Thanks to you!

Thank you to all who posted a comment on my problem with Mckenna's inner anxiety issue. I thought I would update you on her progress. First things first; what I learned. The first thing that I have learned is that when young children are having turmoils (unless it is abuse) it happens to be a spin off of the parents emotions. For the past three months I have been experiencing an overload of emotion, anxiety and stress. I thought I was hiding this fact very well, but alas, my children picked up on it and experienced their own similar emotions. The second thing I learned was that when we think children don't understand what is going on; we are wrong. Children are very smart and they either learn how to take advantage of you or they display an outward showing of fear hidden as an action. (ex. hiding things, overeating, etc.) I came to this realization (with some help) 2 Sundays before we moved. I was overtired, I was on the brink of a major breakdown and I (sadly to say) was not a very good mom. I was trying to cope myself and was not realizing that my children were hurting too. I cry just thinking about what I had been reduced too. Constant frustration , yelling and a lack of patience. There was no positive validation for my children. As you can guess Mckenna displayed her emotion through the actions I have discussed and Josh was more clingy. To make a long story short, upon my realization that this was happening I cried and couldn't believe it. That very next day our life changed. Dave would work at the house and I got to play with the kids. Each day he would work and I would play. Let me just say that I was amazed at how fast her anxieties went away. She stopped overeating and stopped hiding things. We are still working on the biting the fingernails but I think that may be an age thing too. Anyway, thanks to everyone for your support, love and concern.