Psychological Warfare
By
on
January 12th, 2007
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I have found raising two young children to be much about psychology. As the kids get older they are constantly testing me to see what they can get away with and where my limits are. My daughter is too young to know that I can be a stubborn My cute 5-month old daughter can be a stubborn little shit, something she undoubtedly got from her daddy. On Wednesday she refused to sleep at night. Holding her was all smiles but wife was already tired after a long day. After being met by crying for an hour while putting her to sleep, I took over and decided to take her for a walk. We rarely do this since we want our kids to fall asleep by themselves but wife needed some rest. Sandra could simply have let Annika fall asleep at her breast while feeding but we try to avoid that.
Daddy, Annika, MBUD, and Ipod headed out. Rain was pissing down but I just didn't care. No problem for my daughter who was dry and warm in her little sleeping bag and rain cover. I was in my war mood and sure didn't give a crap even though I had no rain jacket. Occasionally I can let my daughter cry for a while if I know she's not sick or hungry, and just cries to get some attention. We walked for miles around the neighborhood. Me listening to my Ipod and getting wet. My daughter screaming in the MBUD. I'm not completely without a heart so I would stop every ten minutes, yell at her talk to her, and calm her down. But she wasn't in a good mood. At 9.15, after 30 minutes in the rain, wife calls. She wants me to come home so I won't get sick. I told her I will stay out until midnight if necessary. God dammit, this was war.
After listening to some great geeky podcast's to block the crying, she finally fell asleep. After an hour in the freaking rain. I declare myself winner of the evening and walk home. After a smooth transfer by wife into her crib, she sleeps though the night. Probably tired after all that crying…. Hearing a small baby cry can be incredibly annoying. Perhaps we should try this in Iraq since it's not going too well. Drown insurgents in the sound of screaming infants. How long could anyone cope with this? I can stand my own children crying for a day, but how long could a stranger possibly last? This way my daughter could actually be a star in the fight against terrorism…
Have a nice scream-less weekend!
Fred did practically the same thing except he slept til 4 and decided he’d had enough. Lucy is sick and I made the mistake of staying up till midnight blogging about American Idol. Of course he would wake up at 4, what was I thinking.
A scream-less weekend? HA. WonderBaby used to sleep through the night reliably, which was the elast she could do, seeing as she’d given up voluntary napping at nine months. But since we returned from holidays (and pox, etc.), no more quiet nights. Doesn’t want to go to sleep, doesn’t want to stay asleep, and makes these preferences clearly known through hollering.
Am. Losing. Mind.
Which is to say, I feel for you, and envy your one sleepful night.
It’s been “scream-ful” for me with the eldest. He’s been frolicking in his scream-fest for months now. I’d better get my helmet and don my kevlar for tomorrow night. We’re forcing him to sleep in his own bed after (reluctantly) letting him sleep in ours because he needed his flu-fighting cuddles from his mummy before he can go to sleep. But he’s recovered from the nasty flu.
That was 4 days ago.