Parenting on Purpose

It was a heart-wrenching wail which permeated the stillness of the night.  And the accompanying cry was no less disturbing, an appeal which persisted for no less than half an hour. "I don't want the light off!" Yes, it was time to sleep, and our 3-year-old foster son was throwing a tantrum once again and refusing to sleep.  This incident took place about a month ago, and it was the first in a series of nightly tantrums, each persisting for seemingly innocuous reasons; the day after it was "I don't want the giraffe water bottle!", which was followed by "I don't want the apple!" and then, when all else seemed to fail, it became "It is not nighttime!" Little K on one of his earlier outings with the family. The twin boys were then amused to be given twin bananas! Sometimes we feel we're fighting a battle.  As a history student I will always remember the trenches of World War One where the British and German forces fought hand to hand ...