Step 2. Immediately upon returning from Disneyland, put him into a week-long VBS program where he gets dropped off for 3 hours every day without his mommy and without knowing anyone.
Step 3. Take advantage of the no TV routine during the Disneyland trip and keep the TV off most of the day upon returning home.
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Apparently, this was all a little too much for our little guy. By Wednesday of the VBS week, it was as if they sent me home with a different little boy... tantrums, fits, "no no no!", escalating emotional outbursts over small things.... you name it, he did it. Saturday morning even brought some regression in his potty training (which has been great for months). It was emotionally and mentally draining and by Sunday evening I was getting pretty concerned.
What if this lasted forever?!?!
By Sunday, we pieced together that perhaps Noah was not prepared quite yet to be taken from mommy and put somewhere totally new for hours a time for an entire week. Especially following a week that was also totally off of routine. It was too much for his little head to handle and had stressed him out :(
So, after getting a much needed break on Monday with Jenny taking him the whole day, I decided to make Tuesday and Wednesday mommy/Noah days (as much as possible with a baby around). Tuesday my friend Erika came over and while she watched Faith, Noah and I played outside with his cars for a long time and then went to the park. I also let him watch a couple of his shows in the morning with his breakfast. Just with that little bit of time I noticed a slight change in his behavior.
Wednesday was a special day. In the morning he asked me "Mommy, can we sit on the couch and snuggle and watch a movie and be best friends?" How could I resist that? So we sat on the couch and watched three movies in a row! The Cat in the Hat, The Great Muppet Caper, and Chicken Little. I asked him if he didn't like being dropped off without mommy at the special church and he said no, he didn't like it.
It is Thursday today and Noah is back to his old self. He is still 3 and fights bedtimes, but other than that my sweet little guy is back and I couldn't be happier. As for preschool, we have decided that even though he CAN start at three years old, it doesn't mean to HAS to start then. This year I will join MOPS, I will create my own preschool-type learning environment, and we will try again next year, maybe.
Welcome back Noah.
