My Strong Willed Child

Everyone is still asleep - Maybe I'll get to finish this post. One can only hope.

This summer has been very hectic for me. I started my new part time job. I have three kids at home to entertain. Last weekend, we had two major appliances malfunction. Our oldest is in swim lessons. Let's just say we are not having the lazy days of summer.

Last night, one of our "battles" came to a head with our strong willed child, the G-Monkey. We have had a terrible few weeks with her. She has been waking up at night two or three times every night for over two weeks now. This results in a very cranky mommy and a very cranky three year old. And, we can't figure it out. So she keeps waking up and the cycle never ends, just gets worse.

So for the first time ever, on a weekend, she showed Daddy just what she is capable of when it comes to naughtiness. She usually just reserves it for me. There was hitting (her not me!) screaming (both of us) uncontrollable shaking and flailing on the ground (her but I thought about it), and a lot of lying.

For some insane reason, we thought it was imperative to go to church. So off we went to the 5:00 service. She was awful. Headed for a spanking all day. In church, she faked going to the bathroom before we went in. Then, five minutes later, really had to go and started crying in a panic. Daddy took her. She was crawling all over us and the pews. She wouldn't leave her brother alone and thought it was funny to rile him up so that he had to be taken out. And then the thing that really got me. She went to the alter with her sister to get her children's bulletin and wouldn't come back! No kidding, she just looked at me from down there and smiled a mean little smile and stood there. I had to go get her! So very embarrassing! When she took her time coming back from giving to the children's collection I thought it was cute. She was counting the money in the basket and that is so like her. I should have seen it for the sign of things to come. By the way, I should say that she was very in control the entire Mass. She never once did anything that I could take her out for - She just pushed as hard as she could to the boundary she knew was there. That is the story of her life.

It was only when we got to the car that she started to throw a huge fit and we abandoned the idea of going out for dinner. Which brought on another fit. She was then fine until dinnertime. She asked if she ate her dinner could she have cake? I told her if she ate her hamburger, she could. So, she takes bites of her hamburger, chews it up and spits it back on her plate (so gross to watch). And then wants cake! No Way!

We get over that and get to bedtime where she throws a fit that she wants to trade beds with her sister. This was not okay with the Princess so G-Monkey punched her! Yes, punched! She was put straight to bed, in her own bed, and told no Max and Ruby today. Oh, the crying, the screaming, the drama!

Any ideas? Any sympathy? Any good books to read? Any funny stories?

I found a great article on Momsense.com that said to preserve the parent/child relationship above all else and to choose your battles. So this is my new plan. I need to let her have more control over herself within a few parameters. But, she will not be going back to church any time soon unless the nursery is open!