The Eldest

This weekend went by too fast for my taste.

Or maybe I just feel like we wasted it yelling at/scolding Tiegan.

She was totally out of her element the past couple days. I was shocked at how much she misbehaved. We tried all the classic tricks: diverting her attention when she threw tantrums, making a game out of picking up toys when she said it was too hard... but none of it worked.

The past few weeks I've been feeling a little guilty that I have to be more attentive to Sofia, but this weekend was just the opposite. Jason and I were both constantly on Tiegan about this and that, and Sofia just sat sweetly in her swing for most of the day, except for being fed and changed. I think Miss T is reaching out for attention in all the wrong ways.

For example...

She was pushing around her toy stroller. And flinging it up in the air, coming close to breaking things and hitting people in the head. I asked her not to pick her stroller up in the air - just push it on the floor.

She stopped, locked her eyes with mine, and picked her stroller up in the air. As if to say, "What are you gonna do about it?" Practically ASKING to be scolded. This was just one of many incidents like it.

I feel like we're doing the right things, but it will probably just take a while to catch on. We're trying to teach Tiegan that getting in trouble is the wrong way to seek attention. I guess it's just a delayed sibling jealousy reaction. I say this because she only seems to want attention when Sofia's fussy. She asks for food when Sofia's getting a bottle. She needs help going potty when Sofia's getting a diaper change. Classic call signs.

Don't misunderstand - Tiegan LOVES her sister. She sings to her, holds her hand, and gets her to smile all the time. We just have to remind her that no one could ever take her place.