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Friday, August 19, 2011

It Has Begun


Lily has started a new phase.

I think they call it "toddler-hood".

"The average toddler melts down every 20 minutes.  So if something ugly happens, remember: It's not just you."

When I first read this in a magazine I laughed to myself.  "They *must* be exaggerating" thought I.  "It can't *possibly* be that bad." 

Not laughing anymore.  (But you experienced toddler mommies can feel free to have a good chuckle on my behalf... Silly Jessica.  You should have known this was coming!) 

Whoever coined the phrases "don't make a mountain out of a molehill" and "don't cry over spilled milk" were probably toddler mommies.  The things that send her into meltdown mode these days baffle me. 

Sometimes Jesse and I just watch her and laugh... is she *really* screaming and crying like the world is ending because she tripped a little bit and stubbed her toe?  Or because I told her it's time to go potty?  Or don't touch the knob for the stove?  Or take your finger out of your sister's mouth? 

Yes, yes she is. 

The hardest part for me lately is being patient enough to ignore the meltdowns.  Because usually there's nothing I can do about them (and some times I refuse to do anything about them - like when the cause is that I told her "no you can't sit on your sister's head", etc.) so I just have to wait it out.  But man is it easy to get angry with her.  I want to sit her down and explain to her how illogical it is to be so dramatic over something so small. 

And then I remember all I know about toddlers (how difficult it must feel to be going through such a crazy transition from fully dependent to somewhat independent) and I take a deep breath and smile.  Or cuddle her.  Or ignore her.  Whatever the situation demands.

I also remember how irrational and "meltdown prone" I myself can be :o)  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree... and seeing her overreactions are very eye-opening for me.  "Oh my gosh I bet I kind of look like this sometimes." 

Poor Jesse.  Poor, poor Jesse :o)

But back to Lily.  I love her so much it hurts sometimes.  And she drives me crazy.  Sometimes we're buds.  Sometimes she's my arch-nemesis.  Sometimes she's my shadow.  Sometimes she's playing quietly in the corner of the kitchen by herself.  Sometimes she's smooching Sam's head.  Sometimes she's trying to sit on Sam's head. 

Ah, toddler-hood.  I can't say I'm quite ready for ya, but I don't really have a choice, do I?  Onward we plunge!

5 comments:

  1. Welcome to the club!! Titus hasn't reached the melt-down every 20 minutes yet but it happens a lot. Especially when he is told "no." Has Lily started to need the love of discipline yet?

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  2. Yes, Yes ,Yes the apple does not fall far... but I even loved those moments with you.

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  3. I just step right over Giovanna. When she gets a little older you can reason a little more. When G turned about 2 I was able to send her to time out. Not for a punishment, though, but rather to just have some me time to settle down. We have "bad girl time out" on the stair and we have "settle down time out" in her bedroom. When she gets melting down and screaming we send her to her bedroom. Usually she's good after just a couple minutes. Until then, never underestimate the power of stepping over a writhing, screaming mound of little girl with a smile on your face...even when you might not want to do that.

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  4. Yeah it all depends on the situation for us. Most of the time she gets ignored :o) When she's a little older I'll be training her that it's not acceptable to scream and cry because Momma told you no... but for now I just let her deal with it in her own (meltdown) way :o)

    T - she's a relatively meek and introverted kid so she doesn't get into too many situations that require spankings, yet. She obeys pretty well when we use our "Momma/Daddy mean business" voice ;o) For now.

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  5. Hug, hug, hug, hug, hug, hug, hug, hug, hug as often and as hard as you can!
    XXXX0000

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