It was past SweetPea's bedtime, and I was fuming. I had a mile-long to-do list to tackle, but despite my best efforts, I just could not get her to go to sleep. She wasn't fussy, she wasn't defiant. She just wasn't ready to let her mama go for the night. I tried to calm myself. I tried being grateful. I thought about how I could rearrange my tasks to get the most pressing things done. None of it was making me feel better. And I'm sure SweetPea picked up on my frustration and anxiety, further making it difficult for her to sleep. As I lay there getting more angry and feeling guilty about … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2016
Taking the Bite out of Toddler Aggression
I heard the shriek of pain from the other room. With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I raced out, knowing, just knowing, that my own little SweetPea had somehow injured little Alex. Few things make me feel more self-conscious than pushing, biting, snatching toddlers. Double the anxiety and embarrassment if it happens in public; nothing like all those eyes on me with their unstated expectations for me "do something" to control my kid! Last week was one of those times. I was babysitting twins and had taken Nicky into the bedroom for a diaper change, when all of a sudden, I heard … [Read more...]