Thanksgiving dinner, which was actually meltdown-free.Since we last updated you on Nigel, some sass has emerged. Make that A LOT of sass. Tonight we had to leave a family friendly tour of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. We gave Nigel many warnings, but he just wasn't listening to us. In his defense, today's event was geared around the most boring, unkid-friendly art ever: a dull, pink square piece of granite. And the hands-on art part of the tour was actually a worksheet geared toward much, much older kids. But still, he didn't even attempt to be good.
Much of the sass happens at the dining room table, though. He'll suddenly start crying if his PB&J sandwich oozes a wee bit of J; he'll yell that he doesn't like something, despite having already eaten 82% of it; he babbles loud nonsense when Tim and I attempt to have a conversation. Other times, he is extremely impatient. And for some reason, when Tim tries to put him into his car seat he screams like he's being murdered. Ya know, because our family doesn't stand out enough as it is. Tim says it was so loud and out of control one day at Home Depot that he thought someone might call the cops. It all started the week before we arrived in TX, and it hasn't died down.
Is it because he's almost 3? Is he sick of me and craving kiddo interaction? Is he lashing out because we moved? Who knows. All I know is, I want it to stop. Sometimes I wonder if I'm expecting too much of him when he isn't even 3 yet. But I don't think so. He's very smart and capable. Too smart, perhaps.
Could it be worse? Of course. Nigel continues to exhibit great behavior and use incredible manners 90% of the time, but during those meltdowns it's really, really hard to be patient. Moments like this, however, allow us some humor and perspective: Monday night when we were reading Nigel his bedtime stories and talking about the day, we mentioned that he hadn't been on his best behavior that evening. He had, in fact, been acting like a bad boy. "I'm not bad," he replied. "I'm just not really good."
It is the age, I am positive. Avery was and is a very sweet child, but at the age of 3 she was in a time-out daily! There were times when she fought so hard getting in her car seat by screaming and arching her back, all in a public parking lot. I was mortified! Rebecca is having some problems as Miss Hazel approaches 3 also. You have not seen the last of your sweet, well behaved boy. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how Jimmie handles seventeen 3 year olds all day long.
I totally think some of it might be "too smart for his own good." I definitely saw him giving me a winky eye before saying something a little bad when I had dinners with you all! Good luck. You'll get through it!
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