Annyson has such a great day at school today - she's been on green all week. I have been so proud of her and she's been trying all month to stay on green for a whole week so Uncle Jay would buy her a pink ball - preferably a Strawberry Shortcake Ball. For example, she begs to take per princess book to school and I let her ONLY if she shares it with her friends. And her teachers tell me that she will spend hours with her friends taking turns reading all the princess stories in the book. And she never forgets to bring the book back home with her. She told me today that she went to play with a girl at school because she was playing by herself and Annyson didn't want her to play by herself. She told me she shared her pretzels with a friend because she knew it would make him happy. She has such a kind heart and is so caring. She is going to be such a good big sister.
But she has her days like we all do. Today after school, she had such a hard time obeying. Finally, after she threw her hot dog across the table I told her she would not get chocolate chips for desert and she fell to the ground in a devastating fit. I told her to go to her room - at which point she hung her head and cried. I took her to her room, shut her door and all H.E. Double Hockey Sticks. broke loose. Sam ended up going in there and told her that she could not come out until she calmed down. After about 30 minutes of her deafening screams and kicks to the door, I went in there told her the same things Sam did and she finally calmed down and explained to me why she was in time out ("cuz I not obey") and that she understood her punishment ("time out and no story"). Then came the shocker: we told her that her punishment for being repeatedly disobedient was going to bed now. This devastated her. She cried for another 45 minutes before she got back in her bed (she cried on the floor) and calmed down. That hour and 15 minutes was so HARD. I just wanted to go in and hold her and tell her it was all going to be ok.
I kept saying to myself - you are doing the right thing- don't give in! After she calmed down for a good bit, Sam went in for snuggles and told her we loved her and explained again why there are punishments for our actions and that we just want her to be a good girl, be happy, and stay on green. Then I went in to sing her a song and love on her. I told her that its ok to feel sad and mad for not getting her way and that she is not in trouble for feeling those things, but b/c she was disobedient and I explained that when she feels sad and mad she needs to use her words to talk to us rather than pitching fits. Fits = punishment. She said "just like Pinkalicous, right?" (another of her favorite books). I snuggled her through her muffled breathing and she grabbed my face with both of her hands and said "I love you Mommy". I told her I loved her too and would love her forever and ever. Then she told me she was ready for me to go so I obliged and she fell fast asleep :) Punishing is hard - but when she gets it and understands why she's getting punished - it makes it a bit easier (after the fact).
I am praying for a good day tomorrow so we can celebrate all week being on green with a trip for ice cream and an evening at the park. And maybe a weekend of no punishments! Wishful thinking?? We'll see :)
No comments:
Post a Comment