Overstimulating

Being a mother and working full time is a job in itself. When you throw in 3/4 time school, things get a bit tricky to manage. If I'm being honest, I haven't been 100% present in my child's life nor have I even been fully present at work due to juggling all three things at one time. We are managing, but not without caveat.
Being a 4 year old has its challenging moments. I remember being so tiny and not able to reach the counter to wash my hands and wishing I was taller. I also remember not understanding when I was told no but receiving no other explanation as to why. I remember crying for no reason except for the one that seemed fit to me at the time. That being said, I can understand life for my child is overwhelming since she will be starting school and leaving the only sitter she has ever known to care for her. Her parents do not live together anymore. She is leaving safety and entering something scary because she has yet to experience that. Safety to her is home and her room. Safety is my bed when she has a bad dream or her little routine of having her ipad in the morning and before bed.

Unfortunately, being introduced and overstimulated has caused some attitude issues that her tiny body can not hold in anymore. Terrible twos have nothing on stubborn Lilianna who does not get her way. Just like her momma with that temper.
I have been an ostrich to the issues lately due to wanting to focus on school but now that my schedule is back to normal I am seeing these outbursts and trying to fully understand the reason for them. She's scared. She constantly talks about leaving her only friends and having to make new ones. Kids are so much like little adults it's scary. I see her resorting to her ipad to keep her company since mom can't be present. She has a whole world of information clouding her mind instead of being able to just focus on her toys in her room.
Noticing all of this I decided this week to take the ipad away and limit her to just our living room TV to watch shows on. We got a new (to us) trampoline and I enacted exercise/play time. For every hour of TV or video games she must participate in two hours of play time/exercise. The attitude just this week has gotten better. She is remembering her manners and is really enjoying time with mom. I'm not saying this has fixed her completely but at least we have started on it.

 Kids are definitely overstimulated these days with all of the technology. It's time to dial down the fast paced learning and go back to old school learning by playing and exploring. More parents need to realize the damage these ipads and game systems can cause when they don't set limits. I commend you moms out there going through this stage of life with your kids. Throw some suggestions my way as well please because we are trying as best as we can to figure this weird stage out.

Wish us luck!
-Frazzled momma S.