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How could I forget?
By Mommy24-7 | November 14, 2008
My last post where I talked about playing Hullabaloo… yea, that’s not going to happen. You know there’s a lot going on when I forgot that I have taken Hullabaloo away until after Christmas 
I didn’t want to do it, but she was warned many times and had a time out because of it.
I am reminded of that since she is currently screaming her head off and won’t go to bed. THIS.HAPPENS.EVERY.NIGHT!!
She listened well today and avoided a time out by listening to me and making better choices, but tonight she got a time out after her bath was cut short for bad behavior. She was ready for a bath and sleep (so she said) at 7pm. That’s early for her, but I think the time change is affecting her partly. 3 hours later, she’s still screaming and trying to rule the house. B and I have been so patient and it’s just not working. We are sitting downstairs while she has her fit upstairs. It’s surprising that she doesn’t come down the stairs. She is at the top of the stairs, but doesn’t usually come down, just gets hysterical and screams for us to tuck her in and then to stay upstairs. I’m done playing her game and have told her no. She knows our rules and they are nice and fair. Even though we’re trying to be as strict and consistant as we can with her, both of us have gone up once to tuck her in (this in not counting the times that we were still upstairs). Once she’s tucked in she wants us to stay and then she’s up again and wants to be tucked in.
I hate hearing my baby all worked up and sad, but she knows better, she really does, and we are done playing games here. We have been going over with her, every day, how lucky she is. We are filling a shoebox (or more) at church for Operation Christmas Child and trying to explain to her each day, with each fit that there are kids with NO food, NO toys, NO Mommy’s and Daddy’s to keep them safe or tuck them in. She is really excited about making another child happy by giving them toys, drawing pictures for them and writing notes. Reminders of how lucky she is has helped with her fits but not tonight.
Until now. I spoke too soon, she was just standing next to me in our living room… promising over and over to stay in her bed if I would tuck her in one more time. But, she also wanted me to stay upstairs. I started to compose an email to our friends and family and told her about it. It read:
Dear everyone,
R will not be getting any Christmas presents this year. She is behaving badly. Please save your money or donate it to children who need it.
Of course I wasn’t planning on sending it… well only to B but she didn’t want that, she chose to listen and make a better choice and now she’s finally in bed and quiet. Only 3 hours and 20 min. after she said she was sooo sleepy and had to go to bed. It’s no wonder why I’m exhausted every single day. No matter how much sleep I get, and I don’t get much, I’m emotionally exhausted.
I do see a light at the end of the tunnel, really, I just wish I knew how to speed up the train!
Topics: Sleep, Behavior, Christmas, Argh |
