Wednesday, 19 January 2011

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

My initial title for this post was, "Two steps forward, one step back", but no! I am refusing to look at life in this way. We have to win- we can have 3 content and happy kids.

The transition to school for the boys have not been easy for any one of us. It also does not impact just at what  happens at school but also the fallout at home for us. Our usual "difficult" boy, little man C is now all of a sudden Mr Happy Camper - well, most of the time. He can not wait to get to school, in the afternoons he is in general happy and mostly tantrum free where we were used to a string of tantrums regularly.

For little man L going to school has not been easy - this morning was the first relatively drama free drop off, but the day turned downwards as it progressed. He is also not easy at home and has been niggly and crying a lot. Only the last two days he played contently up until dinner time when only a little gets eaten and all hell breaks loose when we move upstairs to bath. A huge tantrum is followed by crying and a refusal to bath. Only the last two nights resulted in a calmer conclusion to bath time. At least going to bed is easy these days.

Then, of course sleeping is an issue once again. C wakes up every night! Most nights he then wakes his brother and that is when the real (not) fun start. We are exhausted. As from tonight we are trying the mattress method - a small mattress in our room that they can come and sleep on when they get scared. At least, I hope it results in only one and not both awake.

But we shall persevere - I live in total hope that one day we will have 3 content kids . As you may have noticed I did not mention the Lil Miss here simply because she is just so happy, so helpful and so sweet. Believe me, she has her moments, but in general, she is a joy. Maybe, some day, 3 will be a joy. Until then, I will take a good night's sleep as a consolation price.

12 comments:

  1. :-(

    I wish you had been reading my blog when I first started. Hooli was 7mths, Lulu was 2 and Honey was 5. Oh.My.Word. Life was very very not easy.

    En Nou? I barely of blogfodder cos things generally roll so smoothly and sleep it never an issue.

    Hang in there. :-)

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  2. Honey, I feel your pain. A good night's sleep is nothing to be sniffed at.
    All the best, you WILL get through it, promise!

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  3. First of all, your blog looks beautiful - your layout makes things sit very nicely (I had a problem seeing it all properly before - since no one mentioned, I assumed it was me!)

    And oh my word, I feel for you - I moan if D makes me wake at 5:30 with the kids.

    I hope the mattress works. What about incentivising them to stay in their bedrooms and not wake Mom and Dad? x number of days in a row = date with Mom and ice-cream :)

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  4. Sleep deprivation is the worst torture technique! This too will pass! Hang in there...
    I have no words of wisdom, because we also struggle with it, but luckily I don't have times two the problem! Thumbs for tonight!

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  5. So sorry to hear that your lil guy is still having trouble adjusting to school. I can relate to the tough evenings, too. Last year when I'd gone back to work in the fall, it was soooo rough on both Adam and Sarah...and then I always felt horrible that I had so little time/energy left to give to Jacob in it all....life has gotten calmer now thankfully but I know how trying it can be to go through those emotional cycles.

    Good luck with the mattress idea. I hope it helps! Hopefully he'll settle in soon and calm will be restored.

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  6. Good luck with the sleeping! I have a non-sleeper!!!

    Little man L will get there - promise!!!

    Much love and hugs!

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  7. I so feel for you, hope the mattress helps a little.

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  8. I feel sorry for you - just hang in there. Everything will work out.

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  9. I so feel for you. Not sleeping is so not cool. How did it go last night? Better?

    Time i hope will sort it all for you.

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  10. Transitions can be hard but kids are resilient!

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  11. I hope that things will become easier and that you will very soon have 3 happy little ones.

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  12. Hope you have a good night tonight

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