mommy et les bleus

Parenting: the hardest job to get right (if that’s even possible).

I’m about ready to devour the majority of a pumpkin pie by myself, totally ignoring the repercussions to follow, because I’m in a funk. I’m having a bit of the mommy blues.

For the past week or so, my once extremely obedient and well-behaved four-year-old daughter has become a tiny terror. It started with waking up, tossing, turning, and screaming angrily in the middle of the night (nightmares? possibly), and has since lead to copious use of the word “no,” yelling irately during a time-out, and emanating a blank stare when given simple orders.

What was once a seamless routine getting ready for school (and being picked up from school) is now becoming a battle of the wits or a mini-meltdown and almost being late every morning.

No amount of disciplining, pleading, or even asking nicely seems to be working.  Nothing is. I’ve been spending countless nights just moping about, trying to figure out what’s been going wrong and being unable to focus on much else.

Could it have something to do with growing pains? Are things happening to her at school? Is she influenced by her friends or other schoolmates? Is she jealous of her baby sister and seeks retaliation?  I feel like there is no definitive answer and she’s not telling me much, either.

In the meantime, I just gotta continue to pray and hope it’s just a phase, and that the defiance, stubbornness, and strong-headedness (she’s inherited from her mother) will ease up, though I know from experience doesn’t go away completely.  I’m doing the very best I can, and so now I turn to dessert.

To my giant handful of a daughter: Mommy loves you always.  Now, please give me a break. 🙂