Well as most moms out there can probably testify.... toddlerhood can give you one big headache! Joseph has started into the temper tantrums. I actually wrote a semester paper on toddler temper tantrums (got an A on it too). I always learned the cause of temper tantrums is often the result of the toddler being unable to communicate their wants or needs. Because of a developing vocabulary, toddlers often lack the ability to express their frustrations verbally. Unfortunately, this usually results in whining and tantrums. To prevent said tantrums all you have to do is establish better ways to communicate and learn to see what is causing the tantrums before they happen (so you can prevent them). There are signs leading up to the tantrum.
Yeah... thats all crap. There is no communication barrier, I know exactly what Joseph wants. He wants to play with the steak knife, or torture the cat, or stick things in the outlets at church, etc. The tantrum starts when I take away whatever item he wants or prevent him from getting to it in the first place. The tantrum ends when I pick him up and cuddle him. If I refuse to pick him up he then follows me around the house, crying, and holding up his arms. I'm not sure picking him up and cuddling him will teach him that he can't have the steak knife or that tantrums are not an acceptable way to express frustration. Rock... hard place.... Me (quote from Friends for those of you who didn't get it haha).
Haha. I'm sorry for the pains of toddlerhood, but I have to admit that it was a really funny post. Tantrums are NO FUN. Actually, my 1 year old has WAY more tantrums than my 3 year old. But when my 3 year old has them, they are AWFUL!
ReplyDeleteWhen jonathan came to our family, he had been diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder and so we went through training and therapy to help him. Children with RAD have an exaggerated response to shame and one of the examples that they gave us is that when a child (who will learn a normal shame response) goes to stick something in an outlet, the mother scolds, and then when the baby cries, the mother picks him up and comforts. In this process the baby learns that he is loved, even when he makes mistakes and learns that it is okay to be imperfect. Because a RAD child usually don't have an attuned mother, they don't learn this concept. Without realizing it, you have had the exactly right response!
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