Frustration....

I posted a while ago about Kai screaming when he goes to bed. He goes upstairs willingly, brushes his teeth, uses the potty, goes to CJ's room for devotions and prayers and then walks back to his room. This is where it gets interesting....if anyone else puts him to bed because I'm not home, he goes happily, saying Goodnight to whomever it may be putting him down.....if it's me putting him to bed it's another story!

He always says, I can scream if I have a big booger! Yes, Kai you can call out to mommy if you have a big booger and need a Kleenex. I answer a dozen questions, etc. trying to keep him calm so that I can walk out of the room in peace. However, once I close the door and get to the bottom of the stairs (which only consists of 4 steps), the screaming begins. "Mommy!" "Mommy!" "MOMMY!" "MOMMY!" (getting louder and more upset with each Mommy!)

This will continue until I go back up to his room, I've tried everything. I've tried ignoring it, but he just gets more and more upset. I've tried bribing him, you go to bed without fussing, tomorrow you can get a donut at Tim's, have an ice cream, etc., trying to think of whatever might work.....but to no avail! There have been nights Greg has gone up and told Kai mommy left to go to a meeting (basically lying saying I'm not home) and he stops, but you can only use that excuse for so long too before he figures out that I don't go out EVERY night of the week.

I've always said Kai has this love/hate thing with me (and I don't really mean hate). But he is perfectly compliant and everything if I'm not around. But as soon as I'm home he won't do anything unless I go with him. I can't go to another room without him following me. But at the same time if I ask him to do anything he won't, he fights me tooth and nail! So I don't know why I expect bedtime to be any different, other than that bedtime never use to be a problem.

I'm open to suggestions, thoughts, words of advice.......I'm really beginning to dread bedtime!