It's coming, folks. My eyes are itching, my nose is running, and March has arrived. Pollen must be in the air. I am queen of the allergy world. I turn into a walking medicine cabinet when Spring arrives, and I even purposefully planned my wedding around allergy season so that my eyes wouldn't be swollen in the pictures. It can get fairly miserable.
When I was 11, and my school picture came back with one eye swollen shut (it was lovely), my mom took me to an allergy specialist. Then I spent my Jr. High years getting allergy shots once a week. To make things even more wonderful, we drove two boys from my grade to school every morning. Two rather attractive boys, even, and I had to go once a week to get my allergy shot--with them in the car. I was the coolest.
But then my body became immune to the shots, and my allergies came back. So now I just suffer through Spring, and I take three different kinds of medicines to get me through it. It was especially bad during the season when I was pregnant with Ada, and I was trying to avoid medicine. After sitting up all night barely able to breath, the doctor and I decided that oxygen was more important for Ada than my not taking the medicine;) All of that to say that I welcome Spring with mixed emotions.
Well, today, Ada and I spent a lot of time outdoors in hopes that it would help her to get some energy out, and possibly keep me from killing her. It was a bad morning, ya'll. She is getting feistier (sp?) by the day. Oh my, it was bad. I needed to run into Books a Million to pick up one thing. We are talking at the most ten minutes. Well, she wiggled out of my arms, and before I even knew what was happening, Ada was running full speed through Books a Million. I am, of course, chasing after her because all I can picture is book after book being pulled from the shelf. I finally, scoop her up, pay for my one item, and get her out of there, all while she is using all of her strength to try to get out of my arms. She HATES to be confined. This includes my arms, high chairs, grocery carts, strollers, and car seats.
So, we finally get out of Books a Million, purchase in hand, and it is time for me to load Ada into her car seat. This has become a battle we fight every single time I put her in the car seat!!! And it's starting to make me want to just sit at home and avoid the car all together. She is little, and she is quick, and before I know what is happening, she climbs over the car seat, and backs herself into the farthest corner of the car away from me. Can you picture this? There I stand outside the door, and her back is up against the other door, daring me to somehow get her into that car seat. I usually ending up climbing into the car, my rear end sticking out of the car for all the world to see, and I physically wrestle her and hold her down, while she screams and fights back, and I finally, finally get her buckled in. It's a mess, and I am almost at my wit's end.
Mom's who have gone before me, any advice for handling this strong willed child of mine?
Right now, I tend to stick to our "happy" places, which is anywhere that Ada can run free, so we welcome this 80 degree weather. It just might be the thing that saved our sanity today. I love her, but man, oh man, is she a challenge.
6 comments:
You could try pinching her on her upper thigh to get her into her car seat. When I do this to a uncooperative child of mine, they immediately stop arching their back, which allows me to get them in the car seat. I really don't like when my kids do this because I feel like it isn't safe because I need to be paying attention to what is going on around us in order to protect them if there was a weirdo around and/or cars.
LB, you poor thing. I can see you with your rear hanging out of the car and this tiny little devil evading you. Hang in there - we all know the Lord will give you what you need to survive, and I can only assume she will grow out of this. And you're right, get that girl outside and get to running! Get all that energy out!
I definitely feel ya, LB, with the Spring. This is the time for me that always gets bad, so bad that I've ended up in the hospital on multiple occassions (for asthma). I know it's supposed to rain here this weekend, so I'll pray the same for you to wash some of this pollen away!
Oh Ada. She is fiesty! I assume she will grow out of this phase. And I have no advice to offer you. The only thing I can relate to is my strong-willed puppy. If you can tell me how to keep him from jumping and/or trying to hump things, I would be very greatful!
But seriously, I know that the Lord will give you the strength. God gave her that little personality for a reason. I know he will use it for his glory!
Though I have really no wisdom to offer...I agree with Tutti's idea. Grant has become quite the wiggle worm when I try to change his diaper and it is becoming a disaster..poop and wiggles don't work well together...but I have started thumping him hard on his thigh and telling him no (Granted he's ten months and Ada is creeping up on two so I know there's a big difference)that has helped...so I would think maybe the pinching would help. I've heard of other moms doing that too. The Lord will use that strong willed attitude for good one day...
what really works with Elisha- who you know is quite strongwilled as well- i have something fun for him when he sits in his carseat. i bring either a snack or a book or a toy and tell him that i will give it to him when he sits in the seat. when we get out we make a production of saying "bye bye, we'll see you when we come back" to whatever the distraction device is. if i can distract him before the conflict starts we are all the better for it... a battle of wills(and even force- he is strong) is just too much effort to have to engage in everytime i turn around.
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