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My two youngest have had an insanely crazy week! They will each alternate between following the rules and being the “Voice of Reason” for the others; or they completely fall apart and lose it, reminiscent of their first few weeks here.
Today my daughter almost threw one of her tantrums – something we’ve not seen since her second or third week home after the adoption. She deescalated just in time, but the signals were there. She’s also been having issues with one of her youngest brother’s friends. This little girl follows the kids around. True, she does a few annoying things of her own that set my daughter’s teeth on edge (nothing that triggers memories for my daughter or anything – just basic, annoying toddler fare). My daughter proceeds to talk rudely to her. In fact tonight, (according to my oldest who witnessed it), after my daughter told this little girl for the third or fourth time to stop doing whatever it was that was getting on her nerves, without successfully getting the little girl to stop, my daughter proceeded to tell this little girl, “I could beat you up right now!” I have never, ever, heard my daughter speak this way to anyone. Needless to say, my daughter got a consequence, and had to sit down while her brothers got to play after services. Further, we had a discussion with her later about why what she did was wrong, and we brainstormed ideas of things she could do if this little girl annoys her again.
My youngest son, too, has been having issues. I have a weird theory about boys and milestones/teething. Whenever my boys lose or cut a tooth, or some developmental milestone, they lose their minds and get really defiant. It’s almost as though they don’t hear us when we speak to them regarding rules, expectations, or when we specifically tell them to do (or not do) something. As you know, my youngest has lost two teeth recently, so my theory gains more ground!
My youngest has been rude. He’s pushed, interrupted, knocked into, stepped on, and generally been otherwise unpleasant to both his brother and sister. He’s whined. He’s cried. He questions direct requests.
Nothing overly stressful is going on with our family. The two are sleeping, eating and toileting well. Is it just something cyclical that all normally well behaved children go through at times?
Previous Dilemma of the Week Posts:
Rudeness
Hygiene
Encopresis
Insomnia
Parenting and Salvation (Series) Part One, Two and Three
