So, we didn't make it to story time today. I let AJU5 decide if we were going, and she wanted to stay home. I wish toddler activities were spread out throughout the day. Everything I have found has either been morning or evening. There is nothing in the afternoon. And guess what - afternoons are the best time for AJU5. She is more willing to do things then. Yeah, I know most toddlers nap in the afternoon. I get that. But, I am "stuck" with one that naps around lunch time. So, activities starting at 10 or later are almost doomed from the start. She is getting tired and cranky by then most days, and doing anything out of the ordinary around those times is just not a good idea!
Add to that her new whiny-ness, and you have a recipe for a frustrated mommy. I have been having to "give" her a bath every afternoon just to keep my sanity. She will play for an hour or more each time, and I get a chance to breathe. I have used that time to grade, do laundry, and just relax.
Going for a walk on Wednesday was nice, but unfortunately it wasn't so pretty outside yesterday. It snowed a little bit and was breezy all day - not a good mix for trying to take kids outside for sure. Today we have to make it to Costco for a few things, but I am hoping for either another bath or a trip to the park.
I think half of my battle is crazy hormones. I just get to a boiling point with AJU5 some times. I have to leave the room so I don't snap at her. I am really looking forward to next Friday night when I get a Ladies' Night. We are doing another scrapbooking night at church. I haven't done any real scrapbooking since last year, so I am really looking forawrd to getting caught up. Plus, a night with a bunch of ladies I love with only AJU6 sounds like heaven. Hopefully it will be...
Okay, enough of "Debbie Downer"... AJU6 is three months old today, and I need to be in a good mood when I "help" him write his letter to the our friends and family.
5 comments:
When K. was about 18 months old, I had to remove her from a Kindermusik lesson because she was being so disruptive. As I carried her across the parking lot, she screamed, "HELP! HELP ME!" the entire way. I wanted to die.
Are there any museums or anything in your area you can go to on your own? It might be fine to take a break from the organized activities and explore on your own schedule for a bit. I know here in Raleigh, we have some museums downtown that are free, and then we also have a children's museum and some larger science museums in the area that you can either pay per-visit, or get a membership to. All indoors and great for when the weather doesn't quite want to support us outside ;-)
2 is SUCH a frustrating age, I think, because they want so much, but aren't always able to communicate it effectively. Patience also does not seem to have developed yet..at least not around my house. T wants what he wants, and he wants it NOW, and if you don't do it NOW, he will whine and yell and repeat until he gets the answer he wants. And if you hold firm to a no, meltdown ensues. SO fun. ;-)
Happy 3 months to AJU6!!
Jack also takes a lunch time nap (1:30 is the latest he ever goes down, usually it is more like 11:45), and I agree that it prevents us from always having successful morning activities, but it's good b/c he's exhausted by bedtime. Hang in there-- 3 is right around the corner, and it's not the tropical vacation you want it to be after surviving the 2's :)
I am not a patient person by nature! The best parenting advice I have ever heard came from a Reverend who was teaching a Christian parenting seminar...he said if I was growing frustrated with my child, that was a sign I had let her poor behavior go on for far too long. Discipline out of anger is abuse. Training a child should occur at the very start of the negative behavior, when parents are calm & collected, and it should occur each and every time with consistency. Children learn the point where we are really going to act(count of 3, raised voice, final threat of punishment, etc), and they push things to that point just to know where the boundaries really lie, and who is really in charge.
On our last road-trip to my parents' house, I learned something from another mom. Along the way, we stopped at a Chick-Fil-A for a pit-stop and the playground was empty except for this mom and her 2 year old daughter. Dean looked at the playground and pointed, so we went in a played with the little girl for a few minutes. The mom said she takes her daughter there several times a week around 1:30-2 in the afternoon and they usually have the place to themselves. Most other toddlers are napping then and the "big kids" are still in school. Just a thought that maybe you could find a playground like that for her to get some playtime away from home while you enjoyed an iced tea!
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