Ah the holidays. It seems since Thanksgiving break my little boy has had a surge in his crazy levels. I don't know if it's testosterone or just plain crazy, but there have been quite a few incidents where I don't recognize the child I see when I look down at his cute little face (which currently happens to be without its two front teeth).
Nas turned six in late October and not much seemed to change aside from his age and the need for new pants after he grew about an inch. But in the past few weeks there are times when he behaves like a child who is allowed to do as he pleases (and he's not!). Just today he and Jay were running around the house playing like they usually do, when they decided to take the game to our backyard. I felt a little happy because the weather was nice and they didn't even have to be coerced into running around out back. But that 'little happy' quickly turned when I see Jay running toward the door and I hear a loud pop against the window.
"Mommy, he's throwing rocks!" Jay says as she runs inside the house past me.
"Oh really? You go to your room," I instruct Nas. "And don't come out until I say so!"
Maybe he was tired already, maybe he needed nourishment, either way I didn't want to deal with him at that moment. He was best placed in his bedroom.
Minor offenses like knocking things over as he runs, kicks, punches, and even rolls around the house 'fighting the bad guys' have increased, and there are times when he simply cannot keep his hands to himself when he gets annoyed with Jay. The ususal suspects: pushing Jay, kicking Jay ("I didn't even do it that hard!"), attacking her to get a toy ad from her, you know. And granted, I have witnessed with my own eyes, Jay provoking Nas to the point of no return - but lately, it's been a lot of Nas just being more boy than I'm used to. And I've been his mother for six years.
I grew up with a sister, male cousins were around, but I've never experienced full-on boyhood. It seems I'm getting a quadruple dose these days and it is taking a lot of getting used to on my part. Babe is amused when I call him to rant about his son's latest craziness, "He's everything you asked for," he'll say. And he's right, but thankfully, the good outweighs the bad - typically.
Just this evening we had to go out to get lights for our Christmas tree. Nas whined about not getting a Santa hat he wanted. He leaped into the buggy nearly crushing the lights we were buying. Then when it was all said and done he just had to leap right out of the buggy, "Don't help me" he said. I knew when we got home it would be time to wind it down, bedtime was very near for this little boy.
So when we got home he huffed about bedtime prep - I wanted to pull my hair out, I'm so tired of everything being a battle with this one lately - but he got it done and we said our prayers and said goodnight. I decided I needed to let off a little steam so it was time to get a little exercise in. About five minutes into my workout, in comes Nas.
"Goodnight Mommy, I love you so, so, much," he said. Then came his little puckered lips ready to plant one on my cheek.
"I love you too." And I most definitely do. I just hope this phase either passes quickly, or, if this is our 'new Nas', that I can adjust even faster.
2 comments:
Maybe it's something in the water. I swear you just described our house, the past few weeks. In fact, Caleb spent most of the day in his room today, throwing a big old fit. Wow, I thought we'd matured past this phase. Always has to be something.:) May God grant us the strength!!!
Maybe this is another boundary-pushing stage where he's testing all the rules again, like a two-year-old. My daughter has certainy been pushing my limits since she turned two, trying to see what I'll let her do - such as hitting her younger sister, or biting or kicking, as your son is. Like you, I occasionally wonder where it's coming from and how I can effectively stop it and encourage the behaviour I want to see.
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