Terrible Two's...Temper Tantrum Three's!!

Meltdowns in public are never good, especially if they involve your child.

When I see meltdowns of little ones, my heart immediately goes out the parent while I thank my lucky stars that it’s not my kid causing the scene.

Miss Sassy

I actually live in fear of the meltdown. I would like to think that I am a tough parent, but in all honesty, when I see the hints of a temper tantrum outside of my home (stomping feet, frown, furrowed brow, clenched fists) I will do almost anything necessary to avoid it.

And that means give in.

I am proud to say that the other night, while at dinner at a restaurant, Stella tried to use the threat of a meltdown. To make a long story short, she was given a balloon, didn’t listen, and up to the ceiling it went. She was sad, so we told her we would get her another when we finished dinner — if she was patient. She wasn’t patient. So she didn’t get a balloon.

Meltdown.

And I held my ground. Even though hubby took 9-month-old Carter and made a bee line for the front door, I stayed in the middle of the restaurant and help my ground. Through the tears, screaming, apologetic looks from the diners, and all.

Stella cried all the way to the car and the 10-minute car ride home. Mommy held her ground.

Of course, as they all do, Stella finally calmed down. Later that night, feeling guilty but proud, I told Stella that I was sorry that she had been sad and disappointed about the balloon. She told me that it was okay and that next time, she was just going to listen.

Score one for Mommy.

Mommy Needs a Meltdown

Why can’t I have a meltdown?

This is something I often wonder when I watch Stella, who is almost 3 years old, emotionally crumble when something doesn’t go her way.
 The "terrible twos" stage continues. The other day I watched her sob uncontrollably in a hunched over position after she learned that there were only orange popsicles left in the freezer.

Sometimes I want to hunch over and sob uncontrollably over things. Times in our household are not easy since we closed our retail store down at the end of last year. This has hit our pocketbooks, and our savings, which meant to supplement my income during child care leave, is dwindling away faster than we hoped.

Why can’t I just have one little meltdown?

My Meltdown Prevention Program -
finishing a half marathon last Sunday

In a world where being emotionally stable is a must, I wonder how others get through the tough times. As a parent, it is so important to model emotions in a healthy way. We need to teach our children how to be resilient and handle disappointment and frustration with a grain of salt. But sometimes, don’t we just want to scream at the top of our lungs?

I rarely cry. I keep it inside and let it build up until it eventually explodes. It maybe explodes once a year. Since our store has closed, perhaps a little more frequently.

Parents are supposed to be the “strong ones” and that just makes it even more important for us to have an outlet. Something we can do or someplace we can go to let it all out.

For me it is running. The one thing I can do on my own, in silence, alone with my thoughts. We all need a place like that. It keeps me from going into meltdown mode … most of the time.

Temper Tantrums Terror

When it rains it pours. Stella was sick all last week. Apparently she had another mysterious virus that did nothing but cause her to have a high fever all week. Keeping her home allowed her to be better by yesterday, but another damage had been done.

I don't know how many of you have your child in a day care, school, etc., but I have noticed the longer she stays home with mommy and daddy, the more unruly she gets.

A few weeks ago, unruly simply meant that she took longer to follow directions, turned her selective on a little more often, gave me a little more sass than normal. Whether it be for vacation or illness, the time spent at home seemed to make Stella slightly off.

Stella being off now is a whole other story. Somehow the "terrible twos" has crept up on us like a tornado. The last two days has been spent with screaming, shouting, kicking, and hitting. I am well aware that Stella still doesn't feel completely back to normal but I want to know where my little angel went.

As if being home with a sick child wasn't hard enough, the hubby and I both now have the flu. Our patience is a little thin and these temper tantrums have really put us to the test.

Aside from putting Stella in a "time out" spot, I can't figure out what else to do. This morning she woke up throwing a nice little fit that lasted 45 min. I read that when I child is sick, teaching them behavior best be put on hold, but I just can't take it. It is ridiculous. And apparently normal.

What are the tricks? Am I doing the right thing my making her sit until she calms down? Is this simply from being away from her normal routine or is this the start of a long few months?

I need help and fast. I about to go bald from pulling my hair out.

Where, oh where, has my little angel gone?

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