Ayva has only been 4 for a little over a week, but I’ve already decided to call this “The Year of the Tantrum”. It’s not like I was caught off guard, though. We’ve clearly been on the road to Tantrum Town for the last couple of months. It seemed like every day I lost a little more of my sweet little 3-year-old, and gained a teeny tiny teenager, complete with the angst and the ‘tude. I honestly don’t think I’ve said, “sassy mouth”, more times in my life than I have the in the past few weeks. This child has a MOUTH on her, y’all. I wonder where she got that from?
Anyway, Ayva’s new thing lately has been tantrums. Not the falling out on the floor, acting a pure fool type tantrums (now that, we don’t do), but more of the “I’m upset so I’m crying. Oh, y’all are looking? Well, in that case, I’ll cry louder and add more heartbreak so that you can ask my mother what’s wrong, and together we can embarrass her enough to give in to what I want” type of tantrum. Just about any occasion calls for a tantrum, too. She misplaced that one sequin that she found in the middle of Target that time? I filled her water cup up too high? And, of course, it’s bedtime? Again? But, whyyyy?
As annoying as tantrums can be, especially when it’s partnered with everyone’s favorite preschool accessory, whining, it’s important to remember where they come from. I’ll admit it. My first instinct when a tantrum starts is to shut it all the way down. I had an epiphany, though. Tantrums need to happen, and I need to chill out, relax, and help my baby learn to express all of these new emotions that she’s dealing with. She’s going to be sad when she can’t go on a playdate with her friends. She’s not going to be happy if she really, really wants ice cream, and I say no. Seriously, how would you feel if someone said you couldn’t go out and drink wine with your girls? You’d want to throw a fit, too, right? Emotions like disappointment, sadness, and even boredom, are things that parents sometimes take for granted when it comes to kids. If we feel these things, why shouldn’t our children? We might not throw tantrums, but we sure do feel like it!
The other thing that was revealed to me today, is that Ayva is at the age where I need to be really honest to her about why she isn’t able do or have something. Then, I need to be patient with her as she learns to deal with not getting what she wants. When she was younger, I could appease her with “you can do that later”, or “you can go next time”. Well, now she knows when later is, and she isn’t going to forget that this time is next time. As my little girl gets older, our relationship is going to change. I do believe that adults should show children the same respect that they want to receive, and a big part of that is being as flexible and understanding with her as I would be with, say, a co-worker, or a friend.
On Ayva’s birthday last week, I took her and her friends out to lunch. One of the friends was coming to our house for a playdate afterwards for just a little bit before her mother came to pick her up. Well, we made a stop at a garden near our house for a bit, and then the little girl’s mom came early, so we never even got inside for the girls to play. Ayva burst into tears saying, “She came too early! She came too early!” She planted herself and wouldn’t move, and made her legs jello when I tried to pick her up. I finally was able to scoop her up, and she wrapped her arms around me, and sobbed into my neck as we went inside. Of course she’s going to be upset! She had prepared all of her toys to show her friend, and had arranged everything just so. She was super excited, and really proud to be able to share her things. Totally tantrum worthy, right?
I’m just trying to be a better mom, y’all. I yell. I’m impatient. I’m tough. But I love this little girl more than anything. More than myself. And I just want her to be happy and emotionally well. Taking the time to understand her as she grows is part of that. And you know what? One day, when she’s giving me real teenager attitude, and throwing tantrums because of boys, I’m sure I’ll look back fondly on her throwing a teddy bear across the room when she feels like she’s not being heard.
Where could you be more patient when it comes to your children?
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