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June 21, 2007
Even though I really wanted to
It never fails that every time I think I have this parenting thing down, my kids throw something new at me.
I've had a few issues with both kids. Katie and her nasty night sleep habits. Jamie and her incessant crying. Jamie and her teenager attitude. Katie's eating habits. The one that has frustrated me the most and that seems to be lasting the longest is Jamie's crying. I think I've been on edge for the last two years, always wondering what innocuous thing was going to set off a crying jag of epic proportions. Discipline is really difficult, since any kind of punishment usually starts the crying, and once the crying starts, everything else flies out the window. I've also developed a very thin skin about the crying. What I used to be able to handle calmly now angers me deeply and so, so quickly.
For the last yearish, I've wondered what it would be like if Jamie were as easy to be around as Katie. Katie is generally happy. She cries, but quick little thundershowers that pass leaving nothing more than a couple of tears running down smiling-again cheeks. she's mischievous, and funny, snuggly and sweet.
But lately, lately she's been a little hellion. She refuses to do most anything I ask. Even when threatened. Even when punished. She smiles while she refuses. She smiles while I punish. She does not give in. No matter how serious I get, how overbearing, how at the end of my rope, she smiles.
I lost it tonight. She got sent to her room several times during dinner. She refused to eat, but cried when I started putting her food away. Finally she gave in and fed herself. Not long after, it was time to get into her pj's. She wouldn't come to me. When she finally did, she went limp. Then she started actively trying to thwart me. The last straw came when I was putting the pants on her, and she kept trying to kick off the leg I had gotten off while simultaneously kicking the other foot so I couldn't get them the rest of the way on. Oh, and kicking me. I gently slapped her leg. She smiled and kept kicking. I slapped harder, she smiled more. That's when I ripped her pants off, stormed into her room with her, and tossed her (gently but firmly) into her crib. And shut the door authoritatively. So much for the easy kid.
And as bad as it sounds, I'm proud of that. Because I was very close to doing something horribly, horribly bad, and I managed to remove myself from the situation before I did. I didn't even punch a wall or anything when I left.
Posted by me at June 21, 2007 10:00 PM
Comments
Way to go in handling yourself. sometimes that's the hardest thing to do. We could never use spanking for either of the girls because, like Katie, they would just smile or laugh at us like it was a game. My oldest daughter used to cry at everything. Being tired makes it so much worse. We started having her write down what was bothering her so much or run a lap around our house. It didn't work all of the time, but both would force her to shift her thoughts a little. She has (for the most part) grown out of it.
Posted by: anna at July 12, 2007 8:58 AM