Lions, tigers, and Addie....oh my!!!! My babbling 16 month old has figured out that I don't really understand her when she speaks and has resorted to throwing temper tantrums! Let me tell you, they are quite a display coming from someone so little. I understand that at this age these fits of rage are not because she's trying to make me upset, but it's because I don't "get" her.
Yesterday afternoon, Addie woke up from her nap and was asking for "bites" the minute she left her crib. When we got to the kitchen, I gave her a mini ice cream sandwich. She ate all of it. Then she started waving her hands and squealing. I figured she was still hungry, so I gave her some crackers. Well, she seemed content after that and did her "gone,gone" sign...that usually means that it's okay to remove her from the highchair. She was happy to be out and to play with her brother and her daddy. Well, not even a few minutes later she found a wrapper that her daddy had left out. She started flinging that thing around and squealing. Her daddy and I thought she was trying to play with the wrapper.....long story short......she wanted whatever had been in the wrapper!!! Yes, after eating all of the previous things, she wanted more! I ended up giving her some of her favorite yogurt and that solved the problem immediately! She threw the fit because she decided she was still hungry and I didn't catch on to that fast enough.
Of course, this is not first time I've seen her have a meltdown. However, I'm just so shocked when they happen and I feel so helpless! I know this is part of the age and I'm sure my son went through this too...I just don't remember it in vivid detail. Going through it is also so scary because part of me thinks that this is the way my child will be from here on out! Parent guilt sets in and then the thought of calling my own parents fades when I realize that I'm not as perfect as I remember them being. I mean come on, if I threw a fit like that my parents would've....etc...etc...etc.
Then reality hits, guilt fades away and life is good again. I look at my baby who's belly is finally full and who is playing happily with her toys and think to myself, "Tomorrow's mission: Teach her how to say she's hungry!"
**Check out this article from Baby Center. It's all about coping with your toddler's temper tantrums!
No comments:
Post a Comment