August 8, 2004 - It's toddler temper time-
Is he very very good? Or is he awful? Depends on the moment you ask me, I suppose.
It's a control issue. Mama knows that. But it's really not easy when we're in the thick of it. Everett has taken to that favorite of all toddler activities, hitting mama and screaming when he doesn't get his way.
One minute everything is good, he's tumbling over the arm of my chair as I sit and type, flipping into my lap with the most amazing of acrobatic skill. The next minute, when I say "no" to Dora, Boots, or getting up to play yet another odd game of stick-and-ball (or maybe, racket-and-ball), he look at me murderously and winds up for the BIG HIT.
I don't stand for it, mind you. A couple of good slaps and he's banished from the room for as long as it takes to settle him down. A spirited scream almost never gets him what he asked for, any more. It's "calm down and ask nicely" or nothing.
Sometimes it works so well, he gives the little scream or murderous look clearly leading to a slap, I remind him of his duty to request in a nice way, and he goes in for the "please." Other times it devolves into a battle of wills. Everett screaming in staccato bursts clearly designed to create the maximum aching of mama's head. Mama taking deep breaths and saying, again, again and again, "Everett, you need to calm down and ask me nicely. No. You don't get anything if you scream. No, sorry, you need to stop screaming. STOP SCREAMING. NO. NO!" Did that last part seem calm to you? Anyway...
But what does a mama do when she's trying to get some work done, it's past a baby's bedtime, and all he can do is ask so nicely? If you look over and he's saying, "pees, mama, dance a song?" and doing his dyslexic sign language and his eyes, with the sweet smile and the anticipation, how can you work, how can you put him to bed? It is your lot to dance, dance to the strange cookie monster music box. Dance, mama, dance. Peese.
