Sunday, May 23, 2010

An award to pass on to CT and the joy of new snockings

Finally.....I have got myself organised enough to acknowledge this happy sunshiney award kindly given to me by Miss Prudence. Thanks for thinking of me! I have a very small band of bloggy friends, however, and cannot think of 12 people to bestow it upon so I am simply awarding it to CT at wee hour stitches who is worth her weight in blog awards. It sounds corny but a hello from CT on my blog really does feel like a little burst of sunlight in my day.

I have managed to coax a few more photos out of our temperamental camera. My little Curly Whirl Girl has a thing for stockings, or "snockings" as we prefer to call them. She is well and truly in the developmental stage of assserting her independance and will ONLY wear clothes that she chooses to wear. She doesn't care much for wearing her big sister's hand-me-downs (except for some reason for the really really shabby ones!) so I decided to let her choose a couple of new long sleeved shirts at Target. It's getting quite chilly here now that it is almost winter and she usually refuses point blank to wear a long sleeved shirt because she "doesn't like any of them". So...she chose a shirt and then wanted to go to Pumpkin Patch to look at "snockings". After much deliberation she chose these two pairs. I wish I could get them in my size. "The snowflake ones will be really really good for Christmas" she told me earnestly. I didn't like to point out that it will be warmish here in December. Funny how Australian kids grow up expecting things to be like they are in fairy tales and kids cartoons from the BBC in England.





My little girl is quite challenging at the moment. Adorable and loving, yes, but SO SO stubborn and mischievous. She is literally at times completely out of my control and I find myself either giving up trying to get her to stop doing something she shouldn't be doing or do something she should be doing, losing my temper and yelling and stomping about , or this week, just sitting and crying tears of frustration and tiredness. This at first made her laugh, but then she realised that I actually was sad and gently stroked my arm and said "It's ok, Mummy". I don't believe in smacking (although I have done it several times in the midst of losing my temper) and my back is a bit dodgy which prevents me picking her up or dragging her to her room or a "thinking chair". I've tried getting down on my knees and trying to get her to look at me while I explain in a firm voice what she needs to do (eg stop hitting her sister) but nothing seems to work. I've tried counting to three and then threatening to remove privileges eg TV but she couldn't care less about such things. Occasionally, I can bribe her with a Yakult or something but that doesn't seem like the right thing to do. Is there something I am forgetting? Any suggestions are very very welcome. I love her so much but she is truly driving me to distraction at the moment.
PS I have tried reward charts before but right now, she seems to be having too much fun misbehaving in the moment to think about future rewards.

Here she is again - my cheeky pixie!!!

10 comments:

Le said...

hello lovey .... tough times indeed ... maybe it's just a kickback from going to day care .. what about diet - you know me :) what about ... the moon rising - WHO KNOWS with these things :) be brave le xoxo

hester said...

Thanks Le. We were also wondering about diet and she had had smarties at a school open day the day I was reduced to tears. Or possibly the moon? As you say, who knows? I think perhaps she is just mischievous!

Anonymous said...

love the stockings. too cute.

my daughter is very challenging too. i thought it would get better with age (shes 5 now) but it doesnt seem to be. i wouldnt classify her as bad or naughty shes just very strong willed and a total chatterbox. she talks constantly and has an opinion about everything. shes literally exhausting to be around at times.
it wears me out A LOT but i have to think shes going to be an awesome woman one day if she keeps its up-no ones going to push her around. its just really hard being her mom. :)

Anonymous said...

also, to go along with Le's comment, i have noticed that my daughter is worse when im lazy about her diet. so i try to monitor her sugar intake somewhat, but shes still a loudmouth chatterbox, just a more subdued one. :)

hester said...

Thanks Tammie. It's so good that you can see the really positive side of having a strong willed daughter (something I lose sight of) and I'll try and remember that. Come to think of it, I probably let people push me around sometimes so I'm glad she's maybe going to be more assertive. I do try and respect her wishes but it's hard if we are running late for something important or whatever.

CT said...

Oh Sis, you made me blush!!! I'm glad you like me dropping by from time to time, I really enjoy reading your posts.

My two girls seem to be in the same stage. They are like the rhyme little girl: when they are good, they are very very good, and when they are bad they are horrid! They are more like Davy and Dora than like Anne and Diana. Oh wait, its like I have two girls that are just like Davy!

I try to get them tired and well fed and get a nap at midday to get them to behave, but even that doesn't always work. Still, yesterday and today we've spent our time on a nursery picking plants and setting them in pots, and they got tired and happy and dirty.I guess I have to keep them busy, cause if they are iddle they come up with all kinds of mischief and start bickering with eachother.

I hope you find some comfort in knowing you are not the only one who throws up her hands and howls, or just sits down and cry. I do so too, more often than I care to admit. You are not alone. I'm sending you a hug and mind if we share a cup of tea?

hester said...

Thank you CT. You're a darling and you made me feel heaps better. I think you're right about keeping them well fed, not overtired and nice and busy.

Miss Prudence said...

Sounds like it is all going how it should be!!! Imagine having a kid with no spirit, no curiousity just compliance and manners...bluck!

snocking are very spesh

how is mummy going?

Unknown said...

That's what you get for having such an angelic, calm #1 child. The cheeky #2 seems like more of a challenge! Of course, they're both perfectly behaved every time I see them...

Unknown said...

My message has come up as from "Charlie" as I'm using his gmail account! (Can never remember the password to mine) Tech-savvy 7-year-olds come in handy sometimes.
Sarah
X