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Today was just one of those days. You just knew upon waking that things were going South on an unstoppable runaway train, and soon there would be a wreck!
My oldest has been sick for the last couple of days with a head cold. Now, as I remember from my days working in a child care center, behavior is often the first clue that illness is brewing. I’m tempted to think that my youngest may have gotten the bug, because he has just been Mr. Cranky all day!
Our futile attempts to get him to nap were met with hostile resistance, and despite his body’s needs, he kept getting out of bed and playing with his toys. So, when it was time to call his birth grandmother, he was just over the top.
I debated whether to call or not, knowing my youngest was not at his “best.” But I also feel very strongly about preserving the relationship they have with their grandparents and older brother. So, we called. No sooner did he greet his grandmother did the floodgates open. He didn’t like California (yesterday he loved it), he wanted to “come visit” their house; he wanted to talk to his foster mom…yada, yada, yada.
So, today, I am Grinch Mama for a Day! Fortunately, his grandmother took it all in stride. In fact, she said that when my youngest was talking to his older sib (who is in the care of his grandparents), his older brother shared that he gets in trouble, too, “a lot.”
Still, it was embarrassing, to say the least. Of course, while we were talking, he was screaming like a banshee at the top of his lungs, because Dad told him he needed to stay in his room and nap. Normal? You betcha. Hey, kids do get disciplined! But usually not with an audience other than their sibs!
Throwing it out there to you: Has this ever happened to you? What have you done about it? Does it just make you want to have the Earth swallow you up?
Our daughters who are now adults tried to play us frequently against their grandparents. We all live in the same town. I always said it was similar to the way a child plays his divorced parents. Only their grandparents bought it for years. I’m afraid they caused a real rift between our families.
Hey Marie….I’ve been a stepmom to FOUR boys since 2002 and I know all about the playing game-luckily they’e pretty much grown out of it (or have realized that it doesn’t work with their dad and me!) But I do remember times that they’d be at our house for the weekend and if they didn’t get their way they’d want to call their mom to complain about how “mean” we were (and sadly their mom would egg them on-she dislikes me intensely!) You just have to know not to take it personally….it always blows over!