After live-blogging my 2 year old about a year and a half ago I thought you might like to know some of our current battles with the Toddlers and PreSchoolers in my house. If not, that’s alright, I’ll want to read about it when they’re all grown up so just smile and nod, okay?
Around the time of the live-blogging – ThePrincess was battling such things as unbuckling her seatbelt every few seconds while driving and not wanting to stay in her bed to sleep. Ah, how a little time will change things. She’s moved on to a full-fledged big girl seatbelt that she now buckles herself and walks herself to her very pink big girl bed and goes right to sleep (you know, most of the time.) However, as time marches on, it also passes the baton to the next in line as if it had never changed hands. BigMan (formerly of TheBaby-est fame) is now closing in on 2 in March and he proudly slides that seatbelt down and wiggles the top half of his body out of the contraption. Just as if someone had taught him. And bedtime. Oh, the Toddler bedtime battles. He’s so spoiled. I know. As I look around to blame someone else. I know. But he wouldn’t go to sleep without me getting him to sleep. I said, I know. So the other night I’d had about all I could take. And off to bed he went. Awake. Oh.My.Goodness. The first few nights I continually asked myself, “why?” Why must it be this way? Why must I bring this on myself? Why must it bother me so? Why, child, Why Won’t You Give Up and Go To Sleep already? And this child not only has a will, but a sense of humor. When I would tell him enough times, “put your head on your pillow” “keep your head in your bed” this child starting doing this little breakdance move lifting his rear in the air, setting his feet up on the rail of the crib, rotating 180 degrees without ever lifting his “head from his bed.” Funny. The first 200 times or so. So, 2 nights ago I lay him in his bed, with the threats of “don’t you get out of bed” “lay your body down.” And he did. We went to check on him after tucking the others, fully expecting him to be cuttin’ up in the room or be waiting for us in the living room. Sleeping soundly in his own bed. Gotta be a fluke. Last night, only one look back in the room to say, “lay down.” And night-night. Tonight, the third night – the usual fussing when I laid him down. And then sleepy-time. Wow. We’ve come a long way in a week.
In other fronts. MyPrincess (not far from 4) is determined to whine and baby-talk. No ma’am. I can’t understand you. Go sit on your bed until you can figure out how to ask me in that beautiful big girl voice you have. Mocking her older brothers is a favorite pastime. And those shoes, girl, are on.the.wrong.feet! When taking something from her little brother and being made to give it back, she will drop it just shy of his hand in defiance. This is another battle that we fought with the first 2. And won, might I add. If you remember the coco and heatpack at bedtime, they have waned.
BigMan has almost given up hitting me when he doesn’t get his way. However, we’re still working on not throwing whatever item we can get our hands on when confronted. And he dumps water. Any water in any cup that he can get his hands on gets dumped. Everywhere. We’re locking doors now. Even doors we’re not using currently. I never thought that I would say to my 7 year old, “Take your legos to your room and lock your door to protect your stuff from BigMan.” Ah, the words we’ll eat. This boy gets into everything. I’ve taken to locking bathroom doors and having to pick the lock from the outside to let my older ones in to potty. Who’d have thought?
As frustrating as these battles are (and oh, how they can be frustrating!) I love it. I can’t help it. To have those little hands squish my cheeks and kiss me and talk about my hair and my glasses and kiss me again, makes up for all those screaming fits. What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment.
