TOTALLY GEEKED!

chef · Guru

First World Problems: Toddler Edition

chef · Guru

So far today, DS has melted down over ...

Being put in his bed for nap time even though he was rubbing his eyes.
The fact that I put his clean socks in my nightstand drawer because he just had to wear one of each instead of a matched set.
I moved the rings that came off the cupcakes we picked up.
DH made him a bowl of cereal using the cereal he picked out.

It's bed time now. DS isn't happy.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

Hmmmm. I don't have a toddler. SS has a fit when plans change and he doesn't approve.

karl271 · Guru

Don't have a little toddler, but do have a story supposedly done by yours truly.

My mother and her friend went downtown to shop with me in tow (about 3 yrs old, I guess). My mother's friend took me with her to the bakery while my mother went to another store. In the bakery was a little girl with her mother and the little girl had a purse of some kind. Evidently I took a liking to the purse, went up to the little girl, gave her a whack and took the purse away. Then refused to return it and started yelling at the top of my lungs. Eventually my mother arrived and took over the situation and got the purse away from me and back to the girl. I do not remember this but was told it often that it is stamped on my memory. My mother's friend never took me anywhere again....

I wonder if I have changed much???...

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

karl271 wrote:
Don't have a little toddler, but do have a story supposedly done by yours truly.

My mother and her friend went downtown to shop with me in tow (about 3 yrs old, I guess). My mother's friend took me with her to the bakery while my mother went to another store. In the bakery was a little girl with her mother and the little girl had a purse of some kind. Evidently I took a liking to the purse, went up to the little girl, gave her a whack and took the purse away. Then refused to return it and started yelling at the top of my lungs. Eventually my mother arrived and took over the situation and got the purse away from me and back to the girl. I do not remember this but was told it often that it is stamped on my memory. My mother's friend never took me anywhere again....

I wonder if I have changed much???...

And thus began karl's life of cross dressing and thievery. biggrin

chef · Guru

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
Hmmmm. I don't have a toddler. SS has a fit when plans change and he doesn't approve.

But you had toddlers! Tell us some stories from when your kids were toddlers smile

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

chef wrote:
Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
Hmmmm. I don't have a toddler. SS has a fit when plans change and he doesn't approve.
But you had toddlers! Tell us some stories from when your kids were toddlers

You know, those days have long passed in a coma like phase and to bring them out would unleash bad memories that would send me immediately back to therapy! But I'll think on it.

chef · Guru

Other things DS has melted down over ...

Receiving food he asked for.
Waiting for a new toy to be removed from its packaging.
Having to get out of the cart and into his car seat.
Not being able to run out into the parking lot.
Having to wait in a line.
Not being allowed to run around the food court.
Not being allowed to throw plates off the table.
Having to wait for batteries to be put into one of his toys.
Wanting to go bye bye when we are not going bye bye.
Wanting to go bye bye NOW regardless of the fact that we will go bye bye as soon as he stops refusing to get dressed.
Not being allowed to disarrange store shelves.
Getting a diaper change when he'd rather play.
Having to actually sit on his toilet to go pee.
Not being able to sit on his urinal.

I can go on ...

chef · Guru

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
chef wrote:
Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
Hmmmm. I don't have a toddler. SS has a fit when plans change and he doesn't approve.
But you had toddlers! Tell us some stories from when your kids were toddlers
You know, those days have long passed in a coma like phase and to bring them out would unleash bad memories that would send me immediately back to therapy! But I'll think on it.

That bad, huh? I hear ya! I'm sure I'll bury the memories of the toddler years once DS is out of them. He knows when someone is mad at him and will crawl into that person's lap and say sorry then hug them.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

I remember I never took them shopping with me. I had three three years apart. The oldest was a challenge. Always a tantrum about SOMETHING. Full fledged all out screaming and kicking. And while I would deal with that the next one had a penchant for hiding in the rows of clothes so I'd have to go hunting through them to find him. I would always hurry home from work or school early on shopping day and leave them at daycare. I'd pick them up after I shopped. Shopping seemed to be my biggest challenge with them.

chef · Guru

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
I remember I never took them shopping with me. I had three three years apart. The oldest was a challenge. Always a tantrum about SOMETHING. Full fledged all out screaming and kicking. And while I would deal with that the next one had a penchant for hiding in the rows of clothes so I'd have to go hunting through them to find him. I would always hurry home from work or school early on shopping day and leave them at daycare. I'd pick them up after I shopped. Shopping seemed to be my biggest challenge with them.

