This is an interesting age
By the beginning of the week Brendan's behavior was getting to the point where it was intolerable. There was alot of defiance and oppositional behavior, but at the same time speaking in a very babysish cutesy voice and whining constantly, acting like a baby by lying on the floor pretending he couldn't move and wanting me to pick him up, fake crying, etc. He had been this way over the weekend but not quite as bad. But then Monday as soon as I walked in the door at my parents after work, he started the baby voice and whiny behavior. We got home and it got worse and worse with him only wanting to lie on the floor and whine at me. I had a long talk with him about being a baby or a big boy and all the privileges a big boy has and how a baby can't do anything a big boy can like play with a Leapster, watch TV, play with his basketball hoop and reassuring him that big boys can still cuddle with mommy, can still cuddle with their blankie. Eventually he told me he decided he wanted to be a big boy but would slip back into the behavior in a moment's notice.
The next day as soon as I picked him up I told him about my expectations for his behavior and he did much better. I praised him whenever he acted like a big boy and gave him gentle reminders when he would lapse into the baby behavior. On Wednesday, he was much whinier. He also wanted to be fed, wanted me to undress and dress him and try to act as helpless as possible. But then bedtime rolled around and it was like someone flipped a switch in his head when he decided to put himself to bed. He grabbed his Leapster (I let him play with it before bed sometimes or else he reads), takes his blankie and Dorothy the dinosaur and tells me I can't come up with him. He goes to his room and closes the door. It's open a little because it's propped with a stuffed animal so I peek in. I see him turn on his humidifier and fix the sheets on his bed and climb up and start playing. He went up around 7:00 and I normally let him read or play until 7:20 during the week and later on the weekends. At exactly 7:20 I hear the Leapster go off. Eventually he did call me because he can't pull the blankets down that I keep over his window to keep the light out. But that was all he wanted. He reluctantly let me give him a kiss and then I was summarily dismissed. And then not 10 minutes later he was whining. I went up and he asked me to stay and held me down to him in a headlock.
Yesterday I decided to take a different tack. He lay on the floor and asked to be picked up. So I lay down too and asked him to pick me up. He said no, but did sit up and we "pulled each other up". The next time he did it, I just told him no and walked away and started doing the dishes. He edges along the floor into the kitchen until he's laying next to me and told me "If you pick me up I'll help you with the dishes." I picked him up and he ran and got his stool from the bathroom and stood next to me at the sink and did help me wash the dishes, the first time he ever did that. And then lay down on the steps and told me he was "pooped" and that I would probably need to carry him up the stairs since he couldn't walk to the potty. I told him no I think he could walk and he flailed his arms and legs and said "they don't work right when you're 3, they only work right when you turn 4" and that I could carry him until his birthday next month.
As I said, an interesting age.
The next day as soon as I picked him up I told him about my expectations for his behavior and he did much better. I praised him whenever he acted like a big boy and gave him gentle reminders when he would lapse into the baby behavior. On Wednesday, he was much whinier. He also wanted to be fed, wanted me to undress and dress him and try to act as helpless as possible. But then bedtime rolled around and it was like someone flipped a switch in his head when he decided to put himself to bed. He grabbed his Leapster (I let him play with it before bed sometimes or else he reads), takes his blankie and Dorothy the dinosaur and tells me I can't come up with him. He goes to his room and closes the door. It's open a little because it's propped with a stuffed animal so I peek in. I see him turn on his humidifier and fix the sheets on his bed and climb up and start playing. He went up around 7:00 and I normally let him read or play until 7:20 during the week and later on the weekends. At exactly 7:20 I hear the Leapster go off. Eventually he did call me because he can't pull the blankets down that I keep over his window to keep the light out. But that was all he wanted. He reluctantly let me give him a kiss and then I was summarily dismissed. And then not 10 minutes later he was whining. I went up and he asked me to stay and held me down to him in a headlock.
Yesterday I decided to take a different tack. He lay on the floor and asked to be picked up. So I lay down too and asked him to pick me up. He said no, but did sit up and we "pulled each other up". The next time he did it, I just told him no and walked away and started doing the dishes. He edges along the floor into the kitchen until he's laying next to me and told me "If you pick me up I'll help you with the dishes." I picked him up and he ran and got his stool from the bathroom and stood next to me at the sink and did help me wash the dishes, the first time he ever did that. And then lay down on the steps and told me he was "pooped" and that I would probably need to carry him up the stairs since he couldn't walk to the potty. I told him no I think he could walk and he flailed his arms and legs and said "they don't work right when you're 3, they only work right when you turn 4" and that I could carry him until his birthday next month.
As I said, an interesting age.
posted by Laura @ 5/12/2006 02:03:00 PM
2 Comments:
At 5/14/2006 12:13 AM,
Nikki said…
My son will instantly turn into a baby if I pay attention to a little baby. He gets so jealous. I can understand your frustration.
At 5/15/2006 10:57 AM,
Sonya said…
Very interesting Laura! I can understnad how frustrated you must be. If I remember correctly, Brendan typically hits a big transition phase near his birthday. I hope the transition is over soon.
On the legs/body not working... Abby does this to me. At bedtime when she is supposed to be in bed but rather makes her way downstairs she'll decide that her legs are asleep and she needs me to carry her back to bed. I do carry her back to bed but then I make a big deal about her legs being asleep and how we need to be still so her legs can get the rest they need. Also since her legs are asleep they won't be able to get out of bed anymore.
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