Recently, Alex has been a tantrumy, whiny, bad tempered child with some major anger management issues. Several times a day I am having to put him in his room to calm down.
**Of course, he is only this way with me and John because the very second anyone else is near him the horns recede into his head, the flames erupting from his mouth fizzle out and he's all cuteness and light again. WTF????**
Putting him in his room is the only thing I can think of to do. When he's stomping around, roaring and spitting, and crying and upending tables, chairs and throwing toys in every direction a) it's dangerous to be around him and b) Anything I say or do just pisses him off even more. So, I pick him up, screeching like a wounded pterodactyl, plop him in his bed with Blue Blankie and tell him he can come out when he's calmed down. Sometimes he comes out 30 seconds later, sometimes he stays in there screaming toddler profanities so long he falls asleep.
This technique works pretty well because I think it offers him the opportunity to learn how calm himself without really feeling like he's being punished. He can come out of his room as soon as he's chilled the eff out. I don't close the door, and anything goes in there. Screaming, kicking the wall, throwing his toys...whatever. If he comes out of his room still in a rage, back he goes. More often than not, he comes out after about five minutes and tells me "Mommy, I'm calm now".
As for the source of these temper tantrums, I'm still at a loss. Is it the age? Half years always seem to be hardest for us. 18 months was awful, 2.5 was misery and 3.5 might very well do us in. I'm hoping, just like everything else, this too shall pass.
The first thing I think is he is having a hard time keeping up with his noggin. Meaning he is getting smarter and gets pissed when something doesn't go the exact way that his brilliant mind has concocted. And why get pissed at anyone but those he actually thinks can figure out what he is thinking. Something hard to remedy if it is something you don't want him to do or if you have know idea because he is too pissed to talk to. Any who thank you for your advice, I have been putting Lily in her room also. Good Luck keep me updated..thank you for having Grand child #1 and writing about it, it really does help me with Lily.
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