What stage is it today?

Ever since DOM turned 3, she's been maturing by leaps and bounds. But I think this new maturity is freaking her out - because it certainly is freaking ME out - and causing her to act out in ways that I didn't think possible in someone not yet a teenager. Thankfully, she hasn't stormed out of the house and driven my car into a tree, but that may be on her agenda for next week.

First up - the why stage. Every question, request, comment, observation, and order was met by the "why" question. Answers were met by the "why" question. Things that don't necessarily lend themselves to the "why" question were met by it. It's cute...the first 20 or 30 times. After that, I had to start resorting to the old parenting standby, "Because I said so."

This past two weeks, we've been in the fighting bedtime stage. Now, DOM was not a good sleeper the first year of her life - in fact, she didn't sleep through the night until she was 8 months old. The only way I could put her down was to feed her and hold her and rock her until she was just about asleep, and then try to gently lay her down in her crib without waking her up and get the hell out of her room. Once she turned about a year, she became a champion sleeper - put her in her crib and she would play for a bit and then fall asleep. She even did well when we transitioned her to a "big girl" bed. But now...every night is a battle. So, Mr. MOM and I have worked our way through the various parenting book recommendations. Go in and comfort her? Didn't work. Let her cry it out? Man, that child has stamina. Take away privileges? Left no impression. Take away stuffed animals? That led us back to the cry it out thing. Put up a sticker chart for a reward system? She lost her sticker the first night. We're at the end of our rope, and she's exhausted because she's not going to sleep until 9:30 or 10:00.

My only comfort is knowing that this, like all other things I never thought would end (*cough*potty training*cough*), is probably only a stage. But, frankly, I'm a little afraid to find out what she has in store for us next.