After last week two men in my life (Hubs and Brother) suggested that my this segment should be spelled "t-w-o-s-day" instead of how I had it. So, there you go guys ... Terrible Twosday.
I have a concern about continuing with Terrible Twosday - I really hope that moms who read these posts do not think I know it all when it comes to Terrible Twos. I don't by any means. I am sure I will learn even more when Alex goes through them. In fact, I will put it out there that the terrible twos I deal with are nothing in comparison to some. It is my hope that with these weekly posts I am encouraging you as a mom and uplifting as you venture through the "terrible twos". If you are a mom that has not hit the terrible two's yet, I am hoping that some of these tips help you along the way.
Onto Twoday's installment is going to be a little different, mainly because not much has happened over the last 7 days. It could be because I am trying to pinpoint triggers (something that will set off an episode)
Here are the triggers I have found for Little Miss:
- Just waking up from nap.
- Having to stop something that is fun.
- Leaving somewhere other than home.
- Bedtime when nap went too long.
- Being told no.
- 4pm to 5pm.
- Not getting what she wants.
- Being woke up early.
We have tried many things to combat the triggers causing full blown meltdowns. Most times there is just no way around this. We try to help her work through this the best we can, but we also stick to our guns when we have to.
To a recent trip to Target Kaitlyn wanted to look at the toys. Seeing that she had been being good she was able to get out of the cart and look at the toys. When it was time to leave she was told to come with us. She crossed her arms and just stood there in the aisle. I picked her up and put her in the cart resulting in screaming. Keith looked at her and told her, "You didn't do what Mommy asked you to do. Now you need to sit there. If you stop crying and calm down you will be able to get out. But you have to calm down first." She finally calmed down and decided to listen again. She would much rather walk than ride.
One of our more recent bedtime meltdowns happened because I was not feeling well and we did not go to church on Sunday. At bedtime Kaitlyn is just crying. I go up and talk to her to find out what is wrong. She wanted to play. I told her it was bedtime and we can play tomorrow. She then said, "Zoe" sob "cars" breath "Mommy play too." Okay, so knowing Kaitlyn she wanted to go to church - where she plays with Zoe and cars. I told her we could not go to church tomorrow, but I would call Zoe's mommy and we would set up a time to play. That didn't stop the crying though. Then I said to her, "Kaitlyn, Zoe is in bed so you can't play with her right now." "Zoe bed too?" "Yes honey." "Play tomorrow?" "Yes, we will play tomorrow."
How do you/did you make it through this wonderful time in your toddler's life?
Diet Pepsi in a wine glass ... that is how I roll.
We've had days like this too. My second daughter is in her twos now and I'm not sure it gets any easier (or different). Understanding helps, as when you talked to your daughter at bedtime about not being able to play with her friend; if she knows that you understand why she's upset, it helps her calm down (and find a solution). Sometimes just laying out the rules is required, as in the shopping incident. Choices are good; you can do this or this. They get to choose between two things you approve (like walking or riding), so they feel like they have some control. :)
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