Saturday, January 31, 2009

Football Game

How can Zander go from being so sweet and angelic:

to throwing a huge tantrum?

Easy take away his football game.


Since we watch a lot of football in this house, it as no surprise when Alex started calling everything to do with football "football game." A helmet is a football game, a football is a football game. Everything is a football game. Since we moved he has become really attached to a particular blanket. More specifically the tag on the blanket. He drags this thing around everywhere. When he is holding onto it and looking for his tag he sings "mytag, mytag, mytag!" He calls it his football game well, because it has a football on it. Obviously since he drags it around it gets pretty dirty so I have to wash it a lot. Hence the problem. Last week when I washed he he threw the biggest fit. Crying and screaming "I. WANT. MY. FOOTBALL GAME!" I tried giving him a different blanket, but he just threw it down and said "NO! I DON'T LIKE IT!" Fun times!

The next time I tried a different approach. I told him that I needed a big helper to help me with the laundry. Could he please help me? He was so excited that he didn't even realize we were washing his beloved football game. Crisis averted this week.

On a different but somewhat related subject I need help! Since before Christmas Zander has been waking up at night. Sometimes it is just once a night and other times it is multiple times! Usually, he wakes up and walks into our room. He (usually) doesn't cry, just comes to our room. I pick him up and lay him back down and that is that. However, sometimes he cries and screams and won't lay back down. It is a constant I lay him down, he gets up and repeat 20 times. I try not to talk to him, or give in when he asks for chocolate milk. Although, sometimes I am soooo tired that I feel like it is easier to just give him the milk rather then fighting it.

I do not know where this is coming from or how to stop it. Please give me your best advice. We are pretty tired over here because even though he is waking up multiple times that doesn't mean he is sleeping in. Nope, not my boy. He is usually up about the time Daddy gets up.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

I am cracking up about the football game! That is too funny! As for the getting up...that's a tough one. We have baby gates on our kids' doorways at night (mostly because I'm paranoid that they will somehow manage to unlock the front door and be wandering down the street), so if they happen to wake up at night I just go to the doorway and tell them to get back in bed. They know they're not coming out, so I guess it's less enticing to wake up. Hopefully someone will have some great advice for you! Good luck!

Sarah said...

How funny that he calls it all a football game. Kids are so cute. (most of the time). Will has a blanky that goes everywhere too. I bought the same exact blanket for back up incase something happened, well sad thing is he knows its not it because it's 'new' feeling. It's still soft on the one side so he hates it :) Guess I need to wear it out. I'm not sure I have any advice on the waking up in the night. Will used to do that and ask for something to eat or drink. I just leave water with him now in a sippy cup and we started giving him a snack close to bed time...something filling like cheesse, sometimes kix cereal, etc cuz I thought maybe he just woke up hungry. Whatever it is I hope it stops. I know how hard that is!! Love the pics. The sleeping pic is soooo cute and sweet!

Danielle said...

I wish I had some advice! All I can offer is that Riley used to do the same thing. she would be up for 2-3 hours some nights. the only way we got her out of it was to have her and laynie share a room. She still isn't the best sleeper but it's better than before! I love how he calls everything his football game...too cute!

Unknown said...

The best I can say is growing pains. I believe the getting out of bed thing is a phase they will grow out of. Looks like you get a big football fan...very cute!

Greene Family said...

That is so funny about the football game! Way to divert the crisis this week!
I wish I had some advice for you, but I've heard it is just a phase. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

I have the best solution: send him to live with Aunt Julie!

Melissa Swartley said...

Hahaha! Too funny "football game!". As for the getting up, I guess it's just a phase. My Akela is 4 and has been doing this but to a lesser extent. She gets up once and then I tell her to go back to bed and she does. I asked her once why she gets up and she replied that she had to go potty, so now every night at around 11pm guess who needs to go potty?! Hopefully they will just outgrow it. Good luck!

Kim said...

Argh-I posted a long comment and it did not take. Preston pulled this sleeping/non sleeping stunt. Check my blog last summer-I think it was entitled WTF? He was sleeping on the floor for a LONG time, crying, whining, wanting me in the room. I finally bribed with ice cream and that totally worked.
I also gate him in the room but we have a bathroom adjoining our rooms so he can get through that way but he is pretty good about it now.