Toddler Tantrum

God Help Me

The Joy! That is the best thing to say when children are showing their parents how strong, independent, and will get their way, also known as toddler tantrum.  Yes, this is how my mothers day ended, with an hour long toddler tantrum, where they saw the other not so nice side of mom.  I try to keep talking, negotiating, debating, but in a tantrum it is something that will pass, but in the moment they don't want to hear it.

The crazy thing is once it ended, my child wanted a hug and a kiss and quietly went to bed.  I know some of it was brought on by exhaustion and also by transition.  I hear many parents counting minutes, or having a conversation telling their child its time to go.  For me transitions and bed time are always a whole production. Lately I have been giving them time to play before bed, and I think that makes it worse, they are tired, I think it will just be lights out early from now on, I will keep you posted.

That is the way I can stay calm, cool, and collected is try to figure out how to avoid it in the future.  In the moment it is the biggest challenge to let it pass, when I have to put a baby to sleep, when I am exhausted myself, and when I know that I have to be firm, and that is what may be prolonging the insanity.  What was it yesterday? My child wanted me to bring water, and I said I would bring water when they went into their bed, maybe if I brought water right away I could of nipped it in the bud.  Eventually it all calmed down, but I felt that I had to set the way it was going to be even if the screaming didn't stop.  I did not bring water, and that is the dilemma, to bring water and to have a quiet night, or to show that it goes both ways, I will do something for you if you do something for me.

Oh this teaching stuff is so not for me, Thank God that my children go to school and are taught these lessons, it is a big challenge for me to deal with.  Anyone else in our lives we can just walk away, or take a break, or get back to it later.  One of the joys of motherhood and parenthood, there is no later, there is only now.  Not like a Yoga now, or a Shabbat now, but a not so pleasant now.

Oh how I love pleasant now,
Otherwise we would be bored,
Maybe we can think of it as spicing up our lives,
Infusing our lives with energy,
Waking us up to be in the moment,
Ultimately facing ourselves,
OY!
Thank you kids,
Coach Yulia