Dysfunctional conversations

[Malika]

You have to laugh where you can, I suppose. Some of my conversations with J are truly dysfunctional, in the sense of utterly disjointed. An example: at the moment I have a bad cold and chest infection; a neighbour picked J up from school as I didn't even feel up to going out. Tonight was the night he usually has his roller skating class. He wasn't aware of this - he doesn't really know days and what happens on days yet - but I thought I'd mention it and say that I was sorry he missed it and I would take him next week. At this news, J, who had been happily playing with his toys, threw himself on the ground and went into a kind of crying whine about how he wanted to go roller skating now. I completely ignored him (from past experience), picked up a lego toy he has been building and asked, as if nothing in the world were going on: "Does this piece go there?" "Oh yes," he instantly said in a bright tone, getting up from the floor... Dialogues from the madhouse!

 

[InsaneCdn]

Ummm... and WHY did you even bring it up? (parenting 101, rule 53... never bring up missed events - they child may, but not the parent)

But... I'd have to say that if J was THAT easy to distract, then he really wasn't all THAT disappointed.

 

[Malika]

Lol, IC. That's one of those rules I had to learn by experience.

 

[Ktllc]

LOL. sorry, it is kind of funny. Just use it to your advantage, no shame in it really. It works, it is a healthy way out. That's all it matters.
Sometimes, when Sweet Pea throws a fit, I find myself telling her: that does not fase me, remember you have 2 older brothers and I have seen a lot. LOL
If you can distract him most of the times, J might soon realize that throwing fits just does not work anymore and forget about it. But ild habits are sometimes hard to get rid off... so just enjoy tonight's success!

 

[Malika]

No, no shame in it, Kttllc (by the way, what is the origin of your forum name, being curious?)! Of course, J is not always this easy to distract or get out of a "fit". If he were, he'd be a neuro-typical child and I wouldn't have to come to this forum... But I have definitely noticed that if I don't emotionally react to his goings-on, he will snap out of it much quicker, oftentimes pick up on my own mood, as it were.