Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Emotions

This is me at my wit's end...I really don't know how to spell wit, witt, whit... My middle child, Shelby Lynn is so very full of emotion. She laughs loud belly laughs, she cries in a ridiculous screams, she loves to bare all when it comes to her feelings. She also loves to be held. I am not exaggerating when I say that I really believe she would be held all day if someone was willing to do so. Those of you who know Shelby, please comment and vouch for me on this one. I am very serious about this. Anyway...my point of the matter is. I can hold Shelby lots of times. In fact I try to say yes as much as possible. I hold her until she falls asleep at nap time, I also hold her while she falls asleep for bed. If I can't she is willing, with a good attitude, to fall asleep by herself if need-be. But I am beside myself for her attitude when she wakes up from nap. I mean, I dread it. From about 3-4 in the afternoon (after nap time) until bedtime, she is a whiny mess. So frustrating! She wants me to hold her the whole time, she speaks in a whiny voice and cries over every little thing. She is not willing to treat her sisters kindly, or help out when asked. But only after her nap. She is a pure delight in the morning... So part of me says, hold her, love on her, she NEEDS the attention and care. I am still willing to hold her when I can, but I am not willing to allow whining, disobedience and a bad attitude in our home. So question for all who have advice to give, how do I help Shelby wake up rested, happy and ready to enjoy the rest of the day? Ready...go...

6 comments:

Natalie said...

what comes to mind is that I don't have a cure for the whining but like you I try to not let it be allowed in our home. My goal when there is whininess is to keep them busy with chores (setting table, taking out garbage, picking up toys) until the whining stops.

Sherri said...

Oh, boy! Greta is going through the exact same stage! She too wants to be held non-stop and especially when I am preparing dinner. I have determined that she is just bored, the times that I have made an effort to find a special project for her to do she is significantly less whiny.
Good luck and let me know if you find a good solution to the ultra-clingyness! (I know it's not a word :))

Sara said...

Awww mama...hang in there!

How about stop putting her down for a nap and just to bed earlier? Is that an option?

If it's not...is there some other activity that she can do to "decompress" from her nap? I know that I am a total crab when I wake up from a nap...and I just need time to work it out.

Another option...do you have an Ergo? Can you put her on your back while you cook instead of holding her? The Ergo would sit low enough...under your belly. A mai tai would work too.

~The~ Mrs. Ketter said...

My girls used to be, (and still can be when they want to,) big whiners. I also, for obvious reasons, could not take the whining anymore. So I made them sit in the "time out" chair if they wanted to pout, whine, be mean, and so on. They did not like being in that chair all alone, with no one paying attention to them, that the "attitude" quickly dissipated, and they corrected their own behavior. I have been using it since my oldest was 3 years old. But, it works well on all my girls (9, 7 & 4 years old now). Anyway, I thought I would share that, maybe it could work for you too. :)
~Jen~

liz said...

Well, no advice here. But just because you asked, I'm commenting to attest that yes, Shelby would be held all day long if she could -- as long as something keeps her interest while she is being held!

Also, I think you spelled wit correctly. :)

angela said...

No real advice but I know when I'm whiny its because I'm still tired.
Maybe her nap time needs to be longer?

Love ya.