The burning question this week is why my girls behave so well for others and so rotten for me?
Seriously.
My mom and dad kept them overnight to give Darren and me some time to finish our thoughts and sentences without interruption (a rare occurrence these days). This was their first time overnight without us and without kids their age to play with so I wasn't sure how they would do. Plus they were going to mom and dad's church on Sunday and would have to wear tights, which I wasn't sure at what age tights go from being cool, ballerina things to leg circulation killers. Maybe when you are old enough for your thighs to rub together and start a fire.
Mom and Dad reported that the girls did great! In fact, my sister Renee kept them on a different evening and they did great. Also did great for Darren's mom and dad. I guess I should be thankful that they behave well for others so that I can actually get people to babysit but what happens between the time they are with others to the time they are home???
My mom says that they behave poorly for us because they feel comfortable enough to "let their hair down". It's a sign of bonding. I'll have to ponder that one.
Meanwhile, they were absolutely a bouncing off the wall, sass talking, whining nightmare when they came home yesterday. In fact, they weren't even home yet...it started on the car ride home. I feel like I use my microwave timer for timeouts more these days than I use the heating function on the unit. I had to CARRY S on the bus on Thursday because she was having an almighty hissy fit. The bus driver looked at me like "What is this crazy lady doing?" as I sighed and said, "We're having a morning." K ended up in bed at 7:30 last night because she wouldn't stop sassing off.
For both Darren and me, we try to step in when the other one is on the verge of snapping. We don't like the tension or the fact that we both feel rather crabby at the end of the evening. So hopefully we can have a breakthrough here soon before we have a breakdown here soon! Much more of this, and I fear a van is going to pull up with a man who tries to wrestle me into a white sweater with funny sleeves.
4 comments:
Jane--we usually call this "re-training time"...they are sweet as peas at grandpa and grandma's house...because they get spoiled with the lack of "fun hater" parents around (you know, with bedtimes and such)...but sure as sunshine when we get in the car to go home, they morph into sassy persnickety little people. Fun times, fun times...
Still looking for that breakthrough myself...let me know when you find it and bottle it and can sell it on etsy to me, okay?
Keep smiling :)
Heather :)
Sounds totally like normal kids to me. My kids are younger but we recently had some success with the behavior charts thing. We couldn't get Jack to sleep through the night with out wanting some company. Then we came up with a chart where he gets a sticker for each night he follows all our "sleep rules." After five stickers, he got a prize. It can be a toy but it can be anything they find special. Now that he's gotten his first prize, we have gone to three stickers = a small prize, another three = small prize, then final three (for a total of nine) equals a big prize. Also, have you checked out the book "123 Magic"? You might just be able to look up the idea online it used time outs and counting to get the point across.
I am completely there with you with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. My boys were monsters when we went to the grocery store this morning, but every time they are at anyone else's house we hear how good they were and how they listened everytime anything was said to them. When you get it figured out, PLEASE SHARE!!!!
We met Darren's parents this weekend when they were in Elgin for Central Illinois Potluck.
Hope today is better for you!
Jamie
I'm around Kent and Leah's kids so much that they are just as naughty for me as for their parents. Recently I happened to be there when another couple were over for dinner, and I saw the transformation--I was amazed. Isaac, the oldest, asked if he could "please set the table" (he would usually be sitting eating already before the plates were even out), we had a quiet calm meal where the adults could hear each other speak, then Lib and Ben requested to "please go to bed early?" Wha...?? Who are those kids?? So from my experience, it's normal...not that that makes it any easier!
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