Right now I feel like I've been playing offense. I've been at the plate for quite sometime with a full count and now I'm just swinging at everything desperately trying to make contact...even if it's foul. Of course I'm hoping to hit on out of the park, but that's just not going to happen. I'm a line drive hitter. Until last week, Jayna had been throwing me a good fastball-fastball-knuckleball sort of pattern. And now she's throwing curveballs...and today she threw one hell of a low outside slider. Three strikes and I'm OUTTA THERE! And now I have to beef up my defense.
Enough with the baseball talk, right? (I'm sure you enjoyed that, Chris.)
So for the past week or so, Jayna has been...a handful (to be nice). She is showing signs of pushing limits with her behavior and I know that this is normal at her age. She is also fussy in the morning nearly EVERYDAY and I'm at the end of my rope. I just don't know what to do. Today was particularly bad. It included whining, crying, hitting the dog, throwing herself on the floor, whining, throwing her milk cup, throwing her toys, whining, hitting me, screaming, pointing to her teeth and saying "ow," whining, separation anxiety, anger because I was in the room (yes, you read that right...she didn't want me to leave, but she got mad when I got near her), whining and crying. Holy. Shit.
Weekday mornings are always like this. Weekends don't seem to be as bad. Almost 6 out of 7 days of the week she wakes up on her own. I only have to wake her up every once in awhile. At first I thought she was fussy only when I had to wake her up, but no. She begins the fussing just as soon as I have to change her diaper and get her dressed. And then it's because I can't get her breakfast fast enough. And then it's because I can't get her out of her high chair fast enough. And then it's because I have to put her shoes and jacket on. And then it's because I have to take things to the car and start it and leave her in the house. And then it's because she has to get in the carseat. And then it's because her teeth hurt. I feel like my kid is always drugged up on Tylenol or Motrin. Holy. SHIT. Do you know what this does to a mother's self-esteem??
I obviously need to do something different, right? Or no? I don't know. Should I wait it out? These are the things I've contemplated...
- Changing bedtime to 30 minutes earlier and getting up 30 minutes earlier to sort of slow things down for her in the morning. This means she has to go to bed at 7:30pm. And that will almost be impossible. I could also just get her up 30 minutes earlier and make up for that in naptime...somehow.
- She seems to be trying to abandon one of her naps during the day. I could alter her naptime to one big long nap around lunchtime and move her lunchtime to a little later. Or I could just ask the babysitter to try harder to get her to take naps.
- I could just stab myself in the eye and hit myself in the head with a frying pan...it would be easier and way less painful.
- I could admit myself into a mental institution and call it a day.
- I could do nothing and hope for the best.
4 comments:
Wear earplugs and stop looking at her. No? Ok, I think that it might be a good time to switch to one long nap in the middle of the day. You might also try getting her up a little earlier, but i would be sad to change the bed time because then at night it would seem like you didn't have any time to spend with her if she went to bed at 7:30. Otherwise, just wait it out. I'm sure it will get better soon!
You really make me look forward to all of this! lol!
Ahhh...let the fussiness, and the personality battles begin. She is starting to learn cause and effect, and that she can make a choice. I've got some sad, sad news for you-it only gets worse. :) That being said, you will get through it, and learn how to handle it.
She's kind of testing the waters right now it sounds like. Seeing if she does this-will you do that..but what if she does the same thing, only just a little different-what will you do then? Sometimes, I have found the best way to handle these situations, (especially when I feel like the eye poke or frying pan to the head is the best option) is just to give myself a time out. To literally leave the room, and just take a minute or two. Trust me-she will be fine. Sometimes doing this, may stop the tantrum all together. Sometimes, not so much.
Here is one thing that I can tell you that I KNOW is true-this is perfectly normal, and all, ALL moms go through this, and don't know what to do with it or about it.
As for the sleep schedule, I say try some new things like you suggested. See how they work. If it doesn't work, then change it again. Nothing says that once you change a nap time or what not, that it is set in stone. I hope this helps a little bit. I'm trying to put a positive spin on what I know is a HARD situation.
Layla did the same thing with her naps... and I thought she was done with 2. And we went with that for a bit. But now she is back to needing / wanting 2 naps. So, yeah, change some things but you don't have to set them in stone...
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