This has been a LONG winter: nasty weather and nasty viruses. My daughter and I have each had several nasty colds. When we've been well, we've ventured to indoor playgrounds or activities. And then we are walloped with another cold, despite washing hands and eating well. So it feels like we are prisoners in the house.
When I am sick, I need rest. When DD is sick, she sleeps poorly. I am 8 months pregnant and desperately tired, especially because twice in the last three days, DD has woken up between four and five and refused to go back to sleep. She will try for a while, but then gets violent and restless in bed. I ask her to go play in her room and she refuses. Instead, she uses me as a punching bag. Usually by the afternoon I am to the point where I cannot function any longer and need a nap. DD will watch a movie or play in her room. When the movie ends or she gets bored, she jumps on me, pulls hair, whatever she can do to get my attention.
Now her violence has extended beyond my napping/sleeping. She will slap me and pull my hair. We have never ever been violent with our daughter. Anytime she does something aggressive, I or DH will tell her that we are a loving family and we do not hit, pull, etc. I've resorted to time-outs, although they are useless because they have no effect. I find myself yelling when she keeps trying to use our cat as a chair or she just won't stop with the aggression. But she doesn't take me seriously when I raise my voice. I don't raise my voice in her face. It is usually when she is across the room or has crawled up in my chair and started pulling my hair from the back.
I keep trying to put myself in her position. She is sick of being trapped here. She doesn't like it that her mother is so tired and can't pick her up much anymore. She will soon have to deal with her baby brother. Her father works long hours and she only spends time with him on the weekends. She doesn't like that she has to take cough medicine and resists every effort of mine to get her to take it. I know there is more. The question is, how can I curb her sudden trend toward hurting me? She has always been a very sweet and loving child, so her change over the past few weeks has been very shocking.
When I am sick, I need rest. When DD is sick, she sleeps poorly. I am 8 months pregnant and desperately tired, especially because twice in the last three days, DD has woken up between four and five and refused to go back to sleep. She will try for a while, but then gets violent and restless in bed. I ask her to go play in her room and she refuses. Instead, she uses me as a punching bag. Usually by the afternoon I am to the point where I cannot function any longer and need a nap. DD will watch a movie or play in her room. When the movie ends or she gets bored, she jumps on me, pulls hair, whatever she can do to get my attention.
Now her violence has extended beyond my napping/sleeping. She will slap me and pull my hair. We have never ever been violent with our daughter. Anytime she does something aggressive, I or DH will tell her that we are a loving family and we do not hit, pull, etc. I've resorted to time-outs, although they are useless because they have no effect. I find myself yelling when she keeps trying to use our cat as a chair or she just won't stop with the aggression. But she doesn't take me seriously when I raise my voice. I don't raise my voice in her face. It is usually when she is across the room or has crawled up in my chair and started pulling my hair from the back.
I keep trying to put myself in her position. She is sick of being trapped here. She doesn't like it that her mother is so tired and can't pick her up much anymore. She will soon have to deal with her baby brother. Her father works long hours and she only spends time with him on the weekends. She doesn't like that she has to take cough medicine and resists every effort of mine to get her to take it. I know there is more. The question is, how can I curb her sudden trend toward hurting me? She has always been a very sweet and loving child, so her change over the past few weeks has been very shocking.
