Saturday, April 3, 2010
Update
Thursday night Gookie woke up at 2 am, but cried for a few minutes. Then she woke up at 6 am and i gave her a bottle. Friday night she slept ALL NIGHT long!!! Woo hoo!! She didnt wake up until 8 am!! We are making progress! Meanwhile, Hunter is doing really well staying in bed in the other room. However, he is not obeying a word we say!! Who else is experiencing this and what do you do? NOTHING works! Brad really loses patience with it, and it is tiring. ANy advice?
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2 comments:
So glad to hear that Gookie's sleeping is getting better. As for obeying, oh, I hear you, it can be hard. I am still learning how to help Ethan with this. The only advice I can give is to read the love and logic book for toddlers. Its the only thing that has been working for us. I'll put the link to it on your fb wall, check your library too!
It sounds like he's really testing you guys and figuring out who is really in control: him or mom and dad. Now... I can't say I've experienced this with my own children yet, but I have strict parents and most of my extended family is very strict. I often babysat my younger siblings (the youngest isn't even 3 yet) and so I've dealt with and seen it a little. (Plus, I used to watch those Nanny shows - love them!!)
Basically, NEVER ever give in to him. If you or Brad say something, STICK TO IT NO MATTER WHAT. If you let him "win", it will be harder as he grows testing your guys' boundaries and patience b/c he really wants structure.
I remember one Nanny show where the kids never obeyed or did anything the parents told him and was probalby the most stubborn child I've EVER seen. He was about 3. They made rules (like no hitting, no screaming, pick up your toys, etc.) and when he broke a rule, he had to go on the rug in the family room for a time-out.
He broke a rule (deliberately) so his mom made him go in time-out. He, of course, instantly scooted off the rug. The mom put him back and told him to stay until his time-out was over. Didn't listen, of course. Eventually the mom just gave up (as usual), so the nanny stepped in and said, "If you don't go on the rug for time-out, I'm going to take away a toy." (Did you ever see this?) So she started going through his toys and taking them 'til she had taken EVERY SINGLE TOY in that room (by now he was getting really uneasy). This went on for a while with her taking toys, putting them in bins, and taking them outside to her car. He started freaking out as she started going upstairs to get all his other toys. Finally, after BIN after BIN of toys were taken away, and screaming and crying, he FINALLY got on the rug. Case in point: He lost, due to her consistence in sticking to what she said she would do and what the rules were. Obviously by the end of the week, the kids were obeying and the family was MUCH happier with the parents in charge, and not the crazy, out-of-control kids.
.....that was a lot. Sorry... feel free to delete this comment. Haha! Good luck! You're probably doing a better job than I'll do...
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