Friday, February 18, 2011

Anxiety


Trying to sleep last night I have been thinking about Hannah's progress this term. So far in most ways she is going great. Her friendships are growing and she is developing a positive relationship with her new teacher. So why is she having wee accidents when she hasn't had them the whole time she was on holidays? And why does she say she wants to sleep in our bed with me - and even when we get her to sleep in hers she will wake up at around midnight and rarely are we able to get her back to sleep in her own bed. She is persistent in fighting sleep until we give in worried that with so little rest she will not be able to cope at school... it is a vicious circle. See even now as I type she has just run through the room in her undies - on the way to the toilet before she plays dress ups - no prompting required. She does have some sleep apnoea but had her tonsils and adenoids out for that last year and I don't think that is the cause of her sleeplessness because she breaths steadily and quietly when asleep now. I think she is worried, anxious, overwhelmed - can't settle her mind - whatever - about the big leap forwards that Year 1 is. I think this because I can see how Kit is finding it an adjustment 'upwards' in terms of maturity and focus - reading and writing and spelling (yes training for Naplan) are emphasised here - and while Kit is loving it he is still settling in. Hannah is the same I think only she isn't able to express that to me herself so that is why I am 'guessing'.
Phil and I don't know what to do to help her. Will time take care of it? After all she has had a good transition programme. She likes going. She wants to be in Year 1. We have good supports in that I am at the school 2 mornings a week and her Nan one morning a week. Her teacher seems keen and on the ball. But you know - on Friday she was buggered. She'd done a wee in her pants at school - and the usual penalty for that is no tv. That worked quite well early last year. But on Friday nights we have 'movie night' as a treat - it is a night the kids love with popcorn where we all sit down and watch a show together. How could I 'punish' her? Then we have to go over the whole 'stay in your bed' routine. I had tried bribery - is she stayed in her own bed 3 nights in a row then her father would take her to the shops for a toy. It sort of worked the first night in that she let me put her back to sleep in her own bed and then she stayed there but not the next two. This morning when she woke up she asked to go to the toy shop with Dad. I had to say 'no' because she didn't sleep in her own bed all night for 3 nights in a row. So feeling pretty mean and not sure how to change these behaviours.
I am also concerned because I want to keep her self image positive and strong - she is an amazing little girl and I don't want to 'crush her spirit' in modifying her behaviours. Phil must have agreed that the tenor of interactions was veering too far to the negativity because when I cuddled her while I watched the movie I told her that she was 'smart and funny and kind' and when she didn't really respond to that he was very quick to reinforce that message. Anyways - if anyone has a magic idea - I'd love to hear it....

3 comments:

  1. I don't have any magic ideas; but, I can say that we went through the sleep issue with our daughter when she was Hannah's age. I believe (in hindsight, of course )that it was because she was inundated with so much new social and "academic" information at school- that she couldn't let her mind rest at bedtime. It was the first moment of the day where she was truly alone with her thoughts and I think she worried a lot and it made her lonely- needing reassurance from us. Bedtime (or the anticipation of bedtime) became a struggle. And, she would leave her room- to find us multiple times through out the night. We just continued to maintain our routine- we read in bed with her and reassured her. But, admittedly we weren't very firm (meaning, we didn't always provide consequences when we should have). The phase left as quickly as it came.
    It sounds as if you are doing a wonderful job with her. It is, as you say, a vicious cycle,which I hope will pass quickly for you guys. Hang in there!

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  2. Your children are both so beautiful! I am sorry that you are going through this! My 11 year old still comes in to sleep with us at night. I don't understand it. I used to fear we were ruining him for life. Now I just pray he will still turn out to be a normal human : )

    I can tell how much you love and cherish her! I will pray this bad time passes quickly. Sending love! Becky

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  3. I have a magic idea.

    Exercise might help Hannah feel her body and get those endorphins (the happy chemicals) happening.

    It will also make her heart beat.

    Hope there haven't been many changes in the barometer.

    I also wonder if she "knows" promotion is not automatic. (Does she worry that she could be sent back, or to an alternative placement?)

    Fridays are buggering too!

    Hope "movie night' is not overwhelming too.

    What is happening with the maths? Glad they are getting a lot of literacy at this age.

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