One of Theo’s frequently used phrases lately is, “I can’t get more comfortable”. Often said as we’re settling into bed at night, or sometimes in the stroller or on the couch. Here he is pictured in one of his favorite new positions where he says, “this is much more comfortable”.
Getting back into the groove has been challenging lately. I’m focused on getting our routine back in order and Theo’s sleep schedule back on track as summer is winding down, and school and many changes are fast approaching. We’ve struggled with napping… whether or not he was ready to drop his since it seemed to be impacting his bedtime. There is no way this kid is ready to be rid of his nap so we are pushing everything earlier to hopefully get it all back on track. Earlier lunch, earlier nap = earlier dinner and bath, earlier bedtime. The past couple days seem to be showing some progress in this direction. We have also been laying super low. All the traveling and running around, it’s time to stay close to home and just spend time together before school begins. All this talk of moving, new bedrooms, school starting and baby sister has certainly taken it’s toll on some of us (read: all of us). We have been facing some behavior issues and I’m jumping right in to figure out what we can do to get back on track. Sleep is paramount, I believe, to everything else falling back into place. We talked about school starting the other night before bed. He truly seems excited about it. I explained to him more about what will happen, Tuesday and Thursday mornings are school and Friday he’ll have some time with babysitter Sarah. We have a “playdate” at his school this Thursday to meet the teachers and a few of his classmates. Then school begins the following Tuesday. He said, “I want to go to school right now”. I guess that’s a good sign. I know he has no idea what to really expect. We talked a bit about what they will be doing (exploring in the park and outdoors most days!) and how I will drop him off and pick him up on school mornings. I know there will be a transition, and I know there will be tough days where he may not want to go to school. I can tell in his personality that he is like me where some days he just doesn’t want to be social and around people where you’re forced to do what they’re doing. But yet he truly is much more extroverted like his Daddy. I believe he is going to flourish and thrive and absolutely love school. We can’t wait to see the transition and growth for him.
We ordered some new books for him that focus on emotional stuff… feeling angry, having a new baby in the home, moving out of the family bed… stuff like that. We don’t want to bombard the poor kid but we are definitely starting with our schedule and daily routine. The past couple days I’ve already seen an improvement. Firm boundaries, clear expectations and privileges removed when unacceptable behavior occurs (i.e. hitting or doing something he has repeatedly been asked not to do). He has grown a bit with naming his feelings but he certainly has some triggers that can really set him off. And he has quite a knack for saying the opposite of our requests and throwing us for a loop.
Us: “Okay, we had our five minutes, now it’s time for stories and bedtime, time’s up.”
Theo: “I want time dooooooooowwwn!”
We are all learning through each developmental stage and through each change in our family’s life. Our nearly three year old is very curious and talkative, he is smart and sly and he says things in a way you just want to let him do whatever he wants. “I just want to hang out here with you in the living room for a little while” or “I want to jump on the bed for five more minutes”. Always pushing those limits. But, then you remember how exhausted you are and how important it is to stay consistent and keep firm on the limits you set for him. And sleep, we all need sleep!
