As a parent it can be excruciating sometimes to hear cliches – mainly because most of them are true.
Time really does go too quickly, it IS the hardest but most rewarding job you could have, and the terrible twos are real. Unfortunately, that last one has become blatantly obvious in the last few months thanks to our little ‘two-nager.’
Don’t get me wrong, Rupert can be a hilarious, cute and very caring little boy, and he is clearly besotted with his little sister but sometimes he tests Jess and I to our limits.
But as horrible as his tantrums can be, sometimes we have to admit that they’re pretty hilarious. For example, just recently he wanted hot chocolate after we got back from a walk. A standard request, right? I agree, so here’s how the conversation went.
R: Daddy, dock dock.
D: You want a hot chocolate, Rupert?
R: Yeah
D: Yes, what?
R: Pease
D: OK, good boy.
I came back to give him the hot chocolate he’d so patiently and nicely asked for.
R: No, No, NOOOOOOOOOO! *Cue arm flinging, full tantrum.*
Turns out, he wanted the hot chocolate, but he wanted Mummy to give it to him….sigh.
To be fair, he’s not really a tantrum kind of kid, and if he starts to get naughty then we’ll step in (he’s usually taken outside into the hallway for a couple of minutes to cool off.)
The bad tantrums are few and far between nowadays, although they still do happen. We think it’s that stage where he knows what he wants and gets frustrated that he can’t properly communicate it/we don’t understand him.
This morning he came to both Jess and I and asked to go for a walk. Again, a standard request. So we said of course, Rupert, lets get you out then, we’ll just get some socks on you.
*CUE NOOOOOOO, AND THRASHING ABOUT IF YOU TRY AND PUT THEM ON FOR THE NEXT HOUR*
But in that hour, he calmly came back over to us at least five times and said ‘walk?’ But the bare mention of his socks and phew, he was off again.
Eventually, he got his socks on but then we asked him to get his coat on….
I’ve just started reading a book called ‘The Montessori Toddler’ and it introduces a few concepts that will hopefully see us help him express himself and develop in a safe ‘no-free’ environment. I’ll write a blog on it in a few weeks to let you know how it’s going.
Until then, Rupert can you get your hat on, please?
