Bailey's Tantrums and Daycare Delights

I'm super happy to be able to report that we have had a signficant breakthrough with the tantrum situation. Our method of waiting her out and letting her go seems to be working, because in the past week she hasn't thrown one tantrum. We've learned a little bit, as well. We've learned that by distracting her before she is full-blown, we can often prevent the tantrum all together. We've also learned that her tantrums are often started because she is interested in what we are doing (i.e. when I'm cooking). If I pick her up, show her what I'm doing and then offer her a new activity (such as playing in the cupboard that is safe for her to play in, that prevents the tantrum. The best lesson of all, though, is that when Bailey is tired we need to put her to bed. No matter how early it may seem to us. This past week, Bailey has been in bed between 6:30 and 6:45 PM every night. And she sleeps, uninterupted, until we get her up around 6:30 AM. On the weekends, she is sleeping until we get her up at 8:30 or 9 AM. And then she takes a 2-3 hour nap during the day. Maybe a growth spurt? Maybe she just likes to sleep. Who knows. What I do know is that if we try to keep her up, every little disappointment is reason to explode into crazy tantrums that go on and on and on.

Watching her cues and listening to them, is working well.

The sad part about it, though, is that it seem that more often than not, I will not see my daughter on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Those are my late days - meaning I get her up, feed her breakfast and drop her off at daycare, catching the bus around 8 AM...which puts me to work around 9-9:15ish. I leave work between 5 and 5:30...depending on the day. But, that means I'm not home until 6:30 or 7 PM...and Bailey is already in bed. I always go up and snuggle her sleeping body...but that is not interaction. It's comfort for me...very slight comfort...and nothing else.

It's for the best, though, so I just have to learn to accept it. Eventually her schedule will shift again, and she will stay up a bit later.

As for the daycare delights...seems that Bailey has picked up screaming and slapping as means of getting what she wants from the other kids. We have observed her letting out a high pitched yell when she is frustrated. Not a long drawn out yell, but one that (if it could be words) would be a bit like "DAMN IT". You know...that kind of yell. Kelly also watched her slap a doll that another child was playing with yesterday when Bailey wanted it. Of course, she immediately stepped in and firmly told Bailey no. We'll see how long it takes us to break of her those habits.

On a completely different front, it seems that our daughter's personality is changing. Remember how incredibly extroverted she used to be? That's changing. She used to love to come into her room at daycare and be the center of attention. Perhaps that is because it was an infant room and it was mostly quiet and mostly peaceful. Well, now, she enters her classroom and wants to sit quietly at the table. We bring her in a little bit of a waffle or fruit for her to snack on and she sits and observes the other kids before joining the fray. It seems that some of her immediate need to be the center of attention is diminishing. It's interesting to watch.