The past couple weeks I have felt at a loss for what to do in my current parental struggles, but thankfully, with some prayer and pondering, the Lord has provided some answers. Those answers now seem so obvious and simple--I can't believe I didn't realize them sooner--but I guess it's a good thing I figured it out now, with my first child.
The first was that I needed to be more attentive to Callie and the signals she naturally sends me. For example, she sort of goes through a cycle during the day. At times she'll get in her little zone and happily play by herself. Other times, she'll come to me wanting attention. I usually try to engage her in some other activity so that I can continue what I'm doing, but it usually results in her whining, crying, and getting into trouble. I've decided I need to take the time to give her the attention she's seeking during those times.
The other solution was to really get her on a schedule. I have heard time and time again the importance of schedules for children and how it really helps them feel comfortable and happy when they know what to expect, but I haven't felt like Callie could/would slip into a set schedule. I have just always gone with the flow, feeding her when she felt like eating and putting her down for naps when she started getting grouchy, but sometimes the timing of her naps and eating don't compliment each other. On a day when she wants to take a nap earlier than she eats lunch, she almost always wakes up miserable and inconsolable. So hopefully getting her on a schedule will solve some issues.
I feel so relieved to have some solutions to try and I hope they make a huge difference.
1 comment:
Having the same problem with Lexi.
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