Jem, like many children, offer up some interesting takes on how things work. For instance:
"Bigger" means getting older and getting taller. This undoubtedly came from being told she was too little for certain rides at the amusement park, and that she could ride the roller coaster and such when she got bigger. She had a hard time understanding that people stop growing in height at a certain age, so she started showing a lot of fear about the concept of growing old. Tearfully fearful. She told us she didn't want to live past 14 (because 4 was when she was four years old her favorite number) because she didn't want to be a scary giant. She amended this to 34 when she realized that neither of her parents -- both older than 34 -- are scary giants.
"May" is a month. Getting her to say, "May I?" is a battle of wills. She has many special treats when she has dared doubt that Mommy is much more stubborn than she is on this.
She locks her focus on her beliefs and interests in the weirdest ways. She'll put a song on repeat while she sleeps. Bug complained yesterday that the "Never Play with Fire" song is now stuck in her head because Jem was playing it loudly enough for her to hear it in her room. (Awesome, that put it in my head. "Candles! Matches! Cigarette lighters, too! Charcoal bricks! Gasoline! And yes, the stovetop, too! Never play with fire! It can burn you bad! If that should ever happen, we'd all be so sad!") She has become downright hostile when I let Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" succumb to "Rumour Has It" because she'd happily listen to that one song all day. This is not a good thing when mister mrtl is around because mister mrtl HATES that song, in part because it's overplayed so much. When it comes on the radio as it often does, Jem pitches a fit when we turn it off or change the station.
Currently, Jem has zeroed in on the desire to be big enough to have a booster seat like Bug's. Strangely this is not in any way conflicting with her fear of getting taller. We've told her that she can't have a booster seat until she is 40 pounds. We've told her that she'll get bigger by eating her dinner (instead of picking a couple bites out when she doesn't like it, then pleading for a dessert or late snack because she's sooooooo hungry later) and getting sleep. Jem is a child with so much energy, it's very hard to exhaust her. She rarely naps, often got her name crossed off at preschool for fidgeting and making noise during rest time, and has a lot of difficulty shutting down at the end of the day. We've told her that we grow when we sleep, which some people seem to think I've made up as a ploy to get her to Go The Fuck To Sleep (PDF - out June 21, 2011!), but I'm not (see below).
Yesterday Jem weighed herself three different times. Her weight fluctuated up to 1.5 pounds, ending at 39. She was so devasted to weigh in this morning at 37 that she put on jammies instead of clothes and declared that she was going to go back to bed after we got back from taking Bug to the bus stop.
She didn't.
It's rest time right now. Her time started by blasting the radio. I was pretty sure she wasn't sleeping with the Black-eyed Peas blasting, but after a while it got very quiet up there. She just opened her door and called down to ask if it was time to come out yet. I told her it wasn't, that she should try to get some rest, "try to grow some!" She told me she did, but quickly countered with, "I'm going back to sleep!"
"Never Play with Fire" just started blasting.
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Copied from The Connection Between Sleep and Growth
Getting enough sleep is important for a young child for many reasons, from restoring energy to building brain connections — not to mention giving Mom and Dad a needed break. But science is showing that sleep also fuels physical growth.
The science of growing
Growth is a complex process that requires several hormones to stimulate various biological events in the blood, organs, muscles, and bones.
A protein hormone secreted by the pituitary gland called growth hormone (or "human growth hormone") is a key player in these events. Several factors affect its production, including nutrition, stress, and exercise. In young children, though, the most important factor is sleep.
Growth hormone is released throughout the day. But for kids, the most intense period of release is shortly after the beginning of deep sleep.
How much sleep do they need?
Kindergartners need about 10 to 12 1/2 hours of sleep per night (with naps declining and eventually disappearing around age 5), and older elementary age kids need 9 1/2 to 11 1/2 hours a night. Sleep needs are somewhat individual, with some kids requiring slightly less or more than their peers.
Without adequate sleep, growth problems — mainly slowed or stunted growth — can result. Growth hormone production can also be disrupted in kids with certain physical sleep problems, such as obstructive sleep apnea.
More than your child's height can be affected by a shortage of sleep. Some kids fail to produce enough growth hormone naturally, and a lack of sleep makes the problem worse. It can lead to a condition known as growth hormone deficiency that can affect heart or lung strength or immune system function. (It's treatable with a supplementary hormone.)
Kids who don't get enough sleep show other changes in the levels of hormones circulating in their body, too. Hormones that regulate hunger and appetite can be affected, causing a child to overeat and have a preference for high-calorie carbs. What's more, a shortage of sleep can affect the way the body metabolizes these foods, triggering insulin resistance, which is linked to type 2 diabetes.
A lack of sleep at night can also affect motor skills and concentration during the day, leading to more accidents and behavioral problems, and poor performance at school.
Ensuring a good night's sleep
Most kids need more sleep than their parents think.
Signs that your child may not be getting enough rest include crankiness or lethargy by day, difficulty concentrating in school or failing grades, and being hard to wake up in the morning.
To help your child get plenty of zzz's:
- Establish a consistent bedtime. School-age children should be in bed by 8 to 9 p.m. (earlier for the youngest grades and kids who need a lot of sleep).
- Set up a good bedtime routine, which helps signal to your child's body that it's time to wind down. This might include giving him a bath or a snack, reading a bedtime story, and talking or singing to him softly while tucking him in.
- Make sure your child's room is conducive to sleep. It should be dark and quiet.
- Don't keep a TV and computer in your child's room.
- Avoid stimulating activity before bedtime.
- Stick to the same timetable and routines for bedtime on weekends and vacations that you follow during the week. A variation once in a while won't cause long-term disruptions, but erratic bedtimes can lead to poor sleep habits and sleep deprivation.
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