I think kids are getting a bum rap these days.
Sprite is in the throes of the Terrible Two's. Allegedly. Personally, I have no idea why this stigma is allowed to continue being tossed around the parenting circles. There IS no such thing as Terrible Two's. (Gasp!) That's right! I said it!
Sure, she has her tantrums and her mood swings, she will only accept a pink cup some days and refuse it on other days, and Heaven forbid I approach her with shorts when she has her heart set on a dress, but is it really all that terrible?
Researchers have already broken it down for us plebeians (read: parents) that children at this age are simply frustrated when they can't do things themselves or can't articulate what they want when they want it or can't re-wire the dogs. We all know this. So, why are we still saying it's Terrible?
Maybe it's not the kids that are Terrible. (I hear grumbling.. calm down and just hear me out)
Maybe it's us parents. (Okay, who threw that keyboard? That is NOT nice.)
I'm coming to the conclusion that Sprite's mind is pretty much on a one way track. It's me that can't seem to keep up sometimes. Her ups and downs are to be expected. I just can't expect that MY ups and downs will be in sync with hers all the time, which is where the frustration of parenting a toddler comes into play.
Have I completely lost you? Hm.. let me see.. Oh, okay, you took a left at the conclusion part when you should have gone right.... Okay. We're on the same page now. (That is, if you're still on the same site..)
Sometimes I can handle any mood Sprite is in. If I tell her no to a repeated viewing of "The Lion King" and she reacts with her standard "I wahnnt the Liiiooonnn Kiiiiinnnngg", I can immediately set about dissolving the situation with cheer ("How about we take your tricycle outside and practice riding?") or sneer ("I said no!"). I try to pick Door Number 1 every time which usually snuffs the wick on her lit fuse, but sometimes I do default to Door Number 2, which only acts as an accelerant to make my kiddie go kaboom. Why would I go with Number 2? It depends on how the day is going.
My kid doesn't retain emotions. If Tommy hits her at school, she will only think about that pain until it recedes and maybe later fill me in on how she took a slug to the kidney on the playground, but generally when I ask how her day went, her standard answer is "I played with friends." (Every day, the same answer. I think they train the kids to say that. And they are smart to do it..) Her mood is based on what she's looking forward to as we walk out the daycare door. (The cheese stick waiting in the van for her. You know, come to think of it, I really need to switch up her snacks.) When she blows her top, she vents until she's done and then moves on to the next activity, which may or may not include redecorating the walls.
Now ask me how my day went. Traffic was a nightmare and made me late, Dunkin Donuts screwed up my coffee AGAIN (Do they really think I can't tell the difference between cream and milk? Please DD people, hit the target more often, my THIGHS will thank you!), the server went down at work, I had to deal with other people's bad moods, I burned my popcorn which made for some pretty bad snacking, my eyes were straining at the computer, thunder and lightning made me late to pick Sprite up, traffic slowed to a crawl because the roadside watermelon stand was having Buy One Get One, and we walked into the house to see that John left the milk out on the counter meaning we have no moo juice. Sometimes, I can shirk the dourness my day tried to heap on me. Sometimes, I can't. So, when Sprite immediately asks me if she can give her dolls a bath in the washing machine and then proceeds to vault Sleeping Beauty into the unit, my response may vary.
Have you ever watched another parent discipline their toddler and think you would do it differently? Maybe they were yelling a bit too much or being a bit too patient? Did you ever stop and consider that your judgment may be based on your current mood?
Okay, so this is only a theory. Maybe I just have it really easy. Maybe Sprite is just a really good kid and in no way represents the rest of the preschooler population who seem hell bent on making Mommy cry at least three times a day.
I happen to think the second year is the best one yet. Her words are growing faster than she is, her imagination amazes me, and her take on the world is refreshing. I can't wait until the Three's! (You know, the end of potty training and all..)
Am I actually in touch with my kid or out of touch with reality? I would love to hear your two cents on this.
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I have loved reading about all of your kid stories! Just check out these Spinners!
Arwen over at Spors in the Desert
Pseudo over at Pseudonymous High School Teacher
Stacy over at True Blue Texan
Lisa over at Boondock Ramblings
Cristin over at Tiptoeing Through The Tulips
Jan over at Jan's Sushi Bar
Stacy over at True Blue Texan -Part II !
Camille over at Archives of Our Lives
Maureen over at IslandRoar
Mama Badger over at Out of the Boondocks and Into the Burbs...
Erin over at Only A Movie -New to the Spin Cycle!
Meli over at Meli's Rambling Randomness -Updated today! Fresh Spin!
Kendra over at Life In The Slow Lane -Updated today! Fresh Spin!
Gigi over at Incrementum -Updated today! Fresh Spin!
Jenni over at Oscarelli -Updated today! Fresh Spin!
Casey over at Half As Good As You -Updated today! Fresh Spin!
Don't forget to say hi to the new Spinners and go a round with the veterans!
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Next week's assignment: Driving.
Do you like to live life in the fast lane? Have you ever succumbed to road rage? Been a victim of it? Maybe you think of life as one big road trip. Are you driving someone crazy? Maybe they're driving YOU crazy.. Need to work on your drive swing? How about learning to drive? Teaching your kids to drive? (I'm praying for you on that one..) Or carpools. Well, make a pit stop here and fill up your tank while you fill us in on the details!
Have those Spins in by July 10th or the bus will leave without you!
By the way, you owe me gas money.
