Tuesday, 28 August 2012

The Dreaded Toddler Years

My boy at a happier moment!
Master A turns 2 next month. I'm having mixed emotions with that, torn between being proud of my big boy growing up, and sad that I'm losing my baby. Something that comes along with the toddler years?

The terrible 2s.

Unfortunately, we have already entered this phase, and I am already tearing my hair out over it! Master A started hitting a couple of months ago, and I was silly enough to think that he had grown out of it. Now that I'm older and wiser, I think he was just holding off to unleash it with the rest of the tantrum and sooking.

Ugh the sooking! You know the noise I mean. The real high pitched whine when you aren't doing what he actually wants you to be doing. Like pouring him breakfast instead of putting on his favorite TV show.

Mummy trying to calm the monster with some Hi5
The tantrums come along when I stop him from doing something. "No Kiddo, you CAN'T smack your toys on the wall". The tantrums seem so much more extreme now too! We have toys launched, stomping, limp bodies, screaming and tears, and lately Master A's started hitting himself in the head. All this because he's not allowed to pull the plates and bowls out of the cupboard.

Being that we have major renovations going on at home, he's been bored and put out of his comfort zone (as we all have) so the tantrums and whining have been much more frequent. Some days I swear all I hear is high pitched noises and toys being thrown on the floor!

Gone are the days when he used to listen and do what he was told. Taking him out in public is just not an option anymore. If I do take him out, he is strapped into his pram, and I use all manner of bribery to keep him quiet! I envy my friends with children the same age who are able to walk their toddler quietly into the shops and have them stand by their side the whole trip! It just seems so unfair!

Do you have a child who went through the terrible 2s?
How did you keep your sanity?


It's Tuesday so I'm linking up with Jess at Diary of a SAHM for IBOT!

14 comments:

  1. Yes and she didn't come out of it until she was 4. I didn't keep my sanity :) Much better now that they are 6 & 8. It was totally worth it. Rachel x

    #teamIBOT was here

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    1. Oh no, 4?! That is so not what I wanted to hear!
      Chrissie xx

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  2. I hear you!! I had to have a quiet word with my nearly 3 year old this morning about "sometimes doing things others want to do that you might not want to". We'd been to the playground, I went down the slide at least 87 times at her request, fed the ducks, bought her a biscuit from the bakery and sat to watch "diggers" in action for 15 minutes. She then threw a mega-tanty because I wanted to grab a quick take away coffee on the way home!!! If only I could throw a mega-tanty when I didn't want to do something (like go down the bleeping slide...)

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    1. Oh I know, I'm so over tantrums in public! Especially because I want to do something he doesn't want to. I just wish I knew whether he understood what I was saying to him!
      Chrissie xx

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  3. To be honest, I always found the threes worse than the twos!
    Have you tried structuring his activities during the day? Sometime the freedom of choosing what they will do and when, makes little people feel like they are in fact the boss.
    Also, your comment on sooking? I first read that as smoking and thought 'wow she does have problems!!!" ;)

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    1. At the moment structure is hard, because of renos going on. We are limited for space. I have tried to keep certain things the same. We still go for our walk after lunch and night routines are the same. I predict once Gran goes back to work next week it will all turn upside down again as he's so used to having her here now!
      Chrissie xx

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  4. We are in the 3's at the moment and I am definitely not liking them compared to the 2's. We've had sleep dodging and tantrums galore. I haven't kept my sanity in any way shape or form :/

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    1. Uh-oh, looking like 3s are going to be something I'm going to have to drink my way through ;)
      Chrissie xx

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  5. so feel for you. We have been through it and now we are in the teenage years....which i think is like the 2 year old toddler years!
    Talk about hormones over drive, he is 13 but some days you could easily say he is 2!
    At least with toddler years you know where he is, where he will have the tantrum and know that you are with him safely at home. I reckon that they all should skip the terrible twos, and skip teenage years!
    they are so cute any other time.

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    1. Oh I am dreading when this kid's a teen, he's going to be a nightmare, I can already see it! Especially if he's anything like his mum! Good luck!
      Chrissie xx

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  6. We're in the terrible two's too!!! Sometimes I enjoy seeing other children have tantrums when we're out and about..... because I know I'm not alone! Lucky your munchkin is so adorable :)

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    1. I don't see a lot of tantrums from other children. Most of my friend's children are so well behaved in public, then you have my rascal!
      Chrissie xx

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  7. Yep terrible 2's over here too! He chucks almighty's, screams and shrieks, throws himself on the floor, smacks his head deliberately onto the hard floor, tiles, concrete - you name it he's done it. I do agree that the 3's are just as bad if not worse cause they know right from wrong.
    Good luck hun, when u find the secret to taming toddlers, PLEASE let me know, I've been looking long and hard with no such luck :)

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    1. Master A went through a stage of hitting his head on the concrete floor. It thankfully has stopped... for now!
      I'm trying to learn to choose my battles. Harder than it sounds!
      Chrissie xx

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