The infant stage with Charlie was relatively easy – we were blessed in that way. He slept through the night very early on, ate every new food we gave him & did not get into mischief often. After passing the year mark, however, we have noticed that our child has a temper – a HUGE temper. He is lovable, huggable, kissable, and squeezable, but if he does not get what he wants AT THAT MOMENT? He can quickly become a bear.
He is the Joy of our lives without a doubt. He makes us laugh & smile, but can also at times be challenging. I think so far, we’re handling it right. I can only hope that we continue to laugh through this stage, as I know the time is fleeting and soon he’ll be on his way. I can only hope he’s this “passionate” about the rest of his life!
Oh, it is funny, but I bet it can be embarressing, too. At least it’s just a phase (although a long one…).
I’ve been reading this book called “The Happiest Toddler on the block.” I don’t know how effective it is since Oliver’s not a toddler yet, but I’m hoping it works! Anyway, the doctor who wrote it says toddlers really want their feelings acknowledged. He said when our kids accomplish something, we make a big deal out of it (“You did it! Yay! Good job!”). He said toddlers respond well if you do the same thing when they’re mad/upset (“Charlie’s mad! Charlie wanted to play with the robot. He doesn’t want to go!”).
Let me know if that works. I’ve found most of the advice books I read *don’t* work, but I get excited about them anyway.
I went to my first MOMS Club event today! Two of the moms there have 3 year old boys, and they were talking about how challenging they can be with getting mad. One mom said she read “Love and Logic.” She said some of what the recommended was a little too extreme for her, but she really liked their ideas. She didn’t elaborate on it, but I thought I’d let you know!