granted, I fully acknowledge that I have some issues of my own. it does not take much to make me angry, and I allow quite a few insignificant things to effect me negatively. but holy crap! this is a kid who does. not. listen. almost every attempt at discipline is met with laughter, an increase in the behavior, or is just plain ignored. consequently, most of my time with him seems to be him terrorizing everyone and me trying very hard not to be clenched up just waiting for the next thing he does that will drive me nuts.
diaper changes: 90% of the time I have to pin him to the ground with my left leg while he lays perpendicular to my body and I keep a death grip on the ankles of his kicking (hard!) legs so that I can do my thing, all while he laughs like a loon or is otherwise screaming because he can't do whatever he wants to do. I am terrified that by my trying to hold him down so that I can change or dress him without him flailing in his own poop or running away I will accidentally leave a mark on his body and the daycare will call social services on me or something. sometimes it seems like EVERYTHING with him is this complicated. when we're all in the kitchen and I'm trying to get food ready or clean and he has to be up my butt or hanging on to my pants yanking them down, etc. meals are always stressful because he throws food, upturns his drink to play in it, or the new one is to use his waffle like a Kleenex, then rub the whole snotty/waffle/peanut butter mess in his hair before generously offering it to or throwing it at me with the gleeful exclamation of "eeewww! yucky!!".
I don't know, I'm sure I'm over-dramatizing it. he's really been getting to me lately and I'm starting to feel like it will always be this hard even though I know that's not true. on the flip side of all the craziness, he really is a sweet boy. he loves his brother and the dogs and is really talking up a storm. he likes to play games and wrestle and I swear that his smile is the source of all sunshine. he's just a tornado. a beautiful and devastating tornado to all things calm. I'm terrified to see what kind of teenager he will be. in the meantime, i'll just continue to do the best I can to avoid getting myself sent to prison and ride it out! but any words of wisdom for dealing with difficult kids would be greatly appreciated.

2 comments:
I have no words of wisdom aside from reacting consistently to his various shenanigans,even though failing at that is the main thing I am able to do consistently with our little man. When I am able to be consistent I do notice results, but holy moly is it tiring! I was telling someone that I've decided toddlers are like how Velociraptors were described in the original Jurassic Park - they'll keep ramming into the fence over and over until they expose a weak spot, and then they'll take full advantage of it. I'll pray for both of you. Parenting is tough. Is he the same way at daycare? And if so, do they have practices that he responds well to for them?
Thanks for the prayers. They told me just this week that he has started with the shenanigans during diaper changes, but he's been doing it to me for months. So maybe he is just going through a particularly ornery stage of life lately. His biggest daycare vice seems to be eating dirt/leaves/playground turf. (at least it's not poop!) There isn't much they can do to the kids aside from a change in scenery. As much as I hate to admit it, I think Charles is right in that he picks up on my stress and then throws it back at me the only way he knows how. :/
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