Christmas-y

The Big Boy Room

Hayden is acting out. I don't know why, but something is going on with him. The last few days at school have been just horrible. His teacher has had to pull me aside and list the bad behaviors that Hayden exhibited during the day. It's so confusing because all at once, I feel protective of him, and then angry at him, and embarrassed that my child is misbehaving so badly. He isn't hurting anyone, but he is being disruptive and defiant. He doesn't seem to enjoy any of the group activities, and if he had it his way, would rather just play with numbers and letters all day, except for when it is time to go outside. My instincts are telling me that I need to pull him out of the school. Maybe he's just not ready.

Neil and I are not lax about discipline. He knows what the limits are, but he continues to push them, even thought he knows there will be a consequence. He doesn't really mind getting time outs. He knows the three minutes will pass, and he will be able to go back to doing whatever he was doing. We've tried taking toys away, but he just tells us what he will play with instead, and seems unphased.

I want to believe that this is just a phase - that he is going through terrible 3s instead of terrible 2s, but part of me worries that this is just his personality, and that this is how it is going to be.