She’s always been one to err on the side of drama…. 😉 But it does seem to suddenly be increasing in frequency; more of a constant, underlying thing instead of “a bad day.”
As far as “new-ness” goes, this is her first year homeschooling, so I know that’s been a HUGE shift for her; she’s my social butterfly and I’ve had to try really hard to keep her up with her friends some. We also have a new-ish baby in the house, although at almost one year old, that’s not all that “new;” it was very unexpected, though, so it’s definitely been an adjustment. (This did turn her into the middle child. I don’t know if that has any relevance on the situation or not?)
I’ve also wondered about the weather. We’ve had such a string of awful, bitter cold; we’ve really been inside abnormally much and she’s my “gardening girl.” I wonder if it’s just the time of year that’s triggering it so badly.
So far, all I’ve really been able to do is respond in my calmest tone possible. “I’m not yelling at you; why are you yelling at me? I’m sorry you’re so upset about this….is there a way I can help?” She loves to drag me into a weird give-and-take; I think the theory is “bad attention is better than no attention” and the worst thing for her is when I finally say “let me know when you feel better” or “let me know when I can help” and walk away.
Thanks for bumping this! Yesterday was a MUCH better day, but one day doesn’t do much to really improve a habit…. 🙂