There comes a time for every parent when they question their abilities to raise a happy, healthy, non-psychopathic child. I'm not worried about the physchopathic part. Yet. But I am at the point (yet again) when I question my decisions. I tell myself it is a phase. He'll grow out of it but honestly, neither my brain nor my heart are listening any more.
I can handle the meltdowns. The banshee screams. The "noooooo" to every question I put forth trying to figure out what he wants. He's tired. He isn't always sure what he wants and he doesn't have a decent vocabulary yet. I understand how frustrating that can be for him. So I take a deep breath; keep my voice calm and I go through every item in the house until he finds something that will make him happy.
What I am having trouble with is the horrible eating and sleeping habits he has developed.
My son used to eat whatever you put in front of him. Now he eats in cycles. It was grapes, cheese, and rice pilaf. It is now yogurt and hot dogs or chicken nuggets. I do a happy dance when I can get a cereal bar in him. Veggies? Bah. Who needs 'em? Actual fruit, and not the supposed real stuff they throw in the yogurt and cereal bars? For losers.
I make dinner in front of him whenever possible and I make sure he sees me take food off our plates, cut it up and put it in his bowl so he knows he is eating the same thing we are. Nope. Not happening. Tonight he sat across from me at the table, screaming his heart out. When I wouldn't give him, he held the bowl out to me with the most plaintive wail. Still no response from me so he turned to daddy.
So he was scooped up into my lap and consoled while Daddy finished the mac n cheese. By that time the only thing to calm him was a trip outside. Calm and happy we brought him back in and tried again. He would eat bread and nothing else.
And his sleep habits? Well this kid still goes upstairs at bedtime with minimal issues. He falls asleep relatively quickly and no fuss.
Until 2 AM. The first night, I stumbled into his room still asleep; plopped the paci back in his mouth; gave him a half-assed pat on the back and stumbled back to my room.
Oh Hell no Mama. Get your ass back here! No half-assed pats for me and just for that - now you have to pick me up.
Which I did. Still mostly asleep and because my brain was not turned on yet, I also promptly brought him back into bed with me. Every other time I've done this, he's decided it is Romper Room time. He surprised me this time by immediately curling up and going back to sleep. It was wonderful.
I can't tell you how many nights ago that was. They are all blurring together. Every night - 2 AM he cries. I get him and bring him back to bed. Last night he moved it up to midnight. Tonight - he didn't even go to sleep before the fussing started. He is asleep in his crib now but I am not holding my breath. In 3 hours my sleep deprived mind will wish this kid was in a bed and not a crib. A bed he could climb out of on his own and make his way unassisted to our bed.
So now I am left wondering if I made a mistake with that as well. How long will this last? Until the tooth (or teeth) we think he is working on finally decide to pop through or when I am unpacking his bags in his dorm room? Oh crap - he's gonna wanna live at home for college isn't he?
Is it too late to call a strike?
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