Consequences

I have uttered that word so many times in the last 24 hours that I have lost count. I am running on empty lately between no sleep, a HORRIBLE diet and not enough water and I am quickly losing my patience. Being alone at night with Nate is challenging and he tests me constantly. There is no consistency with his discipline and it is showing. Last night I had enough and I started being the mean mommy…at least that’s the way Nate sees it.

Dinner has been a struggle and Nate seems to think that eating half of his dinner before declaring that he is full is a guarantee that he will have room for a snack. The problem is that he says he is full and before he has even left the table he is asking for a snack. Last night I told him he needed to eat more before getting a snack and he was okay with it. While I was doing the dishes he got down from the table and I asked him to go wash his hands so we could get him into pajamas. Suddenly he had a meltdown which included him smacking me in the butt. I don’t do well with tantrums at all but hitting is never acceptable behavior. I turned off the TV and told him that it was time for pajamas and bed (mind you it was only 6pm). He continued to yell and cry and even pushed my dishwasher rack in while I was loading it. I let him continue yelling about how he NEEDED to watch his show and for the first time in a long time I told him that he needed to learn that there were consequences to being naughty.

I always try to make the distinction between him BEING naughty and ACTING naughty. I don’t want to crush his self esteem and having him pleading with me that he is sorry and he loves me, makes my heart break. Last year my mother picked him up at daycare and he was sitting in the corner crying saying, “I’m a bad boy” over and over. It made her cry. I always convey to him that I love him to but I do not like when he acts a certain way or does certain things. He eventually calmed down enough to wash his hands, put on pajamas and come snuggle in my bed. Was it a perfect night? Of course not, but it could have been worse and maybe tonight he will be better behaved because he will realize that there are consequences.