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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Polly and her Dollies continue to improve in every way

962 replies

StuckInPollyannaMode · 26/04/2021 11:13

Can’t believe it, but here we are on Thread 5!

Thread 4 here

Just back from a 4.5 mile run - bit cold this morning! I’ve sea monkeys growing in the kitchen, soaps hardening in the bathroom, and the carpets are full of glitter. They had a great weekend!

The thumb also seems to be improving. Phew.

All on today to prep for tomorrow’s meeting with Geller. He really does seem broken. But I will not waiver.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and all health ailments are on the mend. Time to slap on some moisturiser - caught the sun this weekend - but look much better for it!

OP posts:
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Justilou1 · 19/05/2021 22:39

I kind of agree about bed times. Not just for them, but for you!!!

Justilou1 · 19/05/2021 23:33

Sorry Polly. I have just popped back in to be a know it all Aunty J - (sigh...) asd/adhd kids thrive on routines. It might make mornings a lot easier for you too. (My DD1 who will be 17 this year (where did that go?) Loves routines.. She has ASD/ADHD.) She sleeps better and mornings are a doddle. Maybe that’s why Geller’s like this. Perhaps you can start it a s a family thing, then shift it into a kid thing so you have some time.

SpringCrocus · 20/05/2021 00:17

Asd kids, yep need rigid routines. God I've had 25 years of all this.
Routines, rules that you have , at YOUR place.
Fuck what he does, when they are with him. Not your problem

StuckInPollyannaMode · 20/05/2021 06:39

Morning y’all

Think I’ve given you the wrong impression through my intense frustration last night 😄we have routines, morning and night. They’re written up on the board so little people can check on them if they want, and the order was agreed between the three of us. Follows the same format every night - no screens for an hour before bed, play a game, read or colour etc for quiet time. Bath if bath night. Teeth, faces and wees. PJs on, washing away. One chapter each as a story, cuddle and bed. Lights out.

What I meant by implementing a routine was a DRACONIAN one. Because I do all that then I get I’m not tired / I can’t sleep and then it spirals and one wants a calm story and the other doesn’t and ...

OP posts:
DartmoorDoughnut · 20/05/2021 06:46

Polly you really are rocking at this being a grown up malarkey Flowers

RandomMess · 20/05/2021 07:19

I was meaning strict about the story choices and consequences for messing about it.

If they can't choose you will.

As you did removal of privileges. Are there any rewards that can go hand in hand with compliant behaviour?

How quickly do they go to sleep if you go at the same time as them?

It's hard because it's likely anxiety plays a part but you do need you adult down time desperately.

Does Gellar realise at some point it's going to be inappropriate for him to bed share with them?

Can you do yoga in your room?

Mix56 · 20/05/2021 08:31

G is doing it as its all he knows, this was what was happening when you left.
Also he will take the shortest route to shutting them up, so if separating them & Dd1 sleeping in his bed works then its his solution.
Can you tell him he needs to get on board with them sleeping in their own beds. Until what age does he consider it appropriate?
They are mostly sleeping in their own beds at your house,
I remember sitting on the stairs outside my kids rooms, being the sleep police...
Ugh, no one tells you parenting sucks for much of the time

RandomMess · 20/05/2021 08:43

If you can't do yoga in your bedroom what about the landing.

They stay in bed quietly and you will come in again once you've finished?

ItWasAgathaAllAlong · 20/05/2021 10:01

I used to work with behaviourally challenged students whose behaviour impacted on everyone in the class. One of the best pieces of advice I had was the '3 class rules - and consequences if broken'. I mean 'big' rules (no hitting others, that kind of thing) along with (for more minor behaviour issues) a yellow card for a 'first offence' (so a clear visible warning) and then a red card and a suitable consequence if it happened again. And the consequences had to fit the misdemeanour and at the time, not be something random implemented the next day.

