My Cute Challenge

Michael has a strong personality, to put it lightly. Disciplining him is a daily daily struggle.  I try everything and when I finally find something that actually works, it works for a week or so and he figures me out and I have to figure out something new.  Love and Logic is my main parenting thing that I like and it works the best (it's magic for my other 2), but even that he manages to twist.

At the end of every day, I'm not even out of the room before he looks like this....

He is exhausted by the end of the day.   I always stand and stare at him on my way to bed and think, "What in the world am I going to try tomorrow?"  And I try to think about at least 1 cute thing he did that day (that's usually easy to do when he's asleep. haha!). After a few particularly difficult weeks, Mike and I brainstormed again.  Mike thought he might be overtired and that could explain alot of his "symptoms."  I took his nap away soon after he turned 2 because if he took a nap, he was up til 10, but we have very structured "quiet time."  I started making him take quiet time in his room until the timer went off.  He's definitely is in a "need more sleep" phase. After a week of naps almost every day, he is getting SO MUCH BETTER! He's happier, he's more obedient, he's nice to others, he's flat out actually pleasant to be around.

Another problem we've been having is spitting.  A serious problem with spitting for the last few weeks.  Sometimes at people in a disrespectful gross way, but often just spitting to spit. After a 2nd complaint from primary and trying literally everything under the sun, I taught him how to click his tongue.  Today completed day 4 of being spit free. He spit once and as soon as I said, "Click your tongue instead," spitting stopped.  He clicks his tongue alot now.  He just likes to be doing something with his mouth.  He's not a bad kid. He's actually a really good kid.  You just have to dig down to the root of the behavior with him.



Michael is my child that reminds me not to be judgmental about other parenting.  Every kid is SO incredibly different.  They come with their own personalities.  What works for one kid will not work for another. People look at Michael and then look at me and think and sometimes even say "She needs to just......" (yeah finish that statement how you will.  I've heard it all).  Well guess what, I've probably tried it.  It probably didn't work.  I do love my kid and try to do what's best for him. I don't like seeing my kid be rude, mean, or defiant.  I'm so grateful for the help we get as parents when we pray for help for what to do with these big spirits shoved in tiny bodies. So between Mike and I and a loving Heavenly Father, we're figuring out what to do with this cute kid one day at a time.