We are alive! We are doing very well. We just wish it were a little warmer here. We have been passing the cold winter days with a lot of Go Fish, Memory, and wii games. It is quite entertaining to hear Gibson say "puffer fish, clown fish" and all the others he knows. The kids got a play kitchen for Christmas that Audra scored at a yard sale this summer. I can say that it has been by far the best toy our kids have received. They have spent hours and hours making "food" for us to eat.
I have to start this story on a positive note. Elsa is a wonderful little girl. For the last nine months we have been remodeling our house. Elsa did a tremendous job through all the changes. She was happy and helpful. She loves to help cook. She likes to help with the dishes, especially sorting the clean silverware. She is very artistic and very bright. She also loves to play with anything that can represent a living being. She spends hours roaming around the house carrying on conversations with dolls, stuffed animals, the character pieces from candy land, pretty much anything. She also has an incredible memory for music. We went to the Missoula Children's Theater performance of Jack and the Bean Stalk and Elsa memorized portions of one of the songs and described in detail the choreography to the song and the relationship between the choreography and the words almost a full week after the performance.
Over the course of Elsa's short life, she has had two tantrum phases. It has been a long time since she has thrown tantrums. During the last two weeks she started to show tantrum signs again. When she would get angry or upset, she would look for things to throw, doors to slam, etc. These new behaviors were kind of a surprise to us. Both our kids seem to be suffering from prolonged cabin fever. Elsa would get especially upset when she was put into "time out". Elsa is a smart girl. She has responded really well to logic most of the time. Audra and I tried to think of ways that she could express her anger without throwing things around.
The other night we had a friend over. We were all in the basement and Elsa did something that she needed to go in "time out" for. I put her in "time out" and she proceeded to slam a bunch of drawers and throw things. I went in to talk to her. First I told her she couldn't slam/throw things because she might break them and then she would have to use her money to pay for them (Audra used this one on her he other day and she responded well to it. She really wants to buy a doll with the money she has). I asked her what she could do when she was angry that wouldn't break anything. She didn't say anything. I then suggested that she could get a pillow and yell into it, or she could take a pillow and stomp on it. With an enraged look on her face she yelled "I DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING WITH A PILLOW". It was so hard not to laugh at such a funny situation. It is just so funny when such a little person has such big emotions.
Anyway, we decided to start a positive reinforcement chart with her again. She has really liked them in the past. She now gets stickers twice a day if she "talks using kind words", "touches nice", and "takes good care of things" (which means she doesn't throw things or bang things). We have also been trying to compliment Elsa more on her good behavior. I can happily say that we have had three very good days with a very kind Elsa.
Hopefully all our faithful blog readers have not abandoned us in our blog absence. Maybe we will post more, maybe we wont. Hope you are all well.
7 comments:
Sure hope your plan works before she throws a tantrum in the grocery store! Raising kids can be a real challenge, but perserverence pays off and most kids grow up to be great people! (just look at all of the Waite cousins--some of whom were not angels as children!
bahahaha that is funny
Kids are so fun aren't they?! The key is outsmarting them and it sounds like you're off on the right foot!
I'm completely with Elsa -- if you're mad, who wants to do anything with a nice, soft, not noisy pillow? I want something that bangs :). We feel your cabin fever pain. It's probably much colder in your neck of the woods, though. Count down 'til spring, right?
Come visit us. That should help with the cabin fever. Grandpa will take her and Gibson out to feed the cows. Nothing beats a little fresh air. And sometimes I still throw tantrums. Don't like to break things though. Worked too hard to get them. Let Elsa call me.
That's funny, we have the same go fish game. Jacob asks if we have any octopi, while Lorelei asks if we have any fuffer fish.
You're back!! Sorry to hear tantrums are back but it's good to know we're not the only ones trying to survive them. Our little angel Nissi is in the hitting stage but she's quick to stroke whichever part of your body she's hit and say "nice..nice" and put her head on you and say "ahhhh". Who can reprimand when she beats you to the punch by undoing what she's done :-). Ahh parenthood!!! (although I must admit..mommy throws some tantrums of her own too.)
Oh and Nissi got a kitchen for Christmas too and loves...loves...loves it. Luckily it's upstairs at grandma and grandpa's house so it gives us a chance to have some peaceful...non-tantrum throwing, blessed hours to ourselves.
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