Foster Further

Yesterday was one of the worst days I've had since the girls came to us. For no apparent reason. Jane just decided to be really naughty all day long, about five minutes after she was released from each time out session. The past week we've been talking about anger, triggered by some incidents that occurred during her last therapy sessions. I had been telling her it's okay to show anger for a few days now. Well, she sure as hell took me up on the offer. Except not the way I meant it. I meant she should have a tantrum, yell, scream, even hit. Get it out! Express it! Be honest! Be real with me! Trust me enough to show a single authentic emotion already! Nope. She decided to do the most sneaky, underhanded, devious, manipulative, destructive things her little 4 year old brain could think of. I think she spent every minute of her time outs just planning what she'd do next. I was patient, calm, and creative in my consequences for the first two events. Then, she took Kat...

The girls cry when I say 'bedtime'. It's automatic. Even for all possible synonyms and euphanisms. Happy kids.  +  "Bedtime"  =  Wailing kids. After months of trying a bazillion strategies I finally landed on a possible solution: removing sleep from the equation. A few nights ago I was emotionally exhausted to the point where I knew that all of my children needed to go far, far away from me for everyone's health and well-being. But it was a half hour before bedtime. And the light outside was going to be full, glorious summer sunshine for another two hours. So, I rushed through their bedtime routine but said, "And now you get to STAY AWAKE and play with toys and read books in your beds! Oh boy! What fun!" They trotted off to their beds, smiley-faced, and I never heard from them again. It was so bright outside that I left their light off but their curtain open and that was enough light to play by so I guess as it got dark outside they just cu...