Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Adoption Updates

So, I know this is supposed to be a SL blog but I don't always have SL stuff to blog about so I am just going to blog about whatever is important to me at the time or about whatever interests me.

Last weekend our soon to be adopted son moved in and my husband and I took the week off to help get us all settled in. We have been spending the past few days getting him registered for school and day care, having visits with case workers, buying school clothes etc.

I have to say it has been a good week. He has even called us mom and dad a couple of times but it will take him some time to get comfortable saying it all of the time. He made a friend a few houses down and that has been really, really great for him and us! LOL! Play time for him is rest time for us! It can become quite tiring having to constantly stay after someone to brush their teeth or to stay on them do do this or do that, etc.

One of the issues that we have been having is sulking and pouting when he doesn't get his way. However, I see that as typical 7 yr old behavior that we will just have to get through. If any of you moms out there who read my blog have any suggestions for dealing with sulking, whining or pouting, please let me know. He can usually be redirected pretty easily but it can be tiresome.

3 comments:

C said...

My only advice is that these phases, sulking, tantrums, talking back, all of them that have or will come are all part of parenting.

The fact that you are going through this is because you are a parent, I don't think it's because you are a new parent or about adoption, it's part of the trials and joys of parenthood. *hugs*

How to deal with sulking and pouting specifically? Well I ignore it. Trying to talk about the problem, discipline him for it, or tease my son out of it does work, but only reinforces the behaviour and he uses it again next time. I simply say "If you want to pout please do so in your room and you can come out whenever you want to talk to me normally". However every child and situation are diffirent.

Elora Henig said...

Terri, What Cen said is exactly the advice I was thinking."If you want to pout please do so in your room and you can come out whenever you want to talk to me normally"
Acknowledge the good behavior and redirect the unacceptable. Teaching children to verbalize their feelings is very exhausting but worth every minute spent. I'm gonna stop with that....I can be a bit preachy/teachy sometimes.:-)*hugs* to the new Mommy.

Writ of Hocus Pocus said...

*points at Cen and says* What she said! It goes with the territory...*hugs you*

Also, if all else fails, 1,2,3, Magic by Dr. Phelan has helped us immensely. My son has ADHD/ODD (oppositional defiance disorder - "Do you want a cookie? NO! WAIT! YES!" Basically it means his first impulse is to always be oppositional. Anyhoo, this is your blog Terri, not mine, I'm babbling. I'm just saying that the 1,2,3 thingy is really effective. It helps keep the frustration levels down and it's really hard for kids to argue with a timer. ;) Plus, it's for all kids, not just kids with issues.