after holiday blues or what?

I know holidays are nuts - family at the house, tons of gifts and attention, traveling to other places for more gifts, schedules shifted around, etc., now with DH back at work after 2 weeks at home and on top of that he has to travel this whole week. I understand that my kids are probably a little off because of it all and to be honest, so am I. But I need help! I just put them in their rooms for their naps and walked out. I couldn't bring myself to do the usual cuddly nap time routine because I was literally holding my breath not to scream at someone. DS who's been PTed for months peed his pants 3 times before nap. Right in front of me and with a smile on his face - "mommy, I peed." DD brought a toy to bed and then remembered she wanted another. I told her just to go to her room and that I'd bring it (didn't want her back downstairs) so she threw the toy in her hand down the steps and had a full on tantrum. Obviously didn't get it back. I put their baby sister in a bouncy chair in the hallway like I usually do if she's awake when I'm trying to get the other two to bed. DD grabs a plastic toy (luckily a soft one) and throws it into the hallway, almost hitting her sister. Automatic time out in this house (hurting a sibling). So I told her she had two minutes in her room before I'd come back to tuck her in. She emptied her entire dresser onto the floor and was playing with it like she was in a leaf pile. We went through that phase over a year ago - WTH? I made hr help me put a few things back, but she was carrying on and getting overtired on top of whatever post-holiday funk we're already in so I just put her in her bed and walked out. I never do that. No kiss, no snuggle. I feel terrible, but if i stayed I would have lost it. I know it's hard since I'm here with the three of them by myself all week until my husband gets home and because they're recovering from being spoiled by all the attention the past two weeks, but even though I can rationalize it, I still feel like locking myself in the bathroom for a time out of my own! I guess I'm just venting, but if you want to chime in with your own after-holiday spoiled kid stories, fell free - at least it'll make me smile!

 

I don't know... sounds like a normal day to me. Sorry

 

I have to commend you for not losing it, no matter what you had to do to hold back. My daughter had 3 accidents today, and I'm sorry to say I didn't do too well staying calm and not letting my frustration show. As I was on the phone with the couch cleaning company from her first accident, she proceeded to pee all over the carpet in front of the tv, and was completely oblivious about it. Too into her show to be bothered with even caring about it. With everything you had going on, I definitely would have lost it in your shoes. I hate days like that, where it seems off the wall episodes happen one after another.

 

If you read my post from today you will see that i am having similar days as you. It seems like they are challenging me on purpose to see how far they can push me. But, they problem is, no matter what my reaction is, it does not seem to change anything. I feel totally helpless.

My question is to you, how to you get them to stay in their beds? Do you still have them in cribs? Mine cry and carry on if we leave the room. IT is a nightmare.

Also, like you, I have a 5 month old baby.

 

thats alot going on. really, trully, If you feel out of whack, Im sure the kiddos do to. Things will calm down soon. Leave the mess, it will be there after nap (when you hopefully have 2 happier children) and have had a break yourself. I just spent the week home with my 3, DH comes back tonight but we all survived. Missing one snuggle is nothing in the big scheme of things. Try not to concentrate on whats going wrong while he's gone, but rather- whats going right? Its not easy flying solo with 3 little kids. Cut yourself some slack. deep breath and greet them with a smile after nap time This too shall pass!!!!

 

I didn't read your post yet, but I will!

I've been spending less time on housework and more time with them and that seems to be helping a lot. I used to have a routine (if you can call it that, ha!) where after a meal I would give them time to play on their own while I cleaned up, nursed the baby, etc., and then we would do something after that, but lately with their dad traveling a lot, I've just decided to give them as much of my time as they need. They still go off and do their own thing, but I make myself more available. I figure it's a phase and the best thing is to just try to keep them comfortable through it. So I'll nurse the baby while sitting on the floor reading or doing a puzzle with them and then let the baby play on her play mat while I play some other game with them. They actually get sick of me...my DD told me just to "Go over there, Mommy" yesterday because she wanted to get into a box that was still hanging around from Christmas and she knew with me right there she couldn't! That has made it much easier for them to just go up to bed without the fight. My house is a disaster half of the time, but we'll survive.

As far as keeping them in beds...we switched to toddler beds when the baby was born. We had no luck with them being in the same room because they played too much so after 3 weeks, we separated them and talked up the fact that they were getting their own rooms with their own decorations, etc. That worked pretty well, but I still had a gate at each door until they started trying to climb it! Basically now I take them into their rooms, tell them I'll leave the light on for a few minutes for them to read, play, unwind (each in own room) while I tuck in the other and then I'll be back. So they both get a little down time while I put the baby to bed, then I go into each room, read a few stories or cuddle, and then tell them I'm turning off the light and shutting the door. If they want me to cover them and give them a goodnight kiss, they have to be in bed. If not, I'll just leave. They ALWAYS choose to hop into bed, We still have battles some nights and the endless need to go potty one last time, but overall that's been working pretty well for us. MY DD doesn't get out of bed at all until morning, but DS sometimes does so we actually lock his door when we shut it so he doesn't wander all over the house in the dark!

Wow, long answer. Hope it helps - PM me if you want to chat - I'm sure we have a lot of similar problems!