Does anyone else feel like their toddler is bipolar? I guess it comes with the territory when you are talking about a two year old with limited communication skills (or your husbands, just kidding), but I know that it drives me crazy! A perfect example happened yesterday morning with my little demon, I mean, Lincoln.
Recently Lincoln has been doing something new in the mornings. Instead of waiting patiently in his bed and singing sweet little morning ditties, he now gets out of bed and knocks loudly at the door and screams "MOM". He can't get out by himself because my hunky weekend warrior installed a safety door knob. Lincoln (whose spoon fetish will be the topic of a later blog) also likes to stick his spoons under the doorframe. So yesterday morning after hearing his screams, I came upstairs and saw nine little bent plastic spoons in front of his door. Thinking I would be funny, I stuck them back under the door. Just then screams came from the other side - "NO Mommy! No, no no!" So I open the door and I am greeted by my little ray of sunshine (NOT) in his wife beater onesie (definitely the subject of a later blog). Before he tries to bolt out the door I have swooped him up and put him on the changing table (which he is way too big for). But before I have a chance to remove his 10 pound diaper, he starts shrieking, "POONS! POONS!" Congratulating myself for understanding his "needs", I quickly pick up his array of rainbow-colored spoons and bring them to him. "NO!" he shouts as spoons fly across his bedroom. What the heck??? Didn't he just ask for the spoons??? What should I do?
A. Pick up the spoons and try again?
B. Leave the spoons on the floor and ignore him?
C. Make him pick up the spoons himself?
D. Make him pick up the spoons AND give him a time out for throwing things?
E. Throw away the dang spoons and deal with the fallout?
Please, I'm begging you! Tell me what you think! I hope I'm not the only one with a bipolar toddler!
Gotta do diaper duty!
7 comments:
I suggest that you buy a very large spoon... like the kind they use to stir industrial-sized pots for prison kitchens... and then insist that he carry it everywhere. Toting around a ten-pound spoon will have one of two results: he'll either give the damn thing up, or he'll develop huge muscles that may empower him to make megamillions as a baseball player and support you in your addled old age.
Love,
Lincoln's CC
PS
Love your new blog!
PPS
Love you!
As a preschool teacher, I firmly believe that all 2-4 year olds are bipolar, schizophrenic and ADHD. Wish I could give you advice, but as the mom of the devil-twin-from-hell, I am pretty much in the same situation as you. Hah!
-Angela
I just have to say that Clare's comment is hilarious!
Seriously - give him a fork and see what happens...
Love you - LPC/LCB
Laur - a fork? Seriously? Remember when he tried to poke out my eye?
Ok this is what i think you should make him go get the "poons" and if he does not want them well then go about your diaper duty and act like nothing has happened! He will probably throw a fit dont worry just say "ok you want to do like that?" and lock him in his room till he stops.(lol i feel like a mean person.
Love Always,
Amanda (padoodle-bug)
Stick with the spoons! Forks could sure not end well. Look at my forward in your emails about "no running in the house"!!
I would just ignore his crazy reactions and not give him any credit for acting that way, but really over love him when he does something you like (even if it isn't much!) Just let him know how much you appreciate his behavior at the time and really play it up. He eventually will see that acting crazy doesn't get him anywhere...and hopefully he'll strive to get those praises for good behavior! I know one thing, toddlers (especially boys!!!) love watching you stir around trying to make them happy! I know....even at 2 years old!!! They can so play you and we are such suckers!!! I know mine has me suckered, the things we will do for these little guys! Hang in there!!
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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