Tired – the real signs!

Lacking sleep – yikes we’ve got a monster in the house!
​
Yesterday morning Zak(6 yrs) erupted out of his room like some tormented demon! He crashed into Callum’s room before 7am, and proceeded to enrage Callum. “Mummy hug” were shouted from the room as I drowsily became aware of the human volcano exploding in the room next door. Lots of crashing, and shrieking, and finally after much yelling on my behalf, Zak let Callum out of his room to come running to the safety of his mother. Zak chased him down the hallway shouting and screaming as he ran (I could almost see the black clouds with lightening flashing out them over his head), and I breathed a sigh of exhaustion, and the day had only started! I then proceeded to go and get Callum dressed after repeatedly telling Zak to do the same which he ignored and continued roaring around the house. As I entered Callum’s room I was hit with the results of a storm as the spare bed was disheveled; toys were all over Callum’s bed, and the coverings on the chair were sprawled around the room. The contents of a big black rubbish bag full of unwanted stuff to give away was strewn around the room, and books covered the floor from the bookshelf. Zak was told to come and clean up the mess but after several screeches, tears and an inability to even stay in one spot was evident, I finished dressing Callum and headed for the kitchen. Breakfast was full of tears and moaning, pouting and general fussing. Bryce commented that it was going to be a loooong day! Which it was! Fortunately Zak realised that fussing and whining was giving him a headache, and settled into his schoolwork and spent the rest of the day doing jobs to earn the points he had accummulated off the behaviour chart from the mornings tantruming and misdemeanors. I found out that he had chosen to go to sleep after 8pm,(although who really knows what time he did actually go to sleep if he was awake to know what the time was!) even though he had been put to bed really early at 6:30pm for obnoxious behaviour. Callum spent most of his day avoiding Zak by being outside, as he didn’t want to be the object that was kicked and shoved like other things in the house were. I felt absolutely frazzled by the end of the day, and we were all happy to put the yawning monster to bed, hoping the angel would emerge the next morning!
Summary of my tired monster:

• controlling
• inconsiderate
• grumpy
• couldn’t concentrate
• cried easily
• defiant
• destructive
• angry/aggressive
• selfish
• unreasonable
• irrational
• reactive (nuclear!!!)
• blamed everyone else for his problems

Well rested – the angel returns!
Zak must have gone straight to sleep when put to bed at 7pm as here is the difference. He woke up at 7am, read some books, got dressed, set the table, including putting the food out and rinsing apples. He waited until I was awake (7:45am – Callum hadn’t been angelic and woke up three times in the night) then came in to say what he had done. I hadn’t even heard him get up and get dressed. Three smily faces were put on his behaviour chart, then he helped me prepare the rest of the breakfast, then went and got Callum up without any screeching, made my bed, helped Callum up to the table, bibbed Callum up, and waited patiently while breakfast was dished out – both kids smiling and singing in the interim. Zak then proceeded to get his schoolwork done without being asked, and subsequently went into town with his Dad and Callum, and acted like a star the whole time. Who would have thought that sleep could have made such a difference!
Summary of rested angel:

• considerate
• helpful
• thoughtful
• on task
• pleasant to be around
• kind
• compliant
• focused on making other people happy
• happy
• affectionate
• sharing

---