This week, I was planning on doing a "Must Have For New Moms" type article, but after the past few couple of days that I've had, its just not going to happen.
My angel 3 year old *insert eye roll here*, refuses to keep her clothes on. Obviously I couldn't use a picture of her naked, so I used one of her that we took immediately after putting her pajamas on. Shortly after the picture was taken, she took her pants off. But she left her shirt on! So we're making progress...
We get her dressed in the morning, she takes her clothes off as soon as we turn our backs. We put her in her bedroom for quiet time (our attempt at giving nap time a tricky name, its not working by the way, she refuses to nap too, and shes certainly not quiet), she emerges naked. She goes into the bathroom to use the potty, she comes out naked.
Put your clothes back on!
When we ask her why she takes her clothes off, she usually replies with "because I wasn't cold". We've explained to her that we wear clothes for reasons other than being cold. "Do you see people walking around naked? When we leave the house, do you ever see naked people? We wear clothes to express ourselves, we wear clothes to cover our bare skin, we wear clothes because we wear clothes".
She still takes off her clothes.
So we made a rule. If she takes her clothes off, then we take her clothes away, usually for the rest of the day. If she doesn't have any clothes to wear, then she can't leave the house. And just because she can't leave the house, doesn't mean we can't leave the house.
So yesterday, since it was so sunny and warm, Charlie and I went outside to play with sidewalk chalk in the driveway. Eleanore stayed inside, naked, and by herself.
Start the tantrum! Its going to be a good one...
Whenever I go outside and leave Eleanore inside, I crack the window (ya know, like when you leave the puppy in the car? hee hee) so that we can still communicate, and she doesn't feel completely shut off.
Crying crying crying crying.
This isn't the first time we've gone through this. Maybe you should have learned your lesson the first time then, huh?
Well as soon as Daddy gets home, she hears his voice, and kicks the tantrum into full gear. Don't hold back girl, give us everything you've got!
As hard as she was crying, and as angry as she was, I never expected these next set of words to come out of her mouth...
"I peed on the floor!".
YOU WHAT?!
You have got to be kidding me child. When we asked her why she peed on the floor (and all over herself, and her toys), she said "because I was mad". Well, I don't know about you, but I don't care how mad she is, shes been potty trained for almost a year now, and it is in NO WAY acceptable. Her punishment for that, was to clean it up herself. Her Daddy got her a towel, and she sure did have to clean it up all by herself. She was very good about it though, and while she was crying and whining about having to step in the mess she made, she soaked it all up. Daddy followed up behind her with another towel, and cleaner, and that was the end of that. I think he handled it very well.
Now. Seriously kid. I repeat, put your clothes back on!
HA, good work making her clean it up! Nothing like having to clean up your own bodily fluid to make you think twice about doing that again out of spite.
ReplyDeleteWho the heck knows what their thing is about being naked. Amelia doesn't just strip her clothes off willy nilly, but after a bath, just before she gets her PJ's on, she likes to run out into the living room and tell everyone "look at me, I have no clothes on!". We had to start making sure the blinds were shut before bathtime just so we weren't giving the whole neighborhood a peep show. Merrick also likes to run about before and after bath time...Full Monty. He likes to stand there and beat on his belly and laugh. Who knows why.
I have to laugh, Tia. I didn't like to wear clothes when I was little either. But I wouldn't go outside naked, even then. Maybe she could be naked in the house only. I think she'll come to discover the benefit of clothes soon. Then they will become an obsession, which will also be a mystery to you.
ReplyDeleteI really shouldn't be laughing, because I know you are not amused. But it is a little funny. :) Hopefully she will learn to keep her clothes on at some point. Keep up the good work and hang in there - it will get easier. Or at least that is what other moms tell me. ;)
ReplyDeleteI had to giggle at this too Tia. Not only does my Sophia do the same (not too often during the day, but difintely every night before or after bath or when changing) but I was also one of those children. I did a lot of weird things. At Eleanores age I snuck out of the house naked at 6am in the morning and knocked on my neighbours house to see if the boy next door could play... they sent me home in a tea towel. I used to strip down any chance my parents weren't looking and run down the street or ride my tricycle naked all the time. I also used to throw ONLY MY LEFT shoe down the sewer drain... I suspect just to watch it fall. My mom made me wear two right shoes one day and I never did it again.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about the naked thing and what we can do about it. Seems like your handling it well, and good job for making her clean up the pee.
:)
HAHA! I dont mean laughing because my kids doing that same things... but when my daughter start go to school last oct 2009 and she start left clothes on now.. I m tired to take picture when she naked with underwear. :)
ReplyDeletesometimes if she want go naked and we punishment her but she said no no and go to her bedroom and put clothes on.. it helped ..
hahahahaha, OMG, I just about pee'd myself just reading this.
ReplyDeleteGracie was just about nude 100% of the time, until we moved into this new house in Sept. That was when I made the 'we wear clothes in our house' rule (which everyone but Gracie followed already). What the heck is up with kids and nudity??