And the Oscar for a female lead in a dramatic role goes to ....... Sara Velasco in "My Terrible Life As A 7 Year Old".
Sometimes I cannot believe the things she gets worked up about. How does she think up these little dramas? When will she learn that the only thing her over-the-top dramatics get her is trouble, punishments, and loss of privileges? And it doesn't get her attention (negative or any other kind). When she flips out, we put her in her brother's room where there are no distractions until she calms down. Contrary to what she says, this is NOT cruel and unusual punishment.
Last weekend while Paul was working, I was busy entertaining 2 kids during a heat wave. We went to the zoo, rode the little train and had an early dinner. She got to play in the bathtub and a have a little dance party in her room. Her horrible, therapy inducing, call child services moment was invoked because her "favorite" dance outfit was in the laundry. Apparently, suggesting alternative dance outfits was a completely ridiculous idea that spun her into a frenzy. My solution? Close her door and inform her that she can come down when she is calm and rational. Then I went downstairs to play trains with Christian. Anyone curious how long it took her to calm down? Way too long. I'm not known for my patience in any situation. Put me in a room with a 7 year throwing a hissy fit for no valid reason and I have no patience. I gave her motivation for calming down. We've been trying a reward system for her. If she shows good behavior, treats us and her brother with respect, and does her chores, she can earn some rewards - seeing the Smurf movie, having a sleepover with me, watching a new DVD. Guess what? The new DVD is still sitting on the counter. The Smurfs movie remains unseen. The sleepover has not occurred. This week (so far) has been fairly drama-free. Maybe we will see a movie and have a sleepover this weekend. Unless one of us throws a temper tantrum.
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