I went to Guides tonight. Something I do every Monday night. We have a babysitter, the same sitter we've had for the past three years. I get the girls ready for bed, throw Little Fish into bed, draw up Mog's meds, and she can either go to bed or stay up with the sitter for a bit - her choice.
Every single week, Mog gets into a state, crying, fussing, stomach full of air, lots of seizures, big sobbing tears.
The same sitter comes on a Wednesday night so that I can get to Housegroup. Same set up, just an hour later, so Mog is settled in bed and nearly asleep by the time the sitter walks through the door. She settles down, she sleeps, only very occasionally does she rouse up and worry our sitter.
But every Monday Mog works herself up into a state. She's six, much too young to come to Guides with me - she goes to Rainbows, but she'll have to wait for Guides. If I put her to bed, unless she has fallen asleep before the sitter gets here (unlikely, our sitter arrives at quarter to seven), she will fuss and fret and fume and wriggle herself into truly horrible positions until she's unsafe in her bed, and has to be rescued. If she stays up, she's very happy to be read to and watch a bit of television with our sitter, she'll listen to music and giggle and grin, but then one hour into the sit, she'll be fussing and crying and full of spasm.
I don't understand this. She's used to me not being around for her all the time - she goes to school, and although she doesn't always love it, she does spend quite a lot of time being very happy there. She'll happily go and visit friends and family without me. She loves having our carers in to help her in the mornings. I prefer to settle her myself, but if I'm busy they'll put her to bed and she settles just fine. She settles fine on a Wednesday. But she will not sleep on a Monday until I get home, and she will not stay happy until I get back either.
Our sitter has come during the day and sat with her, and she has been absolutely fine. Full of fun, lots of laughter and giggles and grins. But Monday night swings around, the sitter comes, and eventually Mog sobs.
If there's a Monday without Guides, she settles fine. If the Guides meet here, she settles fine. If I go out on a different evening, she settles fine. If I go out to do something Guides-related on a different night, she settles fine. But she cannot get through a Monday night without a big moan and fuss.
Why? And what do we do about it?
Tia
6 comments:
how about telling her that it is tuesday instead? Not that i condone lying to your child, of course!
Nothing to do with the subject of your post, but I thought that you might be interested in this:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article4810663.ece
tOUGH ONE! wISH i COULD HELP BUT IT HAS ME STUMPED TOO.
vIRGINIA
Can see why this would be puzzling-But the only thing that I can think of that is different on Mon. than any other night is that you either put her in bed every other night or are at home when someone else is putting her to bed. Would it work to do what you do on Wednesday night on Monday night or would that be too early for her to go to bed? Just a thought.
Debra
OOPS--guess I should have re read your post before my last comment--as I see you have tried putting her to bed and for what ever reason it works on Wed. but not Mon.--unless its that she's about asleep on Wed.
Wonder how long kids stay up at night thinking of ways to keep us guessing ?! LOL
Debra
Could it be because she spends more time with you on Sunday and has difficulty with the Monday night transition? Perhaps when Wednesday comes along she feels happier about the week's routine...
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