And so it begins. THE TANTRUM.
Small protests at first, barely audible. A quick grunt. A raised shoulder in tiny defiance. A shoved pea which totters and falls off the plate. The refusal to look at another human in the eye. The escalation is slow. Calm demands: “More food. No more food. More food.” A body twist to get as far away from the food as possible. “Agua. No agua. Agua.” A flick of the wrist sends the sippy cup flying. I know my attempts to disarm the building tension are futile. This second child is always determined to have the last word. I grab the wash cloth, hoping to persuade him that playing before bath time will be fun. This, of course, is all it takes to break the dam. GIbberish among screams of NONONONONonononononono fill the air as arms flail, searching for anything with which to come into contact. My calm voice and reminders about how to touch other humans go unnoticed. I can see the tired in his eyes, feel him teetering on the edge. I reach for him, and he spins out of control. He is a whirling dervish in my arms, dangerously close to falling, a force to be reckoned with. My voice turns stern, even though I know it is useless. This is an exhaustion tantrum, and we’ve passed the point of no return. He writhes through his clothes being removed, screams through his bath, hits through lotion, and tries to fling himself to the floor through PJs. The tears are streaming down his face, and his voice is hoarse. I wrap my arms around his trembling body, dim the lights, and sit in the glider. He shudders, sucks in a ragged breath, and wipes his eyes. “Book?” he asks, as if the past 20 minutes belong to someone else. This is two.
5 Comments
Rebecca
3/7/2020 10:17:34 am
I don’t have children of my own, but I used to work at a daycare where I taught in the 14mo-2year classroom. It must be so frustrating to be 2. So many thoughts, a lot of feelings, no way to know how to express them in a socially acceptable manner.
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ADRIENNE GILLESPIE
3/7/2020 10:45:23 am
I had no children, but spent a lot of time with nieces and nephews. It always amazes me how they can turn from screaming meanie into a sweet, cuddle muffin within seconds. I wish we knew what was going on in their heads.
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3/7/2020 04:20:34 pm
Whew! That was a terrific moment by moment account and it took me back [many years] to meltdowns. Little ones just fold up shop when they are done. You were quite patient and observant through the incident and you wrote it very well.
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Cassie
3/7/2020 07:35:54 pm
Oh 2... I do not miss you... And 3... I won't miss you either. I actually say that but truly I will miss a lot about those ages- just not those stubborn tantrums. Hang in there! We got this!
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Sara T.
3/10/2020 03:34:32 pm
Oh this post hit home! Whenever my youngest is having one of these tantrums I feel so responsible that it's probably due to exhaustion and she has no idea how/why she is spiraling, but I should have intervened in some way earlier.
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