Thursday, August 12, 2010

Follow Up: How do you handle gifts?

Well, after all of your excellent advice, here's what we did... 

We let Claire buy herself a Jessie doll with her own money.

Both of the kids have piggy banks, and somehow they accumulate money - they'll get a $5 from a grandparent for Valentine's day or a $20 from another one for a birthday, or I'll have too much change in my purse so I'll dump it in their piggy banks.  It's not like they have many incidental expenses.  Sometimes when I know we're going shopping for stuff that will bore them (like maternity clothes) I'll let them take a purse and a little bit of their money (and sunglasses and lip gloss, of course) so they can be Big Girls with their own money... but that's really the only time they have an opportunity to spend it, and that only happens once in a great while.  Generally they spend their pocket money on Polly Pockets dolls and small things like that.

Last Christmas, Claire got a FurReal cat that MG loved and coveted, so we let MG go to Walmart with some of her Christmas money from her Great-Grandma Gleason and get one for herself.  I figured this was the same sort of situation.  I may not always make the best decisions as a mother, but I try to be consistent.

So Grandpa Bob went to Indy and bought another Jessie doll, and brought it back, and Claire bought it from him.  (The ones available at our local Walmart had plastic hair, and we wanted the one with yarn hair).

Grandpa Bob may or may not have stuck that money right back in her piggy bank, but if he did, Claire didn't see him.

I'd like to say that peace has reigned in our house since then, but unfortunately that hasn't happened.  Claire is still finding things to fight over, but this attitude of hers started before the birthday festivities began.  Something else is going on with her.  I'd check to see if she has molars coming in, but I'm afraid I would lose a finger.  If she doesn't knock it off, I'm going to make her a doctor's appointment, because she's just been acting a little bit too strangely.

I mentioned on Facebook that we had to leave Wolf Park on Sunday because she was acting like such a colossal brat.  She was terrible at the zoo on Monday, too, but I just ignored her.  She did fairly well on MG's birthday, until we opened presents.  She's just got a hair trigger when it comes to crying and throwing tantrums, lately, and I can NOT figure out what has changed.  She's getting the same amount of sleep.  Her eating habits haven't changed.  She isn't much more or less active.  I haven't changed the way we discipline her (time outs) at all.  There have been moments when she has played SO nicely with MG, and then for no reason that anyone can figure out, she loses her little mind and starts hollering about something.

If anyone has any guesses, besides teething, I'd love to hear them.  She hasn't complained of being in any pain.  Do kids even get molars at 3-1/2?  I can't remember.

8 comments:

Amy said...

There is a developmental spurt at 3 1/2. Search Ask Moxie and you'll find it. My DD is as moody as a teenager. Happily singing one minute and crying the next...

Heather Bungard-Janney said...

Yup - It's like a growth spurt for their brain. They act like little psychos for a while, then suddenly everything is fine and they're doing more advanced things. Hang in there.

morganna said...

I think (like the other 2 said) it's just being 3 1/2. Went through it with my boy who became (mostly) so sweet at 4 and starting it with my girl who just turned 3. Hang in there, Claire will turn 4 eventually.

Cate said...

Honestly, she didn't seem that off to me; it may seem bigger because you are so close to her -- I mean, I noticed some whiny cry-y stuff, but not an abnormal amount. But trust your instinct.

Amy said...

Thank you for these comments - they're very reassuring. I've been ready to call an exorcist. Cate, you're very sweet for pretending not to notice that Claire spent the first hour or two at the zoo screaming and whining. :)

I looked it up on Ask Moxie (LOVE her) and found the article about the 3-1/2 year developmental spurt.

How did parents stay sane before the internet?

Love you all,
Amy

Rachel said...

I have been having such a nightmare with my just-turned-3 year old, I'm pleased to hear I'm not the only one!

Anonymous said...

Wow that is nice to know...might explain some of Morgans behavior...She was been so hard the last few weeks.

Anonymous said...

Would Grammpa Minty keep money from a fussy 3 year old??? I think not.
Love,
Dad