Toddler Tantrums
Yesterday we had a very busy day. Shortly after breakfast mommy, daddy, and I went out to run some errands. I like going to go places and I especially like it when we all go together. I was excited and looking forward to a fun day of adventures. It was a warm and sunny day and I was in high spirits.
We had many stops to make. Sometimes we were in the car for only a few minutes before stopping and getting out again. That means a lot of getting in and out of the car, and that requires a lot of getting in and out of the car seat. There are all sorts of straps on my car seat and getting in and out again takes up a lot of time. I felt like we could have been using our time better but I wasn’t going to fuss about it.
We went to many places and saw many people. We visited several stores and looked at a lot of stuff. I was enjoying myself even though I often felt like I hadn’t fully explored one place before we were moving on to the next. Then again, there is only so much exploring a person can do from the confines of a stroller.
Mommy and daddy did let me out of the stroller to stretch my legs a couple of times, but we were always in a rush and I didn’t have much time to run around and explore on my own terms. One of our longer stops was at the home improvement center and I was strapped in my stroller the entire time. I saw so many things I had never seen before and I really wanted to get loose and poke around at things.
Mommy insisted that it wasn’t safe for me to be out of my stroller at the home improvement center. I wasn’t very happy about that, but mommy got my snack ready and the stroller really is a better place to be eating. I accepted this compromise and ate my snack while being wheeled around the aisles of the home improvement center.
Our last stop was a place called Ikea. Mommy claims I had been there once before but I don’t remember. Ikea was another long stop and I was busting to get out of my stroller. Halfway through our winding journey through the store, daddy gave in to my demands and set me free.
It felt so good to be on my own two feet. Ikea is amazing! It’s a maze of racks piled high with interesting objects. So many things to look at and touch. It’s a place of lights, colours, textures, and other people who pop out in unexpected places. It’s toddler heaven!
The second daddy set me down on the ground I set off in search of adventure. I ran down a row of shelves, turned, and ran down a different row in the opposite direction. I ran circles around a large display of candles. I raced towards some display bins and plunged both arms into a sea of towels.
I was having the best time. This was by far my favourite part of the day. After being cooped up in the car seat and my stroller for most of the day, this was a well-earned change of pace. I felt so free and excited by all the stuff I was seeing. I didn’t even mind that it was way past my nap time.
Daddy caught up to me and said that it was time to continue our way towards the exit. I wasn’t ready to go and fussed loudly when daddy picked me up. Daddy put me back down again and took my hand. I wasn’t about to fall for that trick and so I sat down on the ground refusing to take a step.
Mommy came over and took both of my hands. She hoisted me back to my feet but I wasn’t about to let mommy trick me either. After three steps I allowed myself to go limp from the waist down and refused to stand. I tore my hands out of mommy’s, stood up, and ran.
Mommy came after me and took one of my hands again. She said I could walk on my own but that I had to hold her hand because I wasn’t going in the right direction. Mommy told me we had to follow the arrows painted on the floor to get to the exit. No arrow is going to tell Peachy what to do!
I wasn’t ready to leave Ikea yet, I wasn’t done running around, and I wasn’t finished having fun. I sat down again and tried to pull my hand out of mommy’s grasp. That’s when mommy picked me up. I began to fuss and when mommy didn’t listen, I decided that it was time for my first public meltdown. How else would mommy know that I mean business?
First I kicked and screamed but mommy just ignored me as she carried me back to where daddy was standing with the shopping cart. Then I started to cry. My wailing and tears were too much for daddy. He took me out of mommy’s arms and put me back on the ground.
I stopped crying but I hadn’t won yet. Daddy was holding both of my hands and refusing to let go. Half pushing and half pulling, daddy started walking me along. I tried to resist the best I could. I pushed back, I tried to throw myself on the ground, but it was no use. Daddy kept on holding my hands.
Finally I decided to just go limp and daddy had no choice but to let me slump down to the floor. If I couldn’t go where I wanted, I wasn’t going anywhere at all. Daddy picked me up again but I wasn’t about to entertain that notion. I screamed and cried the moment my feet came off the ground.
Daddy put me back down again and I rewarded this by ceasing my screams of outrage. I began to wonder if I had stopped my cries of fury too early as daddy held me around the waist and wouldn’t let me go free. It seemed that we were at an impasse. Neither one of us knew what to do next.
That’s when mommy came over with a solution. She said we would compromise. I got placed in the seat of the shopping cart and mommy began to push the cart down the path following the arrows towards the exit. Whenever mommy and I go shopping, I ride in the cart. This was familiar territory and what I consider a fair compromise.
As I sat there in the cart with mommy directly in front of me, I started to relax a bit and take in the scenery. Ikea really is a pretty store. Watching the lights and colours go by as I breathed in mommy’s familiar scent reminded me of how tired I was. Maybe I was ready for my nap after all.
It wasn’t long before the shopping cart pulled up at the checkout and soon we were heading out the door. It was starting to rain and mommy got me into the car quickly while daddy dealt with the cart and our purchases. The three of us managed to get in the car as the sky opened up and it began to pour.
The rain made a lot of noise as it hit the metal roof above me. The water running down the windows blurred out the world outside. I closed my eyes and listened to the rain as I sat reflecting on my busy day. It had been a day of adventures and new experiences. It was a good day, but it had been exhausting.
The next thing I remember is being lifted out of the car seat and carried into the house. The rain had stopped and the sun was starting to come out again. I had forgotten that it was only mid afternoon. It was still early and there was lots of time in the day for more fun and play.
A strong team makes parenting easier and more effective. If you feel that your team needs some work, consider couples counseling as a method of improving your teamwork.
