My youngest darling son turned two a few weeks ago and he has been (to put it kindly) unbearable since about June. Toddlers are notorious for their desire to be independent, and with two big brothers to keep up with, this little guy sets the ultimate standard for age-inappropriate behavior. It doesn't help that he still has only a handful of words in his vocabulary, so his favorite method of communication is screeching at the top of his lungs. A lot of what he throws my way I can deal with, but the constant screeching and whining is sending me over the edge (and my hearing impairment is so bad that I'm deaf as a post without my hearing aids - God love the hearing moms of this world).
It seems like just yesterday that I was celebrating the charms of toddlerhood - oh, how quickly the tide turns. Bearing in mind that, for boys, the only age(s) more difficult than two are like from 13-22, I'm trying to cut the kid some slack. I've tried blaming everything from emerging two-year molars to impending illness for his poor attitude and constant demands, but I think the bottom line is that he has a wicked case of the terrible two's. With a little bit of spoiled rotten thrown in for good measure. The fact that he is so damn cute is really the only thing saving his little tush these days.
I keep reminding myself that my oldest was just as strong-willed (with similar communication patterns) and back then, I had a refluxey 6-month old hanging off the side as well. If I survived that, I'll survive this too, but in the meantime, each day is a constant struggle to understand what my little guy wants and how I can get him to ask instead of screech for it. I keep repeating the official Baby Bunching mantra of "this, too, shall pass", but in the meantime, a few tips on effective communication and behavior management with toddlers would help.
Anyone else have sure-fire strategies beyond busting out the wine mid-day for dealing with the screeching, screaming toddler meanies?
When my children scream or whine, I turn around and walk away. They soon realize that I will not talk to them or listen to them if they are screaming or whining. Really, it's a coping mechanism for me, since the screaming and whining makes me want to duct tape their mouth shut.
Posted by: Michelle | Aug 12, 2010 at 01:19 PM
Ahhh....no ideas, but when you find a cure for the terrible twos, please, PLEASE let me know!
Posted by: Amanda | Aug 12, 2010 at 11:03 PM
I am going through this exact thing right now! Please please give advice!
Posted by: Brandi | Aug 13, 2010 at 02:23 PM
When this stuff starts up, it makes me miss my babysitting days, when I could just threaten not to play any more fun games all evening, or (gasp!) not come back again...
But (much like training puppies) the threat of your discontinued interest is often a strong motivator. I thought this was one of the biggest benefits of baby bunching: your oldest wants independence right when you have a bit less time on your hands. The trick is to spin the situation so that the baby isn't blamed. "I'm not going to interact with you while you act like that." is a great statement, even if it seems they do not hear you... they do. Then you and the baby can go do fun things until they decide to rejoin you. You might not get a lot of cleaning in, but good parenting is worth the humility of a dirty house!
Posted by: jean grow | Aug 14, 2010 at 02:41 PM
I tickle.
Posted by: jenni | Aug 14, 2010 at 05:45 PM