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StatCounter Props
Waiting it Out
Today, Cooper had a tantrum when we got home from daycare. He was ticked because a small, empty, water bottle that he was using to amuse himself in the car needed to be left in the car. Why? Because that’s the way the world works sometimes. We don’t always get to take the junk out of daddy’s car into the house. He stood in the driveway, stomped his feet and wailed. I walked to the front door and went about my business and prepared to get settled in the house.
It was at this point that I could have let impatience or fear of potential embarrassment get the better of me. (Five years ago, the unmedicated Rob would have.) Instead, I waited out the tantrum for about five minutes. Cooper calmed down enough to head towards the front door and come inside.
Someone told me years ago that tantrums don’t need to be rewarded any kind of attention. This notion was recently reinforced to me when I read virtually the same sage advice in a pamphlet from our pediatrician. Additionally, I read that immediate and swift removal from ground zero is also acceptable, if the location is not ideal for waiting out the tantrum. Kandis and I seem to be in agreement on this issue: tantrums are to be ignored.
In case there was any lingering curiosity as to how the rest of our tantrum story played out, here it is. Once Cooper was inside, things were back to “normal.” I then made the mistake of taking off his new shoes which resulted in a new tantrum, accompanied by a screaming chorus of “My new shoes!!”
Night-Night in the Big Boy Bed
Last night, Cooper spent his first night in his first “real” bed, and he was a trooper. After a few cries early on, he slept through the night and woke in his usual happy mood. There was also no transition period; we didn’t keep the crib in the room as a failsafe. We all went cold turkey, and it was a risky bet for Mom, Dad, and Cooper. Thankfully, the bet seems to have paid off very well!
Here’s to the end of another little chapter. Next up, potty training?
Mom Lays Down the Law
The following conversation transpired between Mom and Cooper yesterday morning:
Mom: Do you want to drink your juice?
Cooper: [Grunts and begins to throw a typical two year-old tantrum.]
Mom: You go ahead and throw a fit, mama’s gonna eat her breakfast.
That’s how we roll up in here.
Moral of the story: Don’t mess with mama when it’s breakfast time, no matter how cute you are.
