Today I dissected a fishfinger into six equal pieces.
I then spent the next five minutes trying to put it back together again. Pretty odd behaviour, right?
Welcome to the world of a two-year-old.
One minute it’s “Too hot, Mummy cut it.” The next it’s “Wahhhhhh… I want big one, give me finger back!”
The ability to win as a parent is possible but it may not feel that way. Everything you do is the wrong thing by your increasingly independent toddler. And with communication skills rapidly developing but at the same time clearly lacking, it can be a testing time.
The fishfinger incident followed a string of bizarre requests.
“We go to park with tramps (trampoline) Mummy.”
So we get in the car and drive down there…get to the car park and, lo and behold, someone doesn’t want to get out of their seat.
It can pretty wearing, relentlessly running around trying to please your little one when they throw it all back in your face.
Massive meltdown
I told my daughter I’d take her to the local market to get a gingerbread man and when we got there, she had a full blown meltdown.
People were staring at me disapprovingly. She wouldn’t calm down so I ignored her, rifling through the fruit and veg. This was the worst tantrum I’ve ever seen. There was no negotiating to be had.
One woman even said “Aww, I think she’s tired. She probably needs to go to bed.”
I held back on any foul-mouthed rant, knowing how she’d refused to go to bed until 11pm and was fully-wide awake at 5am.
That’s the hardest part about parenting – you often end up getting frustrated when you shouldn’t and it definitely isn’t your fault.
There are a few things you can try if your toddler is prone to major meltdowns about nothing in particular and communication is key to it all.
Lack of language
They don’t have the language skills to tell you what’s wrong or what they want. So they get cross – a lot.
They get told “I’ll do it!” when they simply want to try to do the zip up on their coat.
Or “Hurry up!” when they’re trying their best to get their trainers on the right feet.
If your toddler’s hit the terrible twos, give them a couple of choices. That way you stay in control and they think like they’re winning.
Don’t deny them the chance to try to work things out because you are in a rush or haven’t got time right now.
Generally, they are just frustrated, fed-up and need a hug.
Contact me today
If your business needs some TLC, Fried Egg Media is here to help. My communication skills are second to none and will have customers swarming to your site in no time.
I love talking. So contact me today.