It's Been Such A Long Time Since I Whined
Posted in Lovebug and tagged with behavior, Lovebug, whining on 05/19/2009 03:53 pm by Jerseygirl89There’s just not enough chocolate in the world for this shit. I think I need some Percocet or something.
I’m sick. The big kids are sick. Aunt Flo has dropped in and she seems to have brought extra luggage. Hot Guy and my parents, aka the only other people who watch my children, are out of town. I’m so behind in writing assignments that I don’t think I’ll ever catch up. I’m getting three hours of sleep a night. I’ve developed a Lexulous addiction (that’s Facebook Scrabble for those of you smart people who avoid Facebook). I have six loads of laundry to fold. The baby is teething. All of which I might be able to handle if….
Lovebug has lost his mind. He’s keeping himself awake at night (after a week where all my other schedule and sleep tweaks had him sleeping well) and demanding that I come in to his room during the night – ignoring him results in tantrums, which wake the baby and result in me going in there anyway. He’s crying and screaming every time he doesn’t get his way or is told how to behave. Consequences make him even more crazy, but half the time he calms down immediately when I tell him the tantrum will get him in even more trouble. And no matter how immediately the consequences happen or how many times I explain WHY he got in trouble, he seems to make no link between his behavior and consequences. I know he’s only three, but he understands other kinds of cause and effect and quite well. I just don’t know what to do with him. He has so many moments of sweetness and kindness that I’m reasonably sure he isn’t a lost cause, though he may well be if I keep yelling at him.
Any ideas? Or good drugs?
May 20th, 2009 at 3:05 am
Oh my g-d, Jen — I feel like I’m reading something I wrote myself. Look at the time I’m posting this. NO sleep! I can relate to this entire post. Behind on EVERYTHING — and, running on 3 hours of sleep. Sometimes less. Mother’s are super-hero’s!!! And, the good part about it is — our kids’ truly believe we are
. Making it all worthwhile.
May 20th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
No real advice other than to say I hope things get better soon. Sleep deprivation makes everything worse. Hang in there…you’ll get a full night’s sleep soon!!
May 20th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
I only have one of my own (for now) but I had to come up with creative solutions as a teacher. How about making a fort of some sort for him to sleep in a different room until he is ready to sleep through the night? That way he won’t be waking up the baby when he refuses to sleep?? OR change the outcome of the cause and effect. May he isn’t ‘getting it’ because he doesn’t want to
Maybe something like if you make it through the night on your own you will get X tomorrow (X beiing something small that he likes) then try for 2 nights in a row with a bigger X and so on till he back to the great little sleeper you know he can be.
Good luck!
May 21st, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Chasity – I’m not sure about my kids believe the Superhero part anymore.
Life – Thanks for the support.
EclecticBird – I think a reward system might work, sleeping somewhere else won’t because he’ll just sneak down to his trains every time he gets a chance.
May 21st, 2009 at 2:13 pm
hang in there. nothing to add, just trying to add a little moral support.
May 21st, 2009 at 3:14 pm
I think vodka is in order. Bottles, not shots.
Hang in there. This is only finite. It will end.
(this is my mantra)
May 22nd, 2009 at 10:03 am
Silken – I’m trying – thank you for the support.
Becky – I just fear that my sanity will run out before this phase does.
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:45 am
Have you been looking in my window?? I’m going through the same thing…My 3 year old is driving me insane. My 6 month old is teething as well but she’s handling it like a champ. My hubby thinks I’m going crazy because I can’t deal with the whinning and the “not listening”….I hope this phase ends like tomorrow.
May 24th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
I don’t have any good ideas, but drugs always help. I myself like a combo of Zoloft and caffeine in the mornings, and an Ambien at night. It’s possible my kids scream, I wouldn’t know.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
seriously, i feel your pain!!!!!!
my soon to be 4 year old daughter has turned into a mini-satan in the past several months. im at my wits end, and the tantrums, oh the tantrums….
i have no idea how to fix it, im just hoping that by some miracle when she turns 4 next month that she “snaps” out of it???????
so until then, im with becky……. vodka, lots of vodka…
hang in there momma!