Since Day 1 Tot has been fascinated with anything holding water. We have trained and trained and trained, but that boy still goes for the dog water from time to time. Lately Tot has been taking things to extremes.
A couple of days ago I took the kids outside for some playtime. Tot found a stick and put it in the dog water and began flinging water everywhere. I took the stick and reminded him, "Do not play in the dog water Tot."
"Okay."
A couple minutes later Tot goes and sticks his entire arm in the dog water. I am more firm. "Tot, DO NOT play in the dog water or you will go inside (I was foolishly trying to avoid the trek inside at this point)."
"Okay, sowwy Mom."
Tot walks away from the water and I turn to watch Baby for like 2 seconds! I hear Cy yell, "MOM! TOT STUCK HIS HEAD IN THE DOG WATER!!!"
I whip around and sure enough Tot is dripping from his hair, past his ears, and all down his winter coat. His mouth drops open as he registers my angry face. He is a smart boy so he takes off running yelling, "I UNDERSTAND! I UNDERSTAND! I UNDERSTAND!"
Because usually when I correct Tot at the end I will say, "Do you understand?"
I have to admit typing this... It's pretty funny. Who sticks there entire head in freezing cold dog water??? Only a 2 year old. Still at the time I was fuming.
I had this dripping wet kid to deal with and 4 others to bring inside because he ruined the time outside. Not only that, but I had to chase this dripping, freaking out, rebellious toddler around the house because he was determined to avoid time-out at all costs. All the while I was yelling over my shoulder... "Cy, keep an eye on Baby PLEASE!"
I lost it with Tot. When I caught him and I may or may not have hauled him in the house so quickly his toes barely got to touch the ground. I may have been hollering my head off as I plopped his dripping dirty dog water self into the bath tub to wait until I could get to him and I may not have cared a whit that he was terrified. Cy may have said, "Mom that was pretty harsh." And in fantastic mother fashion I may or may not have told Cy off too.
I had to get the rest of the kids in to our little asylum for crazy mothers and children. Baby seemingly unnaffected by my tantrum launched into one of his own as soon as I set him down (Baby has serious issues with me setting him down before he decides he wants down). Tyke was screaming at me because I was making him go inside and I ended up having to carry him in too. He couldn't pull himself together. He launched into an all out fit and ended up having to go to his room. Liv just stared at me with these big "what the heck has gotten into my mother?" eyes. Then there was my righteous minded 8 year old to endure. Can I just say I hate when he's right and I'm wrong?
.
After the incident and for the rest of the day my mood pretty much sucked and I questioned myself on every move with every kid for the rest of the day and of course... I cried.
So you see what I mean by just not feeling capable?
Of course I had a revelation tonight. Tot is the one making things the worst right now. For the most part everything is better when Tot is not a part of it. He is just so difficult right now. Light bulb! Tyke was exactly this age when he was first placed with us. He was doing many of the same things when I called the caseworker and told her I couldn't do it because Tyke was too hard. Now I am seeing Tot in much the same place. (Well, except for the biting and clawing that's pretty much over now. Tot just hits A LOT and tells on everyone A LOT. Even the dog, the cat, the flies... and he rebels A LOT.) If you remember I first asked the caseworker to move just Tyke. Remembering this has helped me to find a glimmer of hope... I am so glad I hung on to my boy Tyke. Two months later Tyke was extremely improved and 4 months later it was like we had a new kid. Maybe I will get that with Tot too? We just have to survive this stage.
Now how to do that?
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