I know it's not as easy at home to implement all of those things in the home, but I did use them all to some degree, with adaptations, with my DSs. So maybe, Polly, you and the girls sit down and agree the '3 big rules' that have to happen at bedtime - e.g. 'We must get into bed and stay there when mum says' for one, maybe 'If we can't agree on a story choice, mum will choose for us' etc. With consequences linked to the rules (if not already 'built in' to the rule, like the mum choosing the story if they can't agree). You might also want to back it up a bit by asking them which rule they haven't followed - this helps them link it all together - behaviour rules are there for a reason, and not following them has consequences for them.

It's going to be a bit harder because you know Geller won't do it, but if it's done at your house, and you're really strict on it all for the first couple of weeks, you'll probably find their behaviour at bedtime just becomes better all-round as a positive consequence of the work you've all put into it.

A bit worried I'm sounding a bit 'preachy' Blush but I promise you, it's worth a try. The child I was failing to manage at school before I had the help with the behaviour management went from being a hugely disruptive influence in September, to being a lot more calm, and able to sit and do his work without causing flashpoints, by half way through the school year. (Which made the rest of it so much more pleasant for everyone!) I was exhausted mentally, and I didn't always have the support of other teachers when he was elsewhere in the school, but if his mum sees me around, she still thanks me for how much she benefited from the school routines being used at home too. (Tbh, the boy, who was 7 at the time, likely had ADHD, but 30 years ago no one had heard of that, we only had one TA in the entire school shared between 7 classes, the Headteacher had no advice, so it was down to me!)

The girls are old enough to understand why you need bedtime to go smoothly, and you'll get there in the end Polly. We're all in awe of how far you've come and what you've achieved already! You'll achieve this too!

Gosh, that's a bit long, sorry. Blush

RandomMess · 20/05/2021 10:19

You seem to like cooking and baking so I would also dangle the carrot that you need your evenings to bake or prepare a nice dinner for them the next day.

Lougle · 20/05/2021 10:39

They might need reassurance, Polly. For years we used to say 'Where is mummy/daddy going to be?' "In your bedroom." 'And where are you going to be?' "In our bedroom."

Over time, we actually went downstairs, but we still said the same thing and although they knew we were going downstairs, it just reassured them that we were going to be 'near' if they needed us.

They seem so big and grown up, but you'll look back in a few years and be amazed at how little they were.

Fooshufflewickjbannanapants · 20/05/2021 11:08

Ok this may sound weird but we used tokens with one of my adhd children we followed a routine very similar to yours and gave them three get out of bed tokens, they could use them if they wanted but if they saved them til morning they earned a reward ( for my lad it was ten minutes tablet time per token) no negotiation needed he understood it and made the decision him self after a week or two he got thirty minutes tablet time and I got a little respite 😀.

drspouse · 20/05/2021 12:25

I do tend to agree that consequences need to be immediate and linked - we would have NO luck at all linking behaviour at bedtime to something unrelated at the weekend.

@Fooshufflewickjbannanapants tokens are a good idea - we tried "no coming downstairs after 9" with the same reward but that is too challenging for him, we could go with 3 tokens to be spent after bedtime (he comes down more before 9 but it's the after 9 that is stopping him sleeping as he's allowed to listen to a story till 9).

Mix56 · 20/05/2021 13:54

I used all sorts of bribing, but what used to help was talking about how we were feeling.
I would tell them I was always hoping to make them happy, & do things they loved. which is how families work, but it has to work both ways.
Mummy needs to tidy, work, yoga, relax after her day, & them messing about is wasting everybody's time, time they need to rest & grow, (growing obvs only happens their sleep !) wasting your time, so that you can finish up your day & also have "time off", its important everyone in the family has a fair deal. blablablabla
When I'm tired, I get upset more, & have no energy for going out on the bikes, etc.
As for choosing a book, I used to say, I will read this one tonight & the other one tomorrow, or ultimately there will be no story.
At the end of the day, I used as much deviousness as possible.

