Ellie Takes Title of Most Difficult Child
Ellie has been very difficult lately. I guess this would be the whole 2/3 year old thing but she was always the easier of the two kids, going along with whatever Phoebe wanted to do. Overnight it became all about Ellie. Crying fits, stomping, and throwing herself on the floor. I honestly have no idea how to deal with these situations. When Phoebe had a brief stint in this stage I did my best to talk her through it but now I am just tired. Too tired to be constructive and I find it is easier to just do nothing except hope she outgrows it very soon. The other interesting fresh behavior is that she ignores me. I experienced this a few times on saturday when I was caring for her while Cristin as with Phoebe at a birthday party. I would ask Ellie to do something and she simply did not acknowledge that I had said anything at all. At first I was thinking that she didn’t hear me so I would raise my voice. Then I was thinking that she was so busy doing something else that she had zoned me out. However, when I switched my request to a question about snacks she replied immediately. She was purposely ignoring me.
One sequence in this genre went like this:
Ellie: I need to go potty, I want my privacy
Me (on couch): ok
Ellie (seconds later): Wipe Me!
Me (still on couch): can you phrase that question more politely
Ellie: Please Wipe Me!
Me (on couch): did you pee or poop?
Ellie: Please Wipe Me!
Me (on couch): did you pee or poop? Please let me know
Ellie: Come Wipe Me!
Me (on couch): Ellie, answer the question, did you pee or poop?
Ellie: Come Wipe Me!
Me (on couch): Ellie, answer the question, did you pee or poop?
Ellie: Come Wipe Me!
Hopefully she will rally through this. It is particularly difficult in winter because every morning she goes in her closet and puts on a pretty sundress regardless of the weather. Try to reason with her on this issue and we get nowhere. One morning I picked her up and walked straight outside so she could see firsthand that clothing selection should be dictated by weather. For example, my summer work outfit is cargo pants and a polo t-shirt. In the winter I wear cargo pants and a polo t-shirt and a hoodie. If it is really cold I also wear a hat which I promptly lose and I am back to the intermediate solution. Ellie decided that the solution on this day was not to go to school so she could continue wearing her sundress. Then, more crying.