DS is usually good in the stores. But, there are days he forgot his listening ears and thinks he's going to rule the shopping trip. He is wrong. On his good days, I can push the cart next to the shelf, tell him what to grab, and he'll grab it then put it in the cart. On his bad days, I'm that rude person pushing the cart down the middle of the aisle because DS will sweep everything off the shelf as a show of defiance.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

Oh, I remember those days.

weltschmerz · Guru

My toddler was autistic. I don't remember him ever having a tantrum.
When he got upset, he would shut down, as opposed to having a melt down.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

I don't know.

I don't really remember a lot of tantrums.

The one I do remember was when Caitlyn was about 3, she wanted to go with her mawmaw and pawpaw instead of with me.

She started throwing her temper tantrum in the parking lot, i gave her a warning but she didnt listen and I busted her butt and put a stop to it.

I never tolerated tantrums.

There is a difference between a kid fighting sleep or not feeling well and a kid just pitching fit.

-- Edited by lilyofcourse on Wednesday 10th of February 2016 06:30:41 AM

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

weltschmerz wrote:
My toddler was autistic. I don't remember him ever having a tantrum.
When he got upset, he would shut down, as opposed to having a melt down.

Jesse didn't either.

He would shut down too.

Or just cry. But not loud or screaming or throwing a fit. He would sit on his bed and cry when he was upset.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
I remember I never took them shopping with me. I had three three years apart. The oldest was a challenge. Always a tantrum about SOMETHING. Full fledged all out screaming and kicking. And while I would deal with that the next one had a penchant for hiding in the rows of clothes so I'd have to go hunting through them to find him. I would always hurry home from work or school early on shopping day and leave them at daycare. I'd pick them up after I shopped. Shopping seemed to be my biggest challenge with them.

Yeah, i rarely took them shopping. Either DH shopped or I did and the other parent was home with the kids or it was done after school, etc before arriving home.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

Wow. I must have had really good kids. Or my yell is a lot scarier than yours.

FNW · Guru

#1 would get upset if we shifted gears. Like leaving somewhere. Or not letting him finish whatever he started.

TrudyML · Guru

My tiny bf would have evening meltdowns. How to stop it? My BIL had to drive him by my house. Then he'd calm right down. I laughed for days when I heard this. But it worked so they weren't fighting it. They never rang the bell. Just drove by and he'd wave to me.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

If I needed to go shopping, the kids went with me.

Went to the doctor, hair salon, anywhere and everywhere, my kids went with me.

My parents would take my kids for about 3-5 days a year to the mountains or beach and that was the only time I was on my own.

And I would go to "grown up" movies during that time.

But mostly, I just missed my kids.

Now I did have the time after work, between midnight and 4am that I could do Christmas shopping.

Once a week from Halloween til Christmas I would stop and grab each one a gift. Took about an hour at most.

Bonny22Pye · Guru

Gordito is super in spoons. all types of spoons. He likes me to hold him at the counter while he goes through the big jar of kitchen spoons until he has the exact right one. He has melted down over not having the right spoon.

chef · Guru

Bonny22Pye wrote:
Gordito is super in spoons. all types of spoons. He likes me to hold him at the counter while he goes through the big jar of kitchen spoons until he has the exact right one. He has melted down over not having the right spoon.

Omg! DS does this. He will through all the forks, spoons, whatever until he finds the exact right one. He will loudly sing the song of his people if he is stopped from doing this. Never mind that you might need a fork for your own use.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

I don't understand.

He screams and throws a fit if he doesn't get his way?

