Gymnastics and fits

Yesterday, Lily started her new gymnastics class. In this class she goes to the same place, with the same teacher, and does many of the same things, but in this class she does it without her mom. I sat in the mommy area, while she did her gymnastics. The first 1/2 hour of the class went well. They did all the same things that she has been doing for a year now in her toddler gymnastics class and she was very willing to cooperate. Then, they moved on to some new and different things and she went ballistic. She screamed and cried and called for her, "Momma". An entire 1/2 hour of crying.

Her teacher said, she thought Lily did very well, so did all the other moms. I guess everyone freaks out a bit at their first class without mommy.

Lily has never been the type of baby, toddler, kid who calls for her Momma. She doesn't really like to be held. She likes to go-go-go. I am thinking that maybe the fact that I am always there for her is part of the reason she is so independent, you know you don't cry for the things you already have. Anyways, I feel bad, but I felt a little bit of happiness that she wanted me. It feels like the first time she ever really wanted me. That is so petty.

Later Mandy and I went back to school shopping, and after it was all said and done, she said she had fun. Both my girls were nice to me on the same day. That was weird.

Lily is having a bit of an allergic reaction, now for a couple of weeks. So she is out of sorts and not at all fun. That coupled with the gymnastics class, caused her to be quite a handful yesterday afternoon. I decided that even though she is having a reaction and even though she isn't feeling her best, I still needed to enforce the rules. She was having screaming fits about everything. So I gave her a time out. First I put her in her chair and asked her to sit there until Mommy came to get her. She picked up her metal chair and threw it across the room. That chair went about 3 feet up and about 8 feet across. The girl has a future, in either wrestling or on a Jerry Springer show. So I decided to make her time out place a pillow. She settled down and then she sat on my lap with her arms around me holding me fiercely for a 1/2 hour. She wouldn't let go. Again, this is not a typical behavior of Lily. I did the horse whisperer stuff, well that is what I call it. I talked to her about things. I talked about the hard part of gymnastics, I told her that I understood she was scared. I put into words the reasons she was upset as best I could, so that she would know, I know, and she could quit screaming and crying trying to express herself. I get it Lily let's move on. Then I started to talk about some things she likes, got her laughing and our day went on. No more fits. I think that if I didn't stand up to her she would have continued to go on and on with her fits for the rest of the day.

When Lily is having an allergic reaction she is worse than all the kids I have ever seen on the Supernanny combined. But, on the days, which is most of the time, when she is not having an allergic reaction she is a sweet independent easy child. I sometimes feel bad about having to be strict with her, because I know the bad behavior is due to her discomfort and I also think that the chemistry of her body is affected by the reaction. I also think though that allowing bad behavior only makes it worse. It is a difficult position for me. Very frustrating. Mostly I am not completely sure that what I do is the right thing, mostly I feel like I wish I had definitive answers.