Struggling

Garrett & I are just struggling to get along right now. I don't know if our personalities are just too close, or what, but we are constantly fighting right now. It is wearing me out! He is extremely defiant and just plain ornery. He doesn't want to do anything I suggest and if we don't do what he wants, he's started to throw these fits. Now, he's 4, I thought we were well beyond this stage, so I'm not sure what to think. He whines constantly and it drives me nuts! I am trying really hard to limit the amount of tv he watches, but the first thing he asks for when he wakes up is to watch Dinosaur Train or Dino Dan. The rule is he can't watch any until we eat breakfast and Payton is awake, so his immediate reply is he's hungry and thinks we should wake Payton. Garrett wakes between 6:30 & 7, Payton not until 8, so he does have to wait a while. The second rule is he can only watch one show, then it's either time to get ready for school, or to go outside and play. This now results in a total meltdown, often with time outs, spankings, or being put in his room for being SO bad. Then, he's usually fine for a while, he either plays nicely for a while or is at school. After school is another fight, he rarely eats his lunch, so he's terribly irritable when I pick him up. I try so hard to be patient and understand that he's hungry and tired, but within the 7 minute ride home he whines and cries so much, I've almost lost it when we walk in the door. Some days it's a fight getting him to go to the bathroom, some days it's just a fight getting him to lay down. Once he's in bed, he relaxes and we read and sing songs, some days this goes fine, other days he throws a fit and wants to read more then 2 books. Then I breathe a huge sigh of relief once he's asleep. I literally start tensing up when I know i need to wake him, the whining starts IMMEDIATELY. Some days we have to eat and get out the door for tball, other nights, like yesterday, I let him lay on the couch and watch one show, just so he can wake up.

I really don't know how to handle this new behavior, it's going to be a long summer if we can't come to some understanding about the tv, and what's acceptable behavior!

He was so bad after tball on Tuesday, he was spanked twice just to get him to leave the park, he cried all the way to the car and all the way home, I made him go to bed right after we got home. It was barely 7:30! Yesterday, he behaved pretty well, today has been horrible! I dropped him off at the shop around 9:15, I needed a break and maybe Matt can talk some sense into him.

I just hope whatever "phase" this is passes soon!!