B
Bunny
Guest
Yesterday was the first day in nearly a week and a half that we did not have a meltdown or tantrum of some type. Honestly, I think it's because Christmas is over, he knows what he got for his gifts, and the visiting with family is pretty much done.
Since difficult child was about 3 I have done some type of gingerbread projectg with him. When he was little and it was just him we would do a house. Nothing fancy. One of those store bought kits that has everything already in it and we would spend some time putting it together. When easy child got old enough to want to participate, too, doing one house became a problem because they wanted to decorate it differently and difficult child would get angry with easy child over it, so I started buying kits with smaller, individual things. Gingerbread men is one we've done alot. Last year I found a gingerbread village that came with 5 houses (2 for difficult child, 2 for easy child, and one for me so there was no fighting over the odd one) and I bought little gingerbread trees that went with it. That worked well. This year I bought gingerbread Santa sleighs. I thought they were different. We never put them together before Christmas, so we decided to do it this morning.
difficult child HATED it! He had trouble putting it together. He couldn't get the sleigh to stay together. I asked if he wanted me to help him, but he wanted to do it by himself. Finally he said to me, in a very nice voice, "Mom, this isn't working for me. Can I just make what I want out of it?" Sure! Have fun! This is actually a big deal for me because there was a time when I would have said, "No. It's supposed to be a sleigh. You have to make the sleigh." He made a ship with a battering ram.
When he was done he said, "Mom, can get the gingerbread men next year? I REALLY didn't like these ones." Nicely, quietly, politely.
I will have to remember for next year: Men; not sleighs!
Since difficult child was about 3 I have done some type of gingerbread projectg with him. When he was little and it was just him we would do a house. Nothing fancy. One of those store bought kits that has everything already in it and we would spend some time putting it together. When easy child got old enough to want to participate, too, doing one house became a problem because they wanted to decorate it differently and difficult child would get angry with easy child over it, so I started buying kits with smaller, individual things. Gingerbread men is one we've done alot. Last year I found a gingerbread village that came with 5 houses (2 for difficult child, 2 for easy child, and one for me so there was no fighting over the odd one) and I bought little gingerbread trees that went with it. That worked well. This year I bought gingerbread Santa sleighs. I thought they were different. We never put them together before Christmas, so we decided to do it this morning.
difficult child HATED it! He had trouble putting it together. He couldn't get the sleigh to stay together. I asked if he wanted me to help him, but he wanted to do it by himself. Finally he said to me, in a very nice voice, "Mom, this isn't working for me. Can I just make what I want out of it?" Sure! Have fun! This is actually a big deal for me because there was a time when I would have said, "No. It's supposed to be a sleigh. You have to make the sleigh." He made a ship with a battering ram.
When he was done he said, "Mom, can get the gingerbread men next year? I REALLY didn't like these ones." Nicely, quietly, politely.
I will have to remember for next year: Men; not sleighs!