My kids are driving me crazy!!!!!!!!!

[wendilee]

My oldest, Brock, is now 3-1/2.  I have been so lucky with him.  He has always been easy- easy to wean, easy to take away the binkie, easy to change to big boy bed, easy to potty train- just the best boy ever.  He's not perfect, by any means,  but overall he is a well behaved, well mannered, well adjusted boy.  Until this week, that is.

He has taken to crying and throwing fits when he doesn't get his way. Yesterday, I got completely fed up, and told him from now on, if he cries when I say no, he gets a time-out. It was a bad day. I'd say no, he'd start crying, I'd say time-out, and he'd yell, as harshly as he could, "NO!!"  What?  Did you say no to me?  Don't you know I am bigger than you?  SO I picked him up, and he started screaming, flailing arms and legs, etc.....Who is this kid? He sat on the bottom of the stairs til he stopped crying, which took 5+ minutes each time......This went on all morning......After his nap, he was back to normal....

That's when Colton started in.  He just turned 9 months on Sunday.  He is the opposite of Brock. Temperamental, stubborn, demanding......payback for having it so easy with my 1st, I say...Ü  I tried to get him down for his 2nd nap around 1pm....he screaned and fought me til 2:15....then woke up screaming at 2:40......He was so tired and crabby, I tried again at 3:45....he screamed for an hour and I finally just gave up.

He went to bed around 6:30, after eating, and then woke up screaming at 10.....I tried to calm him down without feeding him-HAHAHAHAHAHA-it didnt work.  I fed him and he went back to sleep- until 1am.  Now, I KNEW he could not be hungry again.  I tried everything- patting him, rubbing him, speaking softly,m picking him up and rocking him- everything.  He was like a madman. Writhing and screaming....finally I decided to just let him CIO.  Around 2 he started to settle down.  No more screaming, but not sleeping either.  By this time I was on the couch downstairs so DH wouldn't be kept awake.  Colton kept making intermittent whining noises......at 2:30 I had had enough.  I made a bottle and took it up to him.  He ate and went right back to sleep..........

At 6am, Brock busted into my room waking me up "Mommy, I want to go downstairs!" We have a gate blocking the stairs.  I said no b/c I ahd been up 1/2 the night with Colton and needed a tad more sleep.....He immediately starts crying.   I told him to just go back to his own bed then and he said "NO!!" and threw himself down on the floor......GRRRRRRRR.......here we go again......

[KellyMC]

Apr. 15, 2009 at 1:00 PM

I don't have any advice to offer but wanted to say I'm sorry and do your best to hang in there. 

[mindyz1]

Apr. 15, 2009 at 2:28 PM

Wow Wendi! Sorry you are going through this with both of them. Maybe Brock is seeing Colton do it and how he is just following suit. It sucks I know...............So, you really want a another one?

[CoppieCat]

Apr. 15, 2009 at 3:00 PM

Sorry Wendi =(  Sounds like you're having a rough time.  I hope things get better soon!

[CBmom3]

Apr. 15, 2009 at 3:54 PM

I feel your pain!! My youngest son who's 6... is autistic and has always been "the difficult one". Long story short, he's kicked a hole in his wall next to his bed! When Arianna doesn't sleep and he's acting up.. I feel like I'm gonna lose my mind. But then they smile and you know it's all worth it. LOL I always have said "It's a good thing God  made them so stinkin cute!" and it's true! LOL Hang in there. "This too shall pass".

[dragonflylovr19]

Apr. 16, 2009 at 3:32 PM

Oh wow Wendi!  That is so hard, especially when it comes to sleep!  Bad enough when it is the kiddos but double that when it affects the Mama!  I definitely think you are doing the right thing w/ Brock.  Something so simple we learned in our parenting class was to do Effective Praise-- catch them when they are being good and praise them!  Between that and teaching the girls to say "Okay Mommy" when asked to do something, instead of saying "NO" and accepting the consequence, etc it has turned my now 3 year old into a different gal!  Hang in there!  I'd like to think it is going to get easier but feel it is just the start of the next 14 - 15 years!!!

[heatherann0221]

Apr. 16, 2009 at 4:38 PM

oh man. You know my 3 yr old is always the bad one and my 8 month old is the good one. I hope your kids go back to normal!

[Rebecca7708]

Apr. 16, 2009 at 4:57 PM

We had a night like that with Zackary last Saturday. The only thing that worked was taking him for a ride. At 2 in the morning. It turned out that he was getting his fourth tooth. I feel your pain!

[TheDaraJ]

Apr. 16, 2009 at 6:27 PM

Wow.... I think you described Camron when you were talking about Colton. I've been trying to let him CIO as well but I just HATE doing that. i just wish it was still as easy as it used to be to get him to lay down. If you find any sure solutions to fix this, pleeeeeease let me know! And goodluck with your other son. I know how frustrated I am with one, I couldn't imagine 2 screaming children right now