Monday, November 06, 2006

craving attention



Jake absolutley loves Megan...but he CAN NOT stand if someone is paying attention to her and not him. I can not tell you how frustrating the last couple of days have been. He will be perfectly content playing by himself as long as I am not paying attention to Megan. In other words, if she's sleeping. He'll be playing on the other side of the room and I'll have Megan on the floor just talking to her and all of a sudden he'll just start screaming. Well not screaming, but talking really, really loudly. He doesn't even realize he's doing it. Then he'll come right in between her and I and gets right in her face. He's just trying to play with her, but he doesn't understand that she doesn't want him in her face. I mean, he's like inches, centemeters maybe, from her little face. And of course he's squeeling loudly. I try and be nice and include him in my 'conversations' with her. But again, he doesn't understand that she doesn't know how to play "peek-a-boo". How do you explain that to a 3 year old? If I'm feeding her, he has to be sitting on any free part of my lap too. He climbs all over the chair or couch...wherever we're sitting. Again, right up in her face and mine. Like I said, I don't even think he knows he's doing it. And I feel bad because I'm constantly getting irritated and I end up kinda yelling at him. Then his feelings are hurt. Then I feel horrible. I feel like the meanest mommy sometimes. Am I the meanest mommy? Should I just be happy that he loves her so much and let it be? I guess I probably should. Sometimes I feel so spread thin. I just want Megan to feel loved. But I don't want Jake to forget we love him too. I think as they both get older, especially Megan, this will get easier and work itself out. I sure hope so.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I guess Jake has finally decided that Megan is getting more attention than he's accustomed to getting. Maybe is was ok for a while, and he was tollerant, but now he's feeling the pinch. Before Megan he was the center of the universe of all of us who love Jake and now sharing that stage with her is getting tiresome! I don't know how to help because being the mother of an only child I never had to face that problem. I suppose you will need to find time during the day - planned or unplanned - to spend with Jake exclusively. Not just bath time, but maybe when Megan is taking a nap in her bed. I don't know! I guess you figure these things out by trial and error!