All right, I'm asking for advice. Sal has discovered the art of the tantrum. This involves jello body so I can't pick her up, then kicking and screaming on the floor, or if I'm holding her, throwing her head back (sometimes into my face) and twisting and screaming until I put her on the floor. Sometimes I can understand why she's upset... teeth brushing, time to leave the park, not allowed to put goose poop in her mouth.... but other times I'm stumped. Here are just a few of the reasons why she threw tantrums last week:
-she asked for milk, but when I gave it to her she became incensed
-I put the milk away, her heart was broken
-I tried to help her put a shoe on, she was deeply offended
-I put her in her high chair because she was asking for lunch, this was not acceptable
-I took her out of her high chair because she was throwing food, thus causing the end of the world as we know it
Isn't this supposed to happen when they turn two?
7 comments:
oh, i hate the head in the face. so hard to stay patient when that happens.
is she sleeping well? i like to blame everything on poor sleep habits. much better than blaming it on myself.
unfortunately, i think 3 is worse than 2.
she's sleeping great. in fact, one of the worst tantrum times is right after she wakes up from a good sleep.
maybe she's just naturally grumpy.
I tried to think to myself, "self, what in the world would you do?" and my self answered "i have absolutely no idea"
i have just one suggestion. read "Love and Logic: Magic for Toddlers and Preschoolers." i got to the point with ben where i was feeding him his breakfast in the bathtub because a- he was distracted and i could sneak in a few bites, and b- if he threw it, spit it out or slapped it out of my hands it was so much easier to clean up. that's desperation my friend. love & logic saved my life- or ben's! see what you think! (if you can't get it at your library, i think maryirene owns it.)
welcome to my life. it's kind of fun to know you'll know what i am going through. sorry, though, it's hard! don't worry, you'll figure it out. i personally have found that it is once they hit 18 months that the change begins, not 2 years. It lasts at least until they are 3 1/2.
my advise, same as laura's.
read this book,
LOVE AND LOGIC MAGIC FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD: PRACTICAL PARENTING FROM BIRTH TO SIX YEARS. authors Jim Fay and Charles Fay
I really think you'll love it. don't try to do everything at once. pick one thing that you want to work on, ONE. when you've figured that out, try another. one step at a time. easier for you and easier for them. good luck. it's tricky, but possible!!
so, i'm just reading this again because we have tantrums all the time. i've heard a lot of good things about love and logic. i'll have to get it. you know you're a good mother when your husband gets you a book about parenting a strong-willed child for mother's day. (i doubt he'll bother to read it, he just wants me to fix the problems.) can't wait to see you guys again.
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