tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22481322.post5683535761435887413..comments2023-11-03T04:52:54.090-04:00Comments on Life with Coco and Gigi... and Jack-Jack too!: She's so not normalKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08397695241403505531noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22481322.post-23631018248685771142010-07-23T08:37:56.255-04:002010-07-23T08:37:56.255-04:00I know it's not fair to compare your children ...I know it's not fair to compare your children to other people's children but I do it anyway :-P Also, I should really keep my mouth shut since I have NO experience with RS BUT...<br /><br />It might just be a phase. We go through this sort of stuff with Ava every once in a while and I watch my brother go through it with his daughter and my friends go through it with their kids. Heck, we're going through it with Lincoln right now. We have a habit of chalking everything up to "phases" in our house, though. Helps me get through it. Anyway, I think it's a pecking order thing. She's testing you (& her sister). <br /><br />I've noticed that sometimes Ava tries out new behavior after hanging out with friends and seeing what they can get away with - or just an ornery kid in the grocery store in the line next to ours gives her ideas. Sometimes she starts to act up when there's a lot of change happening (travel, company, sickness, etc.). She's also been known to turn nasty when she's bored or hasn't gotten enough mental stimulation recently. It's a tough balance to strike. Her phases have lasted anywhere from an hour to weeks. <br /><br />During her phases it seems like punishment is useless. It is such a test of my patience and control and discipline! I don't know if my approach is the right one but I don't know of a better one yet. I just stick to it - keep putting her in timeout - regardless of her reaction. I think that it has to be sinking into her on some level. She doesn't have control while she's sitting in timeout, even if she's singing and laughing (& she knows that too). However, they do gain control when they get a rise/reaction out of you. This is why I also think it's important not to raise your voice. I digress. If timeout gets too out of hand then she's sent to her room b/c the rule in our house is no nasty attitudes around everyone else; if you're going to act nasty then you may do so in your own room and when you're ready to change your attitude you may join the rest of the family. I'm not a big fan of taking books away as a punishment but I've used TV ("If I have to talk to you about XYZ one more time then you will not watch any shows or movies today.") and toys (big ones - doll house, laptop, etc.). Of course, that makes the day much more challenging for me (& Linc) if I can't rely on TV for 30 minutes to get dinner ready in peace but it pays off in the long run and I just keep reminding myself of that. <br /><br />You're right, it sounds to me like she's acting like a three-year-old... <br /><br />I know it's probably not as simple for you but know that you're not alone...whatever comfort that might bring, HA! I know how difficult these times are, believe me, I do. Hang in there! Actually, it does bring me some comfort to know that other people experience similar things, especially when it comes to parenting.Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01090868980243407713noreply@blogger.com