Teachable Moments & Other Parenting Joys

Posted by Unknown

There is nothing I love more than a Teachable Moment.  Seriously, these just do not come around quite often enough. 
Today, Maya and I were at the mall - grabbing a sandwich just prior to her tennis lesson (which, btw, is at a kids-only tennis & golf instruction place at the mall.. best concept ever!).  Suddenly, two police officers ran past us and into a jewelry store.  We continued with our sandwich purchase.  On our way out of the mall, we were fortunate enough to end up following one of the cops out - as he escorted a handcuffed teenage boy to the cruiser parked nearby.

BAM!  Teachable Moment.  

Is that perfect or what?!  A fantastic visual image that my 4-yr old will remember when we discuss 'the importance of following rules'.  I gave her a quick 'this is what happens when..' lecture as we watched the boy being escorted.  I could not have asked for a better scenario to drive home a point.  

Sadly, we had to discuss 'rules' again soon after her lesson.  I swear, Jeckyl and Hyde have nothing on my daughter.  Her mood swings are ridiculous these days!  I shudder to consider the future teenage years we will experience. 
One minute she is happy - strolling her babydoll in the stroller through the parking lot toward our car and chatting about how she wants to buy Bear-Bear a graduation present (new outfit) at a nearby uber-pricey baby store.  I nicely reply that Bear-Bear has an extensive wardrobe and that store is just much too pricey for baby bears.. and suddenly..
She turns. 
She pushes the doll stroller away as hard as she can (which surprisingly sent it flying pretty far.. too bad she can't hit a tennis ball like that) - and pushes herself away from me and starts throwing a fit in the middle of the parking-lot-road-area.  Of course a car starts barreling down the road towards her, while I'm trying to grab her and the careening stroller.  ARGH.

Yes, today.. again.. I was one of 'those' moms.

Maya is absolutely in a very challenging phase.  Yes, I will call it a phase, please don't correct me.  Just think it to yourself and don't share.  I know that it will not get easier.. but let me grasp onto the tiny ray of hope that I still hold.  ;)

So besides Maya's ungodly loud screaming fits and expectations that I will 'stop loving her' and throw her into a tree (where this came from I have no idea - a tree??) when she is naughty, she is becoming such a smart and entertaining child.  I love to talk to her - it is always interesting. 
A couple of days ago, she asked: 'Mom?  What sound does a fish make when it coughs?'   Hmm.  Not sure I can Google that one.

Maya recently graduated from preschool - sooo cute! 
Unfortunately, I'm finding that she really does not handle change well.  She barely kept herself from bursting into tears throughout the graduation ceremony b/c none of her friends were graduating and she didn't want to leave them or her teacher (she got stuck in a 3-4 yr old class after our Indiana trip instead of the pre-K class she should have been in).  On the last day of class, she crawled into a corner of the room and refused to join everyone else, their parents and her teachers, in a 'good-bye' song.  I had to give her my camcorder in order to get her to come out.  She then started hitting at me and throwing things b/c she was so upset. 
I haven't seen this behavior since she started at the Montessori school at age 3 and was super-overwhelmed.  Luckily I just held her in a hug while she was trying to beat the heck out of me, and she eventually calmed down and burst into tears.  Poor baby.  :(


Devika has also had her share of challenges lately.  She is VERY '2'.  She loves to scream 'NO!' and run away when asked to do anything. 
That is the funniest thing in the world to her.  She is loving to take power where she can get it - refusing to eat, use the toilet, etc. 
It is a lovely phase.

Unfortunately, Devi has taken a couple of steps backward lately in regard to her sensory processing disorder.  We've gone back to brushing her skin and joint compressions (she luvs this, thank goodness).  She has a very heavy weighted blanket that helps her to calm down and sleep. 
She gets extremely upset when Aj travels these days.  The first night he is gone, she freaks out.  This week was the worst ever.  This week was actually the worst tantrum-behavior I have ever seen from her.  She was screaming at the top of her lungs and thrashing her body/head for over an hour.  It may have been less time if I had been able to leave her to calm down w/o me.. but I truly was afraid for her safety.  It was ridiculous. 
Hopefully that does not happen again.  Yikes.

Needless to say, it has been one looong week for Mommy!  Looking forward to this weekend. 
Aj and I are running a 10k on Monday - should be interesting!  I have yet to run 10k during my training (if you can call it that), so I look forward to potentially walking parts of it.  Should be fun though.. I've heard this is one of the most fun 10k's in the country.  Bands.. post-race beers.. freebies..  Just hoping I can manage to actually run through the finish line!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!