No Kyra No

Miss K needs sleep training.  1.30 this morning she hollered for us.  And then she rolled around in the bed snuffling and talking and kicking me in the back.  I know what we are supposed to do - but doing it is a whole other story. I know we are supposed to go in, pat her gently, reassure her that we are still around, tell her encouragingly and lovingly (without losing temper) to go back to sleep and then leave the room (I have watched that Nanny woman on BBC).  I know also that we are supposed to continue to do this until she does sleep even if we have to do it 30 times in one night, but for crying in a bucket, its way to cold to be making the groot trek every 30 minutes.  Plus I need some sleep, even disturbed sleep as I have to work, so I know I may as well just fetch her.  I know also that I am just reinforcing her behavior and that she knows if she moans long enough she will get to be exactly where she wants to be – cuddling in between Mommy and Daddy.

I really thought I would be better at this type of thing. Let’s take saying “no” for example. I always said my child would have the best manners on the block.  If I just looked in her direction, she would start to shiver and immediately obey.  I think parents are too easy on their kids these days, but for goodness sake, it is so HARD to say no.  She crawls over to the CDS and starts ripping them out. Daryl says “No, Kyra!” I say, ”shame Daryl, surely she can play with a CD or 2?”  She heads off to unpack the bookcase and starts ripping pages out of books.  Daryl says “No Kyra!” Gillian says, “shame, but the Practica manual says it is good for her finger or some or other co-ordination to tear things.” The thing is, she knows  exactly what “no” means, but when I say it, she just smiles at me and carries on doing whatever it is she is doing, so I get up, pick her up and move her away from the offending item.  I feel like I am on a slippery slope to bad manners.  You have to teach your kids to listen.  What if they are about to run in front of a truck and you shout “No!” They should know to stop in their tracks.  I realize she is only 8 and something months and that she doesn’t have the concentration or memory to remember what she can and can’t do, but I really got to toughen up a bit or I am making big problems for myself down the line.

The other day I decided to show her how to climb the steps.  Daryl said, ”that doesn’t look like a good idea Gillian” and I said “Bah humbug, she will never be able to do it. I am just teaching her spatial orientation tools.” On the public holiday yesterday, every time I put her on the ground, she motored off to the stairs and started to climb.  Ooops, but thank goodness Daryl forgot what he had said.  Going up is not a problem. It’s just she forgets where she is and steps back and she also has no clue how to get down.  She kind of just slides, so this means you have to be with her the whole time.  “No, Kyra, No – away from the stairs!”  Hee hee hah hah – yip chalk another one up for Mommy!