Thursday, August 6, 2009

Too many cooks?

Lately, I have been getting the feeling that children "misbehave" more when other people are around. I'm not sure if this is just coincidence or if they are simply seeking attention. Not sure if they are seeking my attention or just any adult.

For example, all week, my sister (Auntie Kim) has been staying with me. She still has to go to work but is home by 3:30 so she spends a nice chunk of time with the twins. And all week, they have been so cranky. I was dreading today, knowing that once she left to go to work this morning, I would be on my own with two 8 month olds who seem to hate life. But today, they have been happy angels. Maybe they are taking pity on me. Maybe they are as sick of hearing themselves whine as I am. Or maybe the gods have intervened so that I don't resign as their mother and give them up for adoption.

I realize I am seriously jinxing myself by writing this post but I am just curious to know if other moms have experienced this with their infants. I also do not want to sound ungrateful for all the help I get from my sister and mom while Billy is gone - it is a life- and sanity-saver!! Even if it does make my kids whine and fuss...

4 comments:

  1. I don't know if mine fuss more, or if I am just more sensitive to it. I feel like when we are around other grown ups they look to me for the "answer" on how to fix the issue....when to be perfectly honest, I don't know what the problem is...let alone the answer! Don' they know I am making it up as I go along!
    Anyway, I think the key is just to focus on the good moments get through all the fussy ones without jumping off a tall building! Glad they were angels today!

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  2. I think you're on to something. When the girls were about 10 months we spent a months at my Mom's house over the Christmas holidays (it takes 36 hours to travel there from my island, so gotta maximize!) and honestly, the babies have never behaved so badly. I swear they didn't sleep at all the whole month. They acted up so much more it was redunk. I don't know why. Maybe babies that young are resistant to all change, full stop. Who knows? They grow out of it though :)

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  3. My guys are always easier for someone else---as long as I am not there. However, they really like routine and often struggle with changes, whether it's houseguests, visiting someone else's house overnight or skipping a nap. They're not so flexible, really.

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  4. Actually, Kaylynn is the total opposite!! She will be so fussy for us and I'm so exhausted that when I drop her off at the sitter's I give the "fussy warning" and then when I pick her up, the sitter thinks I'm crazy! She always reports back with "Kaylynn was such an angel!" Figures!

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