1/07/2006

Camping Fan

Like I always complain, I constantly have to deal with various excrement when it comes to the kids. When we went to PA my youngest boy puked in the car and I pretty much got it all over me and then had to clean it up (thankfully, most of it was thrown up in a Trader Joe's bag---those things are so useful!) and now I have to deal with some new ridiculousness. My daughter wet her bed the other night because she purposely did not put on a night diaper. I had to disinfect the mattress, clean everything up and let the mattress dry overnight. So, my girl got to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag. Bad idea. She wanted to sleep that way the next night, so we let her. Bad idea. Last night she put on her own diaper (she is four and a half, she should not even be wearing diapers anyway, but you know, my kids have problems) and lo and behold this morning her mattress and sheets were all wet. Her diaper was inside out! I asked her if she knew this and she nodded her head shamefully. She told me she put it on that way on purpose. I said, "What?! Why?!"
Yep, you guessed it. Her reason was so she could wet her bed and she could sleep on the floor again. I could have pulled her hair. She is definitely not sleeping on the floor.

2 comments:

R said...

You are definitely the voice of reason! I am a ninny. I remember when I was a kid and I made forts out of sheets and played in there. I think I may have slept there on occassion, but I can't really remember.
I think one of the main issues with E is that she struggles with being destructive. She is the worst one so far, not meaning to knock her. She writes on everything, tears things up in pieces, and usually these things are valuable things like bills and other important things. It is very frustrating because she loses just about anything she takes anywhere, and she pretty much ruins lots of stuff that she has because she has some sort of attitude that it can be replaced or that it has no value. The problem here with her is not necessarily the wanting to sleep on the floor, it is wetting the bed to get what she wants instead of just asking in the first place for what she wants.
I have learned so much from you and will keep what you say in mind. You are so wise and have raised exceptional children. I hope you have additional advice for a destructive child!

R said...

Thanks for the thoughts and advice! I pretty much go by Ted Tripp (Shepherding a Child's Heart) and he addresses the stuff, but it is good to compare stories of real life experiences (like if one of your kids had that same problem, etc.). I think you are right about addressing the sin as it stands and incorporating it in school, daily life, because the more mindful the child is about it, the more aware that the child is that he/she needs to be saved and needs some help! I wish I had that sort of "added" awareness when I was young.---I mean, knowing "why" things were bad ("the Bible says this..."). She has actually been better the past week or so. I am so thankful. She has the sweetest disposition and I am afraid that next to being messy, this distructiveness is her only big issue she struggles with. I find that if I deal with her gently but firmly she is very receptive.