Sunday, May 16, 2010
I need ideas!!
I am at my wits end with my two older kids right now. I know that they are having to deal with a major adjustment right now with the new baby but honestly, how much time do they need to "adjust"? They are now sharing a room and have bunk beds. Davis can now climb out of the crib so thats no longer an option. Which I'm so sad about! Rylie has always been an early riser, you heard the horror stories of the things she does early in the morning when everyone else is asleep.....now she has a partner in crime. They both get up between 5 and 6 in the morning and are out here for a few hours by themselves and they RUIN everything they can get their hands on. And they have figured out how to open the child proof locks we have on the pantry and the closets in the bathroom so they get into everything! I honestly can't get up that early to supervise them because most of the time I have been up all night with the baby. So every morning when I wake up, usually from them fighting and screaming at each other, I find my entire house thrashed and then I'm just yelling at them....every...single....day. I can't do this anymore! I have tried EVERYTHING to get them to behave. I've tried rewarding them for good choices, time outs, long patient talks, good behavior charts, yelling and screaming, spanking, I've tried every technique I learned in my parenting class, it doesn't matter what I say, I'm waisting my energy. And this morning I woke up to them getting into Olivia's crib and covering her with blankets because "she was cold". That really pushed me over the edge. I am willing to do anything to contain them and keep them from destroying my house every day. If it's not getting all the food out of the pantry it's ripping up all the toilet paper, or drawing all over my couches, or opening up every single band aid and sticking them all over the bathroom, or fighting and hitting each other until they scream and cry. I just don't know what to do!! I cannot get them to sleep in no matter how late I let them stay up so they're going to wake up that early no matter what. I can't lock them in their room because they have to get up and go to the bathroom. So please tell me what to do. I shouldn't have to lock down my entire house every night, they should listen to me!! I go over the same things every day! I will spend an entire day focusing on not drawing on the furniture, and the very next day, they draw on the furniture. Seriously you ask? Yes, seriously.
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5 comments:
I totally am not in this situation yet, but an idea occurred to me: what if you give me a set of toys or movies that they can only play with or watch between the hours they wake up and when you wake up...then during the day, they get put away or something. That way it is something unique they get to play with that will keep them occupied and it is special because they only get it in the morning. I dunno...its a thought? Ella has special toys she only gets during church and it seems to help a little bit?
The magnet child locks are the best! They can't be opened without the magnets. They are expensive, but I would put them on every cupboard. If you can't put a put a deadbolt on the kids room, I might put one on Olivia's door to keep them out. Just a few thoughts! Good luck.
I'm sorry they've been giving you such a hard time. It sounds like you are just going to have to get up at 6 if you don't want your house torn apart and Olivia woken up. I am happy to help in the morning as well. My kids are up around 7:30 so feel free to send them up and they can play while you get some rest.
My son can wake up pretty earily some times(5-6) but he will come into our room jump all over us, yell in our ears, tell us it's time to get up, kick, and more. Eventually I am the one that will get up. But I tell my husband how greatful the Kellen comes and bugs us rather then run around the house, because I can see how much harder that would be. I have seen the magnetic locks in action, they are awesome!!! Those would help with a few problems, but I can't help you with the constant repetion, I am still trying to figure that one out my self. I feel like a broken record some times. Let's us know what you try, and what works. Hang in there.
I'd put a portable toilet in their room and lock them in ;) haha- do they have a portable dvd player? Have them watch a movie in their room? Also, maybe you could put a lock on their door still, and they can call out when they need to use the bathroom- so you get up just to let them out- then put them back in and get some rest? Also, I would make them clean up EVERY mess they make- you don't clean up a thing! that way, maybe they will get sick of cleaning up after themseleves... I dont know- its sounds like a nightmare, and you are more experienced with kiddos that age than I am, so good luck!
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