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I've been picking up a few extra shifts at work to try to make up for the days I missed when Daegan was sick. I dislike working full days! I like the extra cases I see....seems like most of the cool stuff comes in the afternoon....but it just seems so late by the time I get home....Russ has also been having long days at the clinic. We need a family weekend again!
Spring is in full bloom here and the pollens are ridiculous! I can't even go in the back yard because of the flowering bushes....I don't even know what they are, but my sinuses hate them!
It also means that I've got two itchy pups in the house!---------------------------------------------------
Parenting stuff:
I'm currently struggling with the best course of punishment for Daegan....he's 19 months old, and has entered the temper-tantrum-throwing phase. He's also in the hitting phase. If I take away something that I don't want him to have, he hits me...and if I tell him sternly "no hitting" he'll swat at me again. When I place him in time-out (he won't walk there himself so I have to pick him up and carry him there - I try to do it gently - I don't drag him or anything) he'll either swat at me again, or he'll kick and arch so I can't sit him down. If I can't get him to sit, I'll lay him down in time-out...when he swats, I just reiterate "no hitting". I think let him sit for about a minute. Sometimes he'll cry, sometimes he'll sit and be calm and quiet, sometimes he'll bang his head against the wall. After time-out is over, I walk over to him, ask him to tell me he's sorry (he'll usually sign "sorry" and give me a hug) and then let him out of time out. It's not curbing the behavior at all. He's still swatting at me/hitting me many times a day....sometimes I'll ask him to say sorry instead of time out....but he's in time-out 3-4 times a day most days. I feel like I must be doing something wrong because that seems like a lot for such a young guy. I'm trying really hard to be consistent, calm....and I'm doing a pretty good job at it....I rarely raise my voice (in regards to this) and I'm trying to keep my phrasing short (ie "no hitting"). I wonder if there is something else I could do, or if this is maybe just a phase and it'll get better....
I also think his tantrums are destructive sometimes...where he'll throw himself down and kick at the wall/whatever hard and repetitive...or he'll hit himself when he's mad. I don't know exactly what to do during those times....do I pick him up and try to soothe him, do I let him scream it out, do I try to stop the tantrum without touching him?? I think it's got to be good for him to get his frustrations out somehow....so he doesn't resort to violence (like hitting, it's working so well!
or biting).....but should he be learning a better coping mechanism than laying on the floor kicking and screaming?? Is he too young to really understand coping??I'm probably totally over analyzing normal toddler boy behavior, but I just don't know. My mom had two fairly mild mannered girls so she's no help.
And I'm ready to transition him out of our bed, but I guess he's not. He was doing well before he got sick and then when he was sick he was back in the bed....now when I try to lay him in the crib he has a fit! I'm not ready to let him cry it out in there, but I'm not sure what else to do....I end up giving in...oh well....maybe he's just still not feeling well. I'll give it some more time.