My goodness, the behavior!

Ok, someone took my semi-normal three-year old and replaced her with an oh-the-drop-of-a-hat-sends-her-into-full-tantrum-mode child.

I kid you not, her tantrums will be legendary one day. You can't predict them. You can't anticipate them. And, you can't manage them. You can only walk away....quickly....and pray that she stops when she realizes she doesn't have an audience.

(Sidebar: I'm watching the recap from last night's Dancing--yes, I'm addicted--and the worst female performance for the foxtrot BY FAR goes to Leeeeza. Wow. It was bad. And her mambo wasn't much better even though she did receive an acceptable score...not sure how that's possible.)

So back to my child. I don't know what to do except to hope that it's just a phase. She's so familiar with the timeout process at this point that I could probably just look at her and point and she'd know what to do. Not only that, but her *stuff*, you know, the *stuff* she carries with her EVERYWHERE--puppy, the blue and red ponies, the small Dora dog and her favorite vanilla chapstick--and loves so much it pains her to part with it? Oh trust me, all of that stuff is equally as familiar with the timeout process--one that involves sitting on the refrig for a predetermined amount of time--and really wants her to start behaving too.

Comments

I don't normally post comments on others' blogs (except Al's of course), but I felt compelled after reading this post by Dooce. I was very angry for her having experienced some (not all) of the frustrations she shared. And I was angry by how quick to judge and self-righteous so many mothers can be.

And while I might look at something on the surface and come to my own conclusions, I hope I don't judge (well, at least too often) what I don't know or cannot comprehend.

This is the comment I shared with Dooce (along with her 400 other best friends):

My daughter, Petra is 3 1/2 years old and still sleeps with me every night. So many of my friends and family (much less strangers) comment on how she's too old to still be in my bed, how we'll never get her out (which I doubt because seriously, how many 13-year old girls still sleep with their parents) and how we are horrid parents for allowing such indulgent behavior.

I especially appreciate the helpful feedback I receive from acquaintances who know nothing about P's history (i.e., the fact that she was sick--really sick--her first 2 1/2 years of life; that she's been hospitalized more times during the course of her very young two years than most people will be their entire lives; and that her only comfort at night STILL is her mommy's hair.

For those folks, I simply smile, thank them for their feedback, turn my back and wish upon them a pox.