hkristine
10-21-2011, 10:01 PM
So, in the last couple of days, LD has started doing some new behavior. First, he keeps pretending to get hurt and then does his fake cry to try to get attention. Second, at bedtime, he says he's lonely and scared and wants someone to stay in his room.
We recognize that he is craving attention and still insecure about his relationship with us. But, we don't want to encourage the whining/pretend crying, so we're not quite sure how to respond when he does that. For now, we're just telling him that we know it's fake crying and that he's not really hurt... And then we try to give him extra attention/time/snuggles when he's not being whiney/crying to try to stave off the next "episode."
As for the going to bed part, we are not allowing him to sleep in our bed, and he actually sleeps just fine, through the night, etc., We also don't think he's really scared (lonely, perhaps, but not scared) but we think he's doing it to try to manipulate us into staying in his room until he falls asleep (not necessarily maliciously or anything) - again, we think it's because he's feeling a little starved for attention.
We tell him that we love him and we'll be there in the morning, but we (for our own sanity as much as keeping with a routine which we have been told is critical for the transition) then leave the room. We are right next door in our room, so not far, and he falls asleep really quickly. I guess I'm just feeling inadequate at filling up his "love tank" lately and wonder if you have any thoughts/advice.
We recognize that he is craving attention and still insecure about his relationship with us. But, we don't want to encourage the whining/pretend crying, so we're not quite sure how to respond when he does that. For now, we're just telling him that we know it's fake crying and that he's not really hurt... And then we try to give him extra attention/time/snuggles when he's not being whiney/crying to try to stave off the next "episode."
As for the going to bed part, we are not allowing him to sleep in our bed, and he actually sleeps just fine, through the night, etc., We also don't think he's really scared (lonely, perhaps, but not scared) but we think he's doing it to try to manipulate us into staying in his room until he falls asleep (not necessarily maliciously or anything) - again, we think it's because he's feeling a little starved for attention.
We tell him that we love him and we'll be there in the morning, but we (for our own sanity as much as keeping with a routine which we have been told is critical for the transition) then leave the room. We are right next door in our room, so not far, and he falls asleep really quickly. I guess I'm just feeling inadequate at filling up his "love tank" lately and wonder if you have any thoughts/advice.