1. Threats and Ultimatums: Elizabeth has somehow picked up giving me threats and ultimatums. I have no idea where she learned this, since this is not a way we communicate in our home. For some reason, they most often come up when she wants me to help her wipe in the bathroom (which we haven't done for over a year now!).
"Mommy, if you don't wipe me, people will make fun of me. Do you want people to make fun of me?" After no response from me: "Mommy, if you don't wipe me, people will make fun of you!" Still no response from me. "Mommy, if you don't wipe me RIGHT NOW, I'll stay in the bathroom all day and never come out! Mommy, if you don't wipe me, I'll yell and wake up Amelie!" (This one took all my willpower not to respond - luckily, she didn't have the nerve to follow through on her threat.)
Needless to say, this is not a very fun stage. And also needless to say (I hope), threats and ultimatums do not work on us parents. We do not negotiate with 4-year-old terrorists!
2. Bickering: No, not bickering between the two children - imaginary bickering. Today at lunch, Elizabeth was making two toothpicks bicker with each other. "You are so!" "I am not!" "You stop that right now!" And so on ad nauseum. Again, I really do not know where she learned this, but apparently, lots of imaginary things argue with each other.
3. Crying at Night: This one is Amelie. Although she has the capability to sleep through the night and has done so on many nights, she also has many nights that she wakes up crying. For hours. For example, on Sunday morning she woke up at 3:45am and stayed awake until a brief 35 minute nap in the church nursery. Then that night she slept through, and last night she cried from 2:30-4:30am. This stage results in very little sleep for Isaac and me. Luckily, it does not affect Elizabeth very much.
4. Some Bright Spots: I don't want it to sound like all our current stages are bad. Some are wonderful. I am very proud that Elizabeth has started eating raw spinach salads and liking them. Everyone in our family has eaten spinach every day for over a week! Amelie is fascinated with anything she can get in her mouth and loves being carried around in a baby backpack while I work around the house. Elizabeth and Isaac have finished the Chronicles of Narnia series and are almost done with The Hobbit. Elizabeth has liked every progressive book more than the previous one, which she attributes to the books and we attribute to growing older and having more understanding.
1 comment:
I think it is so amazing how you can read such books with her. I sure hope that Seth will continue his love for reading so he can enjoy those in a few short years too! I also love the Chronicles of Narnia radio broadcasts done by Focus on the Family. They can be expensive to purchase but the library has the set. Great fun to hear!
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