing a fit at the grocery store" (or wherever). Kid's get frustrated...sometimes for different reasons...tired, don't understand, bored. I do a lot of redirecting Tucker's attention. He's super different from Savannah so there is no duplicating discipline methods for sure.
ReplyDeleteI'm no expert...this is just something that has worked for us. Usually by the time we get home, he's way over whatever frustrated him earlier in the day and never throws the initial fit.
Hope this helps...and don't underestimate the power of prayer in this issue either!
Love you!