Saturday. I can't say I am thrilled. Sort of indifferent. Evan has a gig tonight. We have no plans. None. Nothing. Except cleaning house. Still. And Laundry. Cleaning ladies on vacation, so I really need to vacuum and mop, because that just can't wait four weeks. But I also really need to clean the kitchen up, pick up around this disaster zone, and also, maybe just maybe, put away the Christmas Decorations. And the Valentine Decorations. Oh, they have long since been taken down, but they are in a big pile in my dining room waiting to be packed up into their totes and taken to the attic. I am afraid I still don't care.
I woke up this morning to Ardyn screaming from her bed. Why? Because her nose was snotty. And I don't mean like it was running down her face. I mean the diva woke up with a snotty nose and therefore decided to lay in her bed and scream at me. While Marek was still sleeping right below her. I wanted to strangle her. Her behavior has been so bad lately... specifically screaming. She screams in Marek's face. She screams when she's playing. She screams when she doesn't gt her way, she screams when she is angry. Yesterday I thought I was gonna strangle her. I ended up implementing a new punishment for screaming. Random screaming, angry screaming, any kind of screaming that is not necessary. Yucky Spray in the mouth. She got yucky spray twice, spankings twice, two time outs in the time out chair and one in her bed. And then, this morning she woke up screaming. She was screaming at Marek in the tub and I reminded her that screaming was punishable with yucky spray.
The problem is a phase, but also that the weather got nice, and we got to spend several days outside, and not it's frigid cold again and we haven't gotten to be out. They are feeling cooped up and it's showing. Marek's evil is to smack, hit, kick or scratch you and then immediately hug you as tight as he can and say "I Love you too mommy." Oh he's good.
Another problem right now is the "I Can't" phase. The "I can't.... (wipe my own butt, put on my own coat/shoes/socks/pants/shirt/underwear/pajamas, turn on the light, open the door, clean up my toys)" and then "Help me mom! I can't do it without you!" Veteran parents, please give me tips on this. I can't stand it. I am forcing her to do things herself, but it always boils down to screaming and whining and crying. She's big into unbuckling her seatbelt without permission. In fact, on Thursday she did it so many times that The last time she did it, we were right by home and I drove into the driveway when we were supposed to be heading to dance class. Then she started her classic "I can't buckle myself" and I said "If you can't buckle, then you need to stop unbuckling without permission. We will not go to dance class until you buckle yourself up." We sat in the drive, until she went into full meltdown mode, then we parked in the garage and I took Marek in, then came back for her and she was in absolute panic that she was going to miss dance class. But still refused to even attempt to buckle herself up. It's infuriating. We ended up coming inside and laying down for an hour and then going to dance class.
We have had conversation after conversation about acting like a big girl and that if she isn't going to act like she's almost four, then I am not going to give her privileges like she is almost 4. No more big kid snacks, no more big kid books to read, no more littlest pet shop and zhu zhu pet toys to play with. Two naps a day, and she can sleep in a toddler bed instead of a bunk bed. This works well, temporarily, but it seems each day starts with this refusal to get dressed, or do anything. She conveniently forgets things like how to put on her pants, and she starts acting silly and puts her underwear on through the leg holes. She puts her shirts on backwards. It's like an intentional regression, considering she was almost completely dressing herself. Now suddenly she can't get up in bed, she can't wipe her butt. It is infuriating. Because it almost always results in a standoff that makes us late and makes me angry.
Well, this is being cut short, more tomorrow?
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