Week Four: Give away some power

Well, some other people I know implied that if its power-plays that seem to happen, perhaps Fi needs to feel like she had more power over her own life. Her happiness on the sick day I had, when I hadn't the energy to (1) help her much and (2) have any errands that were going to be run (and hence had the patience to give her LOTS of space) - and when she was very industrious (made her 2nd sandwich, this one with pancakes; picked out her own pants for the first time; used the potty successfully, even announcing it, and then dumped it in the toilet (learned this at family daycare, hurrah Alia and Amanda! but a first for home); fed the dogs scraps from her meal, with no supervision (only the permission from mom); took off her pants 3 times (a little frustration screaming, it was harder not to help! an almost first); and took off her diaper covers twice (again with the suggestion from mom, but also a first) - suggests that perhaps that IS the case.

Tonight Fiora freaked out when her baba (dad) told her it was bedtime, and she wanted to eat more rice. It was already almost 1/2 past bedtime, 1 and 1/2 hours past her ideal bedtime. She freaks out whenever it's bedtime. She does settle down enough for Routine, in our case, saying goodnight to the dogs and other parent! (She falls asleep almost as soon as she hits the bed, and the tantrum-ing stops when she gets to talk to the dogs, though she's still sad.) And I've interpreted this as a need for continued activity, that she hates to stop doing stuff - I have the same problem at bedtime! But...perhaps there's also the difficulty that it's always so imposed. Am going to try talking to her more about sleepiness and encourage some self-awareness. (Maybe it will even help me....)