Our first “We are going home” moment
Lily and I went to Flamingo park yesterday morning.
We were having a wonderful time until she threw her third fit while there.
They weren’t big fits, but they were the first ones I have seen her throw.
She lightly threw herself on the ground and whined when I told her “No.”.
After she threw herself on the ground the third time, I lightly cupped her face to REALLY talk eye to eye with her but before I was able to say anything, she slapped my hand.
Are you kidding me?
Who is this person?
After she slapped me, I told her that we don’t slap and due to her bad behavior, we were leaving the park and going home.
Which we did.
Moms out there, are your little ones doing this too?
If/when they do, what do you do?
Advice please!
(Please vote for us here. Thank you!)
I better behave….
Meghan
November 24, 2010 @ 12:59 pm
mini timeouts…Amelia started throwing fits about a month ago…So I started putting her in her pack and play which removed her from the situation. I believe they don’t understand what they are doing yet but repetition is the key. I guess if your at the park its hard to use timeouts and depending on Lily you can find what works the best. Are you ready for this? We are in the “throwing fits” stage of parenting!
Claudia
November 24, 2010 @ 1:04 pm
@Meghan,
I didn’t see this coming at all just yet. I mean, have the terrible 2’s been replaced by terrible 1’s!? We just have to be strong and hang in there.
jess craig
November 24, 2010 @ 1:27 pm
oh my god. talk about seeing red. wyatt slaps my face. i’ve swatted his hand a few times, but i realized that it wasn’t really getting through and just confusing him (sorry, i guess that’s BAD, WHATEVER) but now i just kinda firmly put him some where… like, usually on the floor somewhere away and tell him that he was bad and then just walk away. for some reason, i think he gets that because it hurts his feelings. but truthfully, who knows if he really gets it. i’m kinda clueless as to what to really do about that. it sounds like you did the right thing at the time.
Claudia
November 24, 2010 @ 1:42 pm
@Jess,
i agree, i slapped Lily’s hand a couple of times too and then just felt like the biggest hypocrite because i can slap you but you can’t slap me? doesn’t sound good.
Desiree
November 24, 2010 @ 1:40 pm
Timeout! This is just the being it gets worse. Trust me I thought 2 was bad but 3 is even worse (with girls at least). I could not imagine how but you will see at christmas. We have lots of talks! I always told her to look me in the eye when I talked to her because that was the only way she would listen but now at almost 3 she will not and just ignores. You will see how frustrated she is by not being able to communicate and it comes in a form of a tantrum. I started timeout with Adelaide around Lily’s age. I would sit her on the bottom step or out of the area she was if out of the house, and made it a rule she could not come out until she quit crying. It is a nice timeout for you too. As she has gotten older and screams at the top of her lungs, I send her to her room. The smacking of the hand may come. Welcome to your toddler! Everything her parents did as a kid times 100. Paybacks!
Claudia
November 24, 2010 @ 1:44 pm
@Des,
great, sounds like trouble ahead. can’t wait to see fresh Adelaide and Lily act it out during Christmas. xo
Desiree
November 24, 2010 @ 1:49 pm
I apologize in advance for the things she will be picking up from Adelaide, most will be good however the bad is really really bad!
Claudia
November 24, 2010 @ 1:52 pm
@Des,
lol. don’t worry, she picks up plenty from the park. i’m convinced that’s where she picked up the throwing herself on the ground from. she sees kids do it. so she must think: “oh, does that work?”. well, she will soon find out it doesn’t. 😉
Tryne
November 24, 2010 @ 5:37 pm
My 2 girls started their temper tantrum/terrible 2s at around 16 months. Sooooo hold on and enjoy the ride.
Wait till she gets older then these little tantrums will seem so easy.
Good luck
Claudia
November 25, 2010 @ 12:55 am
@Tryne,
thank you. happy thanksgiving to you and yours!
Vanessa
November 25, 2010 @ 1:09 am
When Matthew turned 15 months the doc gave us a piece of paper about the 15 month mark. It had a section about tantrums and I thought “not my little angel!” Sure enough a couple days later he started with the whining. Then came the slapping and since he’s going through a teething spurt…the biting.
We’ve tried all sorts of things but the firm “No ______” and then putting him in “time out” usually calms him down. Sometimes he needs more than one time out but he gets the message. I can not wait until this phase is over! It has sure tested my patience and nerves!
Claudia
November 25, 2010 @ 1:43 am
@Vanessa,
i know right? you see other kids do it and you think yours never will. well, surprise! they all do it. she will get it all. firm NO’s, time outs and be removed from the situation.
i’m not having a brat.
happy thanksgiving!
Jo Debra Gandee
November 25, 2010 @ 1:38 am
You did the right thing! Always remove them from the “fun” situation and they will learn, but they will always test you to see how far they can go. Just remember, children really appreciate limits they just don’t know it yet. You are gaining on your MOM voice. Your are the adult and she is the child, and she needs and loves the adult. Hugs to you, kisses to Lily and smiles to Will!
Claudia
November 25, 2010 @ 1:44 am
@Jo Debra,
thanks Jo Debra. Happy Thanksgiving to you all and hugs and kisses.
allie
November 27, 2010 @ 2:39 pm
oh no! she’s growing up! i hate when they start testing to see what is acceptable, the little boy i nanny is always doing things like this and it’s frustrating because when they are still so young, they don’t really “get” the whole time out thing. so yeah, you’re teaching them that bad behavior = time out but it’s not like they’re going to hate time out until they are like 3 + years old…
Claudia
November 28, 2010 @ 1:47 pm
@Allie,
it’s hard but she is slowly getting it. she knows that if she misbehaves, she will have to sit at the corner by the door and she doesn’t like that. she’s not so good at sitting there if we walk away but she will sit if we stand next to her. lol
it’s only the beginning, isn’t it?