1WayOrAnother2 · 20/05/2021 17:52

We had a points system over getting up - a bit like @Fooshufflewickjbannanapants tokens.

The power was with them - and they did want to keep the points to add up to a treat. They were cautious about 'spending' them :)

Justilou1 · 21/05/2021 04:58

I was quite blunt with my kids. There’s kid time and grownup time. Kid time is finished and you go to bed. Grownup time is when mummy watches what SHE wants to watch on tv or reads HER books or does yoga, etc. When they come out, that’s when you say, “This is my time now, darling... Back to bed.”

StuckInPollyannaMode · 21/05/2021 21:45

Annnnnnd... the Mummy is BACK!

Fast asleep by 8.30 both of them, no messing no around, no back chat, just hugs and kisses.

I spoke to Geller about it and he was his usual weak self. Empowered by my therapy session I firmly said well, this is how I’m dealing with it, then shut the door in his face 😄 god that felt good!

Long may it continue I’ve had a chat with a friend overseas, a couple of glasses of Malbec, the fire is lit...what the fuck is WRONG with this weather?!

Oh, and in a moment of insomniac-tic madness this morning I signed up for a 10k. In 3 weekends time.

I just finished the final episode of Big Bang Theory. Cried my eyes out (in a good way). But also, cathartic, as I started watching it when I left (Geller hated all that kind of programme) and absolutely loved it. Now I can move onto some of your suggestions.

Can I just take a moment to say how much I appreciate you all? I really really do. Honest, on my life and two glasses of Argentinian red. I have come such a long way and, although I know I’m still a work in progress, I’d still be absolutely stuck in a dreary marriage with no hope of ever escaping of it wasn’t for you all. Thank you so very much. I feel like I’m finally getting clarity on how life can be and it feels great. Couldn’t have done it without you all.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 21/05/2021 21:52
Wine

Glad they went to bed no fuss.

So glad you are onwards and upwards it's lovely to see you transform into freedom.

I had my 2nd vaccine this morning then went to dance classes this evening for the 1st time in a year. In agony 😂 thinks it's the jab as headache has just started too 🙄

pointythings · 21/05/2021 22:06

I'm glad bedtime worked. You'll have awful days again - but you know how to pull it back. Over time it will all settle.

I think a lot of us on your thread are paying forward the help we had from MN when we needed it to make our escape from whatever shit we were in. I know I couldn't have come as far as I have without it. In a few years, you'll be on here supporting women who are where you used to be.

Lougle · 21/05/2021 22:25

Good result!

SpringCrocus · 21/05/2021 23:19

Yy to what @pointythings said, I am paying it forward all the excellent advice I had on MN.

Sunbird24 · 21/05/2021 23:34

Well done Polly!
You will have rough nights of course, but hopefully there are more and more like this one. You should be bloody proud of yourself and your dollies

swampytiggaa · 22/05/2021 03:36

All sounding really positive!

The 10k will be fine just don’t stress about your time 😊 I’m signed up for a coastal path half marathon end of June. Starting to regret it tbh 😂😂

Justilou1 · 22/05/2021 03:53

Awesome result @StuckInPollyannaMode! I bet the door slam felt great too! (And the Malbec - it’s my fave as well!) We are Fiiiiiiiiiiiiinally getting some slightly cooler weather where I live in OZ. I am relishing cooler nights, so I have naturally switched from a glass of rosé to Malbec. (Still hot in the daytime... bastard.) I’m off to finish an assignment now, but we are so very proud of your evolution! You have blossomed. There is no way you’d lose yourself again, darling.

Mix56 · 22/05/2021 10:17

You have made Giant steps, not so long ago you would never have stood on your own doorstep & shut the door in his sad weak face !!
Hoorah !!!!! I am rejoicing, he must have been gob smacked.
you will doubtless get some "poor me" texting now about respect & other drivel.

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