So I thought we were going through the terrible twos this whole time but come to find out, that wasn't it...just a taste of what's to come. This past week was it! The tantrums and meltdowns are in full swing. They can happen at any unexpected moments multiple times a day, which can be SO emotionally draining. I just feel like I'm in this constant battle with him even with the little things like diaper changing, going down for a nap, etc. Just the other day, I took Ethan to the park in the afternoon and he wanted to bring his big teddy bear with him. I told him he couldn't because I didn't want it to get dirty and of course that turned into an all-out screaming, crying until I gave in. Then on the way home, we had another meltdown because he didn't want to get into the stroller and leave. And many more meltdowns after that.
Anyway, I was able to get some advice from the mom's group on what they do and what works for them and this is what I got:
- be consistent, be strong & don't give in to tantrums
- talk and explain things to him*
- 1-2-3- methods
- remain calm
- walk away*
- pick your battles
- let him help with things*
- give him choices
- give him a heads up before having sudden changes*
- focus on positive behaviors*
With it being rainy all day yesterday, we were stuck in the house most of the day and really was able to apply some of these methods (*). So there I was anticipating and preparing myself all day (pretty much giving myself stomach ulcer) for the tantrums & meltdowns, but they never came. It really made a difference! And even today, I was able to leave a park playdate WITHOUT a meltdown. I made sure I gave Ethan a heads up that we'll be leaving in 5 minutes and had him say bye-bye to everyone. It was like a whole new world of communication just opened up for us!
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