Is that what you are saying?

chef · Guru

This just happened. DH needed to get back to work so DS shut the bedroom but only shut it halfway. DH asked him to shut it all the way and got ignored so he shut it himself. DS responded by beating the door then dumping all the toys out of his organizer and having a fit.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Really?

chef · Guru

lilyofcourse wrote:
I don't understand.

He screams and throws a fit if he doesn't get his way?

Is that what you are saying?

Speaking for DS, he sure does.

But, this is a fun thread. Poking some fun at toddlers who melt down over silly things. It's not a complaint thread.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Ok. I get that. But how is a kid throwing fits all day fun?

I'm sorry, I couldnt, and I didn't think that was fun.

And I know this he is a good boy. I don't dobut that.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

chef wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
I don't understand.

He screams and throws a fit if he doesn't get his way?

Is that what you are saying?

Speaking for DS, he sure does.
But, this is a fun thread. Poking some fun at toddlers who melt down over silly things. It's not a complaint thread.

I'm sorry, but I don't see a lot of this as something to have fun poked at it.

These -

Not being able to run out into the parking lot.
Having to wait in a line.
Not being allowed to run around the food court.
Not being allowed to throw plates off the table.
Having to wait for batteries to be put into one of his toys.
Wanting to go bye bye NOW regardless of the fact that we will go bye bye as soon as he stops refusing to get dressed.
Not being allowed to disarrange store shelves.

are not funny.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

I'm not going to pile on.

All I'm saying is, my kids learned real quick that throwing fits lost them whatever it was they wanted and earned them a spanking.

I just could not and can not deal with that.

Like I said, I know your little man is a good boy. He has his moments like any kid.

NAOW · Vette's SS

DD1 has started having meltdowns. I just ignore her at this point or redirect her. Yesterday she got really upset because I wanted her to sit in her highchair to eat lunch and she wanted to carry it around with her and eat. So she ran crying to her bedroom. LOL, works for me.

FNW · Guru

What worked for me was to pretend I didn't hear them and just go about my business. Spankings did nothing, and acknowledging the tantrum just fueled the fire. My biggest problem was getting DH to do the same. He would stand there and stare at them or try to "negotiate" which would just extend it.

chef · Guru

No, those things aren't funny. But they are first world problems. Things toddlers view as life altering even when it isn't. Like when one of your shows get cancelled or the store is out of an item you wanted or that shirt you want doesn't come in your size. Things that don't matter in the long run but can matter quite a bit to the person affected at the time it happens. We had a first world problems thread and I thought it'd be fun to have the same thread from a toddler POV. I do apologize if I'm the only one who thought such a thread would be fun and I'm fine with the thread being deleted.

Maybe DS is more into the "terrible 2s" than other kids. I don't know. He's a fun kid but man if he doesn't pitch fits over the stupidest things. Some days are worse than others. He's having a bad streak lately. And, he's about to go on a time out because his listening ears are still misplaced.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

I did get completely fed up one day and when Caitlyn started to throw a fit, I beat her to it.

I threw myself on the floor and kicked and cried and acted like a lunatic.

Then I stopped abruptly, stood up, looked at her and said, "THATS how you throw a fit".

Then I walked away.

She never did it again after that.

It was two times I can remember her throwing a fit.

She was my first, I was learning.

FNW · Guru

I've done that, lily. It did make them pause. LOL

I wonder if children who have the benefit of an older sibling throw fewer tantrums? I noticed that my boys would take turns, never tantruming at the same time.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

I think so.

The boys didn't do it unless they were sick.

And that was more cause they were sick and not about getting their way.

I guess whiny is a better term for that.

FNW · Guru

Yeah, mine were more whiny than anything. Especially when they are tired or sick. #1 went through a period when he enlisted his brother into striking against my cooking. So I feigned tears and ran upstairs and went to my room. They came up to see if I was okay and I said how much it hurt my feelings. Strike ended. I learned how to manipulate from my mother.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

A healthy dose of guilt can be very useful.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

chef, I think you're doing a wonderful job. Some kids are more stubborn than others. No one is a perfect parent. We all make mistakes. Just be consistent with him and you'll be fine!

