That is just one of the many fun things I overhear as I walk in and out of Cooper's day care. Usually I only hear the infant and toddler rooms, and that was uttered in the infant room today. Obviously SOMEONE is teething.
I don't know if this week has been so difficult with Cooper because he has not been feeling 100% (took him to the urgent care place Wed. night because he said his ear hurt, and lo and behold, ear infection), or if it is just because he is three, but WOW has this week been hard. He has been contrary about everything. What he wants to eat, whether or not I am going to wash his hair, taking a bath, where to sleep, when to sleep, with whom to sleep, putting on clothes, taking off clothes. GAH. I had to plop him in his room last night for 10 minutes to let him defuse a bit, because he was getting so angry about nothing that he could not even be remotely nice.
I might have stumbled onto another reason he has been a bit more cranky than usual - we brought up potty training again. He announces without fail that he has gone pee or pooped in his diaper and YES he needs a new one right NOW. He will go get one for you, and lay down on the floor ready for a change. Very accommodating. So we thought maybe he was ready to try again. So the other night I introduced the idea, suggesting that once he has successfully achieved a no diaper during the day status, doing all his business on the potty, he could get a prize. To which he immediately said "Spiderman costume, WITH MASK?" Okaaaay, if that is what you want, we can make that happen. For the last two days he has been insisting I "order one on 'puter." Which I have. Do you know how hard it is to find a Spiderman costume, WITH mask, in March? Anyway, I did it, and every time he has mentioned it, I have reminded him that in order to get the mask, he has to go pee and poop on the potty all the time. Not too long after this is mentioned, he starts acting out. He will start knocking things over, demanding to watch something else on TV, but is not able to say WHAT he would like to watch, just that he does NOT want what is on now, nor is turning it off an option as his immediately protestations establish.
I know a lot of life for a three year old is out their control, and potty training, or NOT potty training is probably the one thing they have any sort of control over for real. And I don't know why he doesn't like the idea, but he is resistant, as a friend of mine is wont to say regarding concepts about which he is not crazy.
So until the costume arrives, I think we will avoid talking about the P.T. and will see how his mood goes. If it doesn't improve, he will be on a plane to see his grandparents in Oregon SOON. For an extended stay. Til he is 20.
2 comments:
I do believe the contrariness is not due to bringing up the PT but rather the obstinacy toward the PT is due to being 3. The "I have CONTROL" syndrome has kicked in. "I can make them do things by saying NO as they have done my WHOLE life... now is time for comeuppance! Karma's a bitch, ain't she?"
This was solved with Erin by offering choices between acceptable alternatives (Acceptable to me at any rate). She always chose option c... when none had been offered, but sometimes it was viable.
Choose which hill to die on.
Wait, this butthead stuff lasts through the 3s? Damn it. I hoped it was just due to being 2.
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