Monday, March 16, 2009

Issues

Dance class went well by the way. I think Ava is officially the only kid left in her tiny tots class, so today she got to go to class with the 3 year olds. OOOOOH. I think it is a more structured class so that is probably better for her attention span. I have decided that next year we will go to the dance place that is by our house. I will not be driving to a tiny town half an hour away, so then I am stuck doing nothing while she is in class.

Anyway, on to the issues. Ava is having issues. She is apparently 15 but really only 2. She is refusing to do anything that she is asked or told to do. She is very into doing the opposite. She won't eat anything that was suggested for her. At the same time, she refuses to do "big girl" things. She refuses to even sit on the potty. She is talking like a baby all the time. For the first time ever, she fights me on doing her hair. Last night she spilled her milk on the table on purpose! Generally she has only ever been bad at home and is good in public. Lately it is almost worse in public. Full out yelling at me in Walgreens last week. Not just yelling no, like chewing me out kind of yelling. It was actually pretty weird.

She has been bobo free for a week though, so that is good. I have tried to give her more one on one attention when Rhys is sleeping but she actually doesn't seem to want it. She tells me no, and goes off by herself. She is pretty excited about our garden so maybe that will be a good thing.

2 comments:

  1. Knowing that you have been in social services for long enough....Ava is showing typical signs of withdrawal from a horrid addiction. Bobo=baby-crack. Walgreens may have been a trigger you know. They do have her drug of choice there. They should have a patch.

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  2. You are right about the 15 year old and 2 year old. Read your Erickson. It is the same issue with both. I always tell parents to remember these days because they come back, only in a bigger body with a larger vocabulary. Two year olds find it very difficult to say yes. They want to, often, but they just can't. So when you respond to their no which they really wanted to be yes, it is even worse. Best strategies: phrase things so that the answers are not yes or no, pick your battles to ones that really matter, leaving the cart in the middle of the store and take the offending child out. No lecture. She won't hear more than the first 3 words. And then remember theses times. Some of my favorite stories are my stubborn Emily stories because your were so smart.

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