I was going to write about the little opening ceremony we went to for Brixton's fancy new square but I lack the motivation to get the pictures off my camera. Instead, I am going to write about the flip-side of parenting, the dark side of my little spud-u-like, the side we've been seeing for a few days now.
It starts, this slide into the netherworld, with a bad night. Perhaps he had a nightmare, perhaps a cough... whatever it is, if he has to get up early the next day, he's guaranteed to be in the sort of mood which involves the phrase 'I don't want to'; as in 'I don't want to get up'; 'I don't want to get dressed'; 'I don't want to eat breakfast'; 'I don't want to go to nursery'.
Eventually of course, he does all those things.
Recently he's taken to wanting me to pull him home from nursery on his scooter which does my back in. On a bad day, if I refuse he whinges all the way home. 'It's too difficult'; 'I'm too heavy'; 'I don't want to' or more accurately 'I'm too difficult!'
Today was bad. He screamed blue murder all the way up our quiet street. I offered to carry his scooter, I held his hand, I walked 3 feet in front encouraging him to follow, I stopped, I pushed him gently from behind thinking it would be fun... this is what it sounded like to the neighbours: 'No, Mummy! No, Mummy! Not like that! Don't go far away Mummy! Don't leave me! Don't Stop! You're pushing me down! You're pushing me down!'
We got to our front steps and he refused to walk up, instead lying down on the wet pavement, sobbing at the top of his lungs. I tried to pick him up and he flopped. I practically had to stuff him into the house.
Within seconds of getting inside he was happily demanding pasta and turning on the Wii. I was at the window, nervously waiting for child services to show up.
Inevitably the day closed to a familiar sound-track: 'I don't want to habba bath'; 'I don't want to wear my jamas'; ' 'I don't want to go to bed'.
Eventually, of course, he did all those things.
The key word here is 'eventually' as it takes a lot of negotiation to get him to stay in bed and even then he can remain defiant until the last:
18 comments:
Laughing, with you of course and in a very knowingly manner...
Both the picture and post are priceless!
oh yes, i know those moments well! And what a sweet thing he is asleep.
Ah yes, what fun.
Those sorts of days are my favourite.
Oh god. I think you just gave me a glimpse of the future...
It sounds like he has big boy colic! :D When will it END???
And lol you're such a patient woman, I'd've told Daisy that if she couldn't get the damn scooter home herself than she obviously doesn't need it and she could leave it on the sidewalk for a kid who really wanted it.
Yeah, I'm not gonna win any mommy awards.
Cara - bless you. I'm laughing too... I'd have laughed at the time if I hadn't wanted to just sit in a puddle and close my eyes for a year.
Michelle - thanks! I'm guessing you've had those days too... ?? Please tell me it's not just us!
Heather - yes, ain't they all?!
Gappy, you are a mad person... or you have a VERY dry sense of humour!
cloudlovebaby - oh yes. Oh yes yes yes... mind you you might get lucky...
Gringa - now THAT's an approach I will use next time. You have that one down pretty pat, you've heard that one before I'm guessing...
Oh, so THAT's why my back hurts - because Boy #2 has taken to getting me to pull him along on the scooter! (I would have thought that pulling a sledge would have done some damage but no - it's only now the snow's abated and we're having to use the scooter that I've developed aches and pains). Thanks for clearing that mystery up for me Sparx!
Potty Mummy - scootering - is there ice on the ground still? Could just be walking on the ice doing your back in...? But could be the scooter...
LOL Oh my love I remember those days and this too will pass. Just focus on that beautiful face and think back to the days when he looks deep into your eyes and says, 'I love you Mum'.
I did find with my own dear child that just agreeing with everything she said left her nowhere to go. 'I don't want to." 'OK" (but you keep dressing them and moving ahead of course). Sometimes you get lucky and it confuses them so that they are quiet and move along before, "hey wait a minute...!'
This too will pass and you are doing brilliantly from all I can see from here.
Know what you mean..mine curls up in a tiny ball and just says na na na na.
My older one gives me hope, when she isn't making potions (god bless Harry Potter) with toilet cleaner...
Lol, nope, I'm just an impatient beotch.
It never fails to amaze me how my kids can behave so sweetly and manageably up until 5 minutes before it's time to leave the house, and then suddenly use every obstreperous trick up their sleeves and look completely wounded when I get Godzilla-ish about their heel-dragging naughtiness.
Would a piece of rope work?
No, not for yourself, for the front of his riding toy. Maybe you could make yourself a handle and turn him and his scooter into your own pull toy.
This is why they are so cute to look at...
Lady M - OK, that's a great strategy, I am officially adopting it!
Muddyno Sugar - curls up into a ball? Argh! Poor you!
Gringa - yes, we know that dear!
Jaguarish - yes yes yes, that's it EXACTLY!
@eloh - yes I think you're right - about the rope and about them being cute so we don't massacre 'em.
SORRY ALL FOR NOT DROPPING BY - HAVE BEEN BURIED WITH WORK. SEE YOU SOON xxx
'I'm too difficult!'
spitting coffee at screen!
Urgh. Could it be she's starting that kind of behaviour at 12 months already?
I know this all too well - Toddlergirl seems to take me wanting her to do something as a signal to donthe direct opposite. So not fun but hopefully will pass
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