We've "let" Sunny go the past few weeks and I am happily typing away this morning to say that we are getting back to normal, back to where we want to be.
She is a good eater & a good napper, but this toddler thing had come out of her and she changed. Every 10 minutes (or each time she finished her snack) she was at the pantry or refrigerator needing another. Begging, stamping her feet, pulling my hand to the door. Sometimes it worked, she got raisens. Other times I said "No" and she'd throw herself around, real tears, toss anything in her hands... Then she'd straightened up and grabbed my hand with big eyes and try and pull me towards the panty... *sigh
Then her naps were the issue. She learned a new cry & liked to test it out for 20min+ at naptime. It did wonders, kept her out in the house with her parents, it pushed her naps back in the day to almost non existant (scary!) and it even got her rocked to sleep followed by a pleasant nap in mommies bed.
All these things had to stop. She wasnt sitting at her highchair and eating meals anymore, she was too full from crackers so she'd throw her dinner around then scream until she got down and was able to sit in daddies lap. She was waking before 7a. That is just wrong in this house. We have a "Do not disturb until 7a sharp!" rule here and she is breaking it!
So... we did this:
-stuffed her with breakfast, when she is most hungry
-a smoothie gets her "through" until lunchtime
-no snacks until dinner!
--- This is difficult, as Jason is usually home by 3 and she looooves to manipulate between us, or basically go to her daddy for anything she wants. But its a rule now, so in order to keep her mind off snacks, we cant be so lazy and hang out inside. We go outside for bikerides, wagon pulls to the park, deck time where she plays in her sandbox, etc etc. You should see her put down her dinner now! Stuffing it in her mouth long after Jason and I have finished. Its nice to have a hungry child with an appetite! Nothings worse than sitting down to a meal, not hungry. I feel like throwing food around then, too....
Naps:
Pushed it back farther in the day (it used to start anywhere from 10a-1130. Yesterday I managed to make her last until 1230. She started whining for her Lambies then). She slept for 2 1/2 hours. Also pushed her bedtime back a half hour to 730p. I will push her nap back even farther until its at 130 or 2p. I think. To make sure she's extra tired and whatnot....
As I type this it is 730a; she's woken up consistantly at 645a for weeks. It worked. A+ for our parenting skills this week.
2 comments:
Just out of curiosity, why can't she eat all day? At this age, that is really normal. They eat off and on all day and can't make it with just three meals. I don't think it's possible for them to overeat, so if she's saying she's hungry, maybe she is. Lunch to dinner is a really, really long time to go without her having any food. Just my opinion (I am not being a mompetitor)! Maybe my kid is just is pregnant by a cabbage patch doll and eating for two.
I've changed my mind. I agree with you. I still dont agree with Pantry Visits every 5 minutes, but a snack in between lunch/dinner is appropriate for her age and thanks for pointing it out. I'll try not to be so annoyed by her tiny tiny stomach and meta- metabolism.
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