A little over two weeks of higher stress due to the holidays and a change in family schedule (now that I'm working from home), and yes, it's definitely what Rosie's struggling with. She had a hard time meeting my gaze for even a fraction of a second and couldn't tolerate frustration at all, blowing up (melting down?) at the least stress.
But yesterday, (after staying up for New Year's eve and, typically, having difficulty with the presence of guests and the change in routine) I noticed a shift - she became calmer, more communicative, more focused, and was able to meet my gaze clearly and for a long period. She even quoted the school psychologist to her cousin, who was having a tantrum, telling her that it was nicer to face someone and look at them when talking.
Today, she was able to meet my gaze entirely WITHOUT looking away - at all! This took place, however, as she was being reprimanded for pinching me hard as I was giving her a hug - something also completely unprecedented.
I'm a bit shocked - she's never done anything remotely like that that I'm aware of. She wasn't able (or willing?) to tell me what prompted the impulse, wasn't inclined to be sorry about it, and when I was trying to get to the bottom of it, held my gaze with a mean expression. I was slightly inclined to get lost in the wonder of looking her in the eye and feeling connected, but that's my issue, not hers, hah. I told her I wasn't about to tolerate that kind of behavior, and got a clear, if snippy, acknowledgement that she understood me. Not a good development. I am going to try to get to the bottom of what's going on... help her sort out what she might be angry about.
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