Comments | yukon_ruby: Want some cheese with that?

yukon_ruby

Want some cheese with that?

Aug 02, 2007 22:49

Tonight Jeffrey agreed to go to his bedroom without issue if we played a particular game for the 19 minutes left before bedtime. When that time came he denied having made the agreement and started whining for stories. This causes me to do one of three things. 1) Give in completely and let him have/do what ever he wants. 2) Get very angry and want ( Read more... )

sanity, son, sleep

Comments 3

fanlain August 3 2007, 04:39:23 UTC

Does he always get time before he goes to bed? I'm wondering if he wants time with you when he whines or just is cranky ( ... )

chocolatecoffee August 3 2007, 14:29:49 UTC

Mrah. So you've got at least two separate issues here - 1, jeffrey doesn't want/isn't ready to go to bed at bedtime, and 2, jeffrey does not honour his agreements. The tendency to whine is probably just Standard Kid Tactic #2, or it could be issue #3.

Lenore's suggestion of a consistent bedtime routine is wise. He'll still bargain and plead to extend it but you can always just walk out/cut story time short if he does. Maybe over time he'll learn that good behaviour results in getting tucked in and a happy bedtime.

Maybe the internet has some good suggestions for issue 2; I sure as hell don't. :/

*Hugs*. And kudos for trying to be a better parent, instead of just reacting to your emotions with no regard to the fact that your opponent is a small child under your care, like my momma did. I salute you. One of the reasons I remain childless is that I'm not confident I could do that.

You're being nice... ytrew_q_uiop August 8 2007, 13:23:44 UTC

probably, too nice.

My dad would probably have said something like: "I'm the parent; I'm in charge; and I make the rules. I say go to bed - NOW - end of story. I let you listen to a story tonight, but you were bad. No story tommorow night, or any night until I decide you've learned to behave well enough to deserve one."

If you're going to act like a whiny little kid, I'll treat you like one. When you're ready to act like a good boy, you let me know. Until then, be quiet tonight, or I'll get even more upset. You won't like that at all.

No more talking. I don't want to hear any more noise out of you until morning. And that's final."

You don't have to hit a kid to let him know you're in charge. Just use your tone of voice to remind him that you're a bigger primate than he is, and you're growing irate with his behaviour. Nature has conditioned him to understand on that level, if not on any other, that that sort of thing is a bad idea...