Crocodile Tears...

At around 11pm last night, Leo awoke with a distressed cry. I went straight through to him and offered him his Milk, to which he instantly turned up his nose. With this failed attempt under my belt, I brought him into the bedroom where Daddy was busily typing away on the laptop. You see Luke has just started his very own blog!

Leo continued to cry, and no matter how I re-assured him...nothing worked. We are currently battling of yet another cold. Leo slowly came around after refusing to go back to bed and decided he would like to play with Daddy's iPad. It was all fine until Leo managed to flip the iPad onto it's back, hiding the screen and all the pretty lights from view. This caused one major temper tantrum until I managed to put the world to rights again, and turned the iPad the right way up again.

Luke commented on his temper tantrum and how we need to nip this in the bottom before it becomes a common occurrence. I think at this moment in time, he is too young to understand and it is only natural for him to voice himself in this way, as he has no other way of telling us he is un-happy. This is something that will come with discipline as he grows up and learns to tell us how he feels in other ways. 

I passed Leo over to Luke and it was not long before Leo was passed back to me. I asked as to why Leo was suddenly back on my lap and I was met with the response 'he's crying and wants you'. However Leo continued to cry even while he was with me, I passed Leo back to Luke and explained that it did not matter whether or not he cried with me or cried with him, sometimes he will cry no matter who he is with.

I asked Luke if he would give Leo his Milk and attempt putting him back to bed, and I was met with the same response 'he is crying and wants you'. It's like it is a brick wall that Luke sometimes hits, and is scared to let Leo cry. Luke is just as capable at getting Leo to settle as me, but often seems worried that Leo won't play along like he should.

Leo did get himself worked up last night, but I think it is important that Luke gets chance to put Leo to bed, and it is very important that Leo let's him. Babies cry and sometimes they do it just because they can, but whether he cries with Mummy or Daddy, it makes no difference. As long as Leo is safe and well, what are a few crocodile tears?

Leo finally went back down to bed an hour later, it took 2 episodes of 'In the Night Garden...' lot's of cuddles and a bottle of Milk. I tucked him back up into bed and turned on his light show. He cried for all of Two minutes and then drifted straight back off to the land of nodd. Completely un-aware that all his crocodile tears had made Daddy think that he could not put him back to bed on his own. That Leo needed his Mummy, but really...It did not matter who settled him, as long as he was settled.

It made me wonder how your other half's react when your little one just feels like a good cry? Do they think that it automatically means that they want you, and Daddy cuddles wont do? Or do they persist and save the day?

Laura

xx