I am so at a loss of how to deal w/ Caleb lately.  He’s been so mean and rude to us.  he’s a perfect angel at schoool and he only treats Dean and I badly, and now sometimes Bo as well.   This morning was horrible!  We had to wake him up since due to an early morning phone call Dean accidentily turned off the alarm so he didnt wake up til it was time to leave so we had to get Caleb up and rush to get ready.  The first fight was over what he wanted to wear, I told him to pick out a shirt but of course he wanted the shirt he wore already yesterday and didnt understand why he couldnt wear it again.   Then he wouldnt get ready, it was a mess. I know kids dont like to get ready for school but this is about everything. we usually dont have morning issues, usually he’s mean and rude in the afternoon/evenings.   He tells us we are mean and that he hates us; sometimes he says I dont care in response to our telling him why he can or cant do something.   It’s getting really bad and I dont have the energy or patience to deal with it.  We’ve tried putting soap in his mouth when he says mean things but he doesnt care.  A friend said after she did that once to her kids they never had a problem again, nope not our kid, he thinks its a joke.   Dean has threatened hot sauce next time and that scares him but I dont know if it will really make a difference.  I hate to use either measure because I dont think it’s right but I dont know what else to do.   It’s not like he sees/hears Dean and I being mean to one another.    So I’m not sure where he’s picked it up from but it’s not going well.

When it first started I assumed it was because he’d come home from school and nap and then be grouchy when he’d wake up. So we stopped giving him a nap, but still at that same time of day he’s horribly mean and grouchy.  So not sure if it was needing the sleep and being woken up that made him grouchy before and now he’s grouchy because he’s so tired because he needs a nap?? I just dont know.    I”m sure he was tired this morning because we had to wake him up and he’s always grouchy after being woken up, just like his daddy!  But I dont know how else to manage this; I might make him nap today just because I’m so tired but Bo’s been napping before Caleb gets home so that would mean I’d have to get Caleb to sleep while Bo stays up and I’m sure that wont go over well.  Plus it’s friday so it doesnt really matter if he’s tired since we tend to let him stay up and he doesnt have school tomorrow.  I just dont know what to do anymore with him.  He used to be a loving little boy who always said nice things, and he is that boy everywhere but at home with us.  Dont know if it is part of him dealing with adjusting to Bo being big enough to play with his things and take our time or what but it’s getting old and I just cant handle much more this week.   I admit I was grouchy and mean with him this morning which didnt help but I didnt want to wake up either…it’s a cycle I’m sure and my fatigue and pain isnt helping me cope with it very well.