TrudyML · Guru

FNW wrote:
I've done that, lily. It did make them pause. LOL

I wonder if children who have the benefit of an older sibling throw fewer tantrums? I noticed that my boys would take turns, never tantruming at the same time.

I raised myself. Being #7 out of eight kids I don't think my mother remembered I existed.

FNW · Guru

I remember I took the boys to a neighbor's birthday party. The little boy is great in his own world. But this was in a bouncy place. When it came time for the pizza and cake, instead of sitting on the "throne", he sat under the table and wouldn't come out. His mother was embarrassed. I just fixed him a plate and handed it to him under the table and went about the party.

I think the best thing is to remain calm. Wait until there is a lull and ask if he's through. Then do whatever it is YOU want to do. Actions speak louder than words.

I think I read somewhere that walking away gives them the feeling that they are unimportant or whatever. I did it anyway, if we were home. If in public, which was really rare, we went some place for some alone time.

Lexxy · My dog name is Sasha, too!

When I was young probably about 3 or 4 my grandfather took me to the store. I had a meltdown & was lying on the floor kicking & crying. My grandfather very loudly announced "everybody look at Lexxy she's having a fit." & repeated it until I was so embarrassed I just stopped. It is the last tantrum I ever had in public or so the story goes.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

FNW wrote:
What worked for me was to pretend I didn't hear them and just go about my business. Spankings did nothing, and acknowledging the tantrum just fueled the fire. My biggest problem was getting DH to do the same. He would stand there and stare at them or try to "negotiate" which would just extend it.

DD11 had one of those temper tantrums where she went face down on the living room floor and kicked and hit the floor with her little fists. I walked away and left her there. She never did it again- it didn't have the result she was hoping for.

FNW · Guru

My kids never did that. I guess I got lucky. They just whined more than anything. #1 would "resist" when it was time to leave places.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

I am more stubborn than my children. I never gave in to the first tantrum about anything, so there was rarely, if ever, a second. It is just not in my personality to give in to someone acting like that - not even a child. Drives me nuts.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

FNW wrote:
My kids never did that. I guess I got lucky. They just whined more than anything. #1 would "resist" when it was time to leave places.

OK - I'd rather have a temper tantrum than whining. Really. Whining I do not hear or can't understand. From early on, I just told them I couldn't understand when they were whining and come back to me when they could talk clearly without the whine.

huskerbb · Guru

My kids never really had meltdowns. If they did, it was only once.

chef · Guru

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
chef, I think you're doing a wonderful job. Some kids are more stubborn than others. No one is a perfect parent. We all make mistakes. Just be consistent with him and you'll be fine!

Thanks :)

He just finished his time out and seems to have had an attitude adjustment. He's busy loving on me right now.

FNW · Guru

Lawyerlady wrote:
FNW wrote:
My kids never did that. I guess I got lucky. They just whined more than anything. #1 would "resist" when it was time to leave places.
OK - I'd rather have a temper tantrum than whining. Really. Whining I do not hear or can't understand. From early on, I just told them I couldn't understand when they were whining and come back to me when they could talk clearly without the whine.

I do the same thing.

Lexxy · My dog name is Sasha, too!

Lawyerlady wrote:
FNW wrote:
What worked for me was to pretend I didn't hear them and just go about my business. Spankings did nothing, and acknowledging the tantrum just fueled the fire. My biggest problem was getting DH to do the same. He would stand there and stare at them or try to "negotiate" which would just extend it.
DD11 had one of those temper tantrums where she went face down on the living room floor and kicked and hit the floor with her little fists. I walked away and left her there. She never did it again- it didn't have the result she was hoping for.

That reminded me of the time I called my SIL while my niece was in the middle of a tantrum. My SIL said hold on I need to move into another room. A few minutes later my niece walked in & then threw herself back down on the floor & resumed her tantrum. My SIL went to another room & soon enough my niece followed. She finally gave up when she realized we were laughing about her time outs from the tantrum to change locations. She is 16 now & we still tease her about it sometimes.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

I think there are parents with a lot more patience than others. I am not one of them.