Waiting .....

I just dropped the little ones off at kindy, and as I write this I'm sitting here at home wondering whether or not I'm going to get a phone call. Ben was mad. Mad at me actually. The closer it came time to leave for school and the more obvious it became that he was not going to get his own way, the madder he got. The issue wasn't even with going to school ....it was with what he was going to WEAR to school. I'm all about letting the kids choose their own clothes, within reason ...and well ... his choice today defied all reason. Its forecast to get to 94 degrees here today (thats 34 degrees for those of you tuning in from the South Pacific), and he wanted to wear jeans, a sweater, a polar fleece, gloves, hat and boots. I delicately pointed out that the sun was shining, it was already getting hot, and perhaps shorts and a t-shirt might be more comfortable. Not going to happen. I tried to compromise ... Ok, lets keep the jeans, but lose the polar fleece in favour of a t-shirt ....any t-shirt he wanted. Nope, forget that too. I figured he was leaving me with no choice other than to pull rank as the Mummy here, so I put away the clothes he'd selected and laid out a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. He reluctantly put the shorts on, but no way was he wearing that t-shirt. I pulled out another shirt that I know is one of his favourites and he didn't want that either. With the two shirts laying on the bed I gave him a choice ... he could pick a shirt, or he could have me pick a shirt. He pointed at the favourite one. I put it on him and suggested it was time to have a wash and clean our teeth. He stood there and just glared at me. Trying to stay upbeat and happy I took him by the hand and off we went to the bathroom. He wouldn't speak and wouldn't walk unless I had him by the hand. It stayed like this clear thru getting ready to leave, getting into the car, getting out of the car at the school and getting clear into the classroom.

Once there he refused to say hullo to anyone, the teacher included ...She asked him to take his seat and he refused that too. I quietly explained that we were having "a moment", and suggested that he may actually be better once I left, given I was the one he was angry with. I also let her know that based on previous experiences he would be over this really fast, or it would escalate into a crying marathon. She reassured me that she had my phone number, I gave both him and Maddie kisses and then left.

And now I'm waiting.

I'm guessing that more than likely hes happily participating now that I've left, but as we've learned, Ben is anything but predictable. I've already learned that he's under the impression if he's upset, that it'll upset me, and he's completely at ease using this strategy to try to be manipulating. I'm sure that at the orphanage he had to use everything he could think of to get attention, just based on the sheer number of kids versus caregivers. We've had a relatively meltdown-free few weeks, but with all of the changes going on related to starting school, I've been anticipating that something was going to happen. Today just might be the day.