All the toddlers go beserk.
Posted on | June 6, 2012 | 10 Comments
Sully is a brilliant child. Scary smart. He remembers things from months and months ago. He recognizes landmarks, always remembers names, sings songs, tells jokes, counts to twenty, and is learning his ABC’s. He picks up on everything, which means we’ve had to work extra hard to watch our language every since hearing him say, “Well, damnit!” after not being able to screw a lid on a coffee mug. He’s funny. He’s incredibly sweet and sensitive. He is so, so loving.
And these days? He’s a hot mess of toddler emotion.
He’s moody. He’s stubborn. He’s full of angst over things like orange Fruit Loops and a green car instead of the blue one.
And also, I’m pretty sure he hates my guts.
Every day is basically a full nine rounds boxing match in which I am the consistent loser. He and Arlo fight over toys. He hits the dog. He throws his food. He blows raspberries full of orange juice all over my face. You know. Toddler things. And in turn, I count 1-2-3, I try time-out, I pop a hand when he reaches for the electrical socket after dunking it in a doggie bowl of water. He screams as loud as he can in the car and wakes up Arlo. He throws himself to the ground when told, “No.” I try to pick our battles because otherwise, we would be fighting. All. Day. Long.
Whenever he has the option of being with me or virtually anyone else in the world? He chooses the other person. It’s beyond depressing. If it weren’t for those brief moments when he lays his head on my shoulder and says, “I wuv you, Mommy,” before asking for a cookie, I might just cry. Luckily, he’s also super sweet to pretty much everyone else he knows (Or doesn’t know. Kid is notorious for approaching strangers in Target), so no one else has suggested I lock him in his room for the next year. Yet.
He and Arlo are best friends and worst enemies. Already, they wrestle over everything day-in and day-out. They fight for my attention, and Sully doesn’t even like me most of the time.He just can’t stand Arlo to be around me, and vice versa. They squeal at each other in brotherly delight, and then Sully hits Arlo over the head with a Tonka Truck and it’s all over. I’m tremble at the thought of how they will be this time next year. I’ll have a three-and-a-half-year-old and a two-year-old. Ohemgee. Because apparently there’s this weird thing that happens right around eighteen months. Your sweet, little baby turns into a monster 50% of the time (and let’s be real, sometimes more often than that), and you’re left wondering how they’re able to make their head spin around that way. I look at our Arlo, who is already scrappy, and fear I’m in for the worst.
Yes, this age is one of wonder and excitement. New things are learned every day. New words spoken. New sights seen. And patience is slowly worn down, one tossed toy at a time. The age of fun and pains in the ass.
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10 Responses to “All the toddlers go beserk.”
"I'm a twenty-five-year old mama to two little boys and married to the love of my life. I have a serious Diet Coke addiction and a tendency to overshare. My biggest dream is to write a book. A good book that tons of people buy and relate to and love. In the mean time, this is the story of us as we flounder through raising our wild, little boys, moving a million times, and buying and renovating our 1968 Ranch home."
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June 6th, 2012 @ 10:43 am
I know this probably won’t make you feel better but Garrett doesn’t like me either. It’s so so sad! Especially when he asks for Papa, in a sad voice. He’s also hit Avery with his Hot Wheels car. Sigh. I feel like I’m hanging on by a thread most days.
June 6th, 2012 @ 10:43 am
Soooo true about the 18 month change. Although I swear it starts even earlier than that but at the 18 month mark its just over.
This too shall pass though. But I need chocolate, LOTS of it to keep me from going crazy.
June 6th, 2012 @ 11:34 am
He got it from his Momma!
June 6th, 2012 @ 11:45 am
Oh Sally, I could have wrote this post myself. Liam is the exact same way. I just keep telling myself it will pass, and I really hope it does and quickly!
June 6th, 2012 @ 11:58 am
Kendall clearly prefers certain people over me. Not everyone, as there are definitely a few people she can’t stand (I’m looking at you overbearing gym daycare worker!). But what gets me is how she treats me so horribly when my husband is around, but when it is just us during the day, she is so sweet and loving. It breaks my heart. I can only imagine what her teenage years will be like!
June 6th, 2012 @ 1:09 pm
Forget my kids not liking me…I’M the one that doesn’t like my kids most of the time! LOL Ugh, the fighting. THE FIGHTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m an only child so I just don’t get it. And? I don’t want to get it. I just want it to stop.
If I just had my 8 and 5 year old then things would be pretty much smooth-sailing with the exception to the normal disobedience every once-in-a-while, but it’s my youngest. Oh man is he ever a workout. He takes up 95% of my daily attention so my other 2 kids get the riftraft when it comes to motherly love. We just got back from a 2-day vacation and my husband and I promised each other, just shy of being written in each other’s blood, that we would never, EVER take our youngest with us on vacation for a good two years. It was AWFUL!! I can’t believe one kid could be so.much.work!!!!!!
I once heard a quote that went something like, “you love each the same, but you like them in different ways.” SOO true!
June 6th, 2012 @ 1:40 pm
Oh I am soooooo here! My 2.5 year old has been pretty good up until a couple months ago. Now it seems as though my easy going boy has a opinion on EVERYTHING and he doesn’t have the communiation skills to go along with them. My just turned. 1 year old though, oh my! He is going to be my terrifying toddler, I can tell already. I love watching my boys play together but boy can they also fight already! My youngest is a tough cookie already and he can dish it out pretty good. And I am crazy enough to be pregnant again! Next year I will have a 3.5 year old, a 2 year old, and a 7 month old, am I crazy???
June 6th, 2012 @ 4:53 pm
You should get the book 1-2-3 Magic. My just-turned-three-year-old daughter is the same way except I’m the one getting hit in the head with books. This method is no spanking, no yelling and it seriously works. I have a different kid two days after starting. She’s happier, I’m happier and I actually miss her when she goes to sleep. I get more kisses and hugs too which were hard to come by before.
Sally Reply:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:05 pm
We’be done 123 magic, and unfortunately, it hasn’t been a great success. I do think it’s an awesome program, and I suggest it to others.
June 7th, 2012 @ 12:27 am
I am right there with you Mama. We recently moved in with my folks for a few months and man my two year old is sweet and nice to everyone but me. Because I’m the rule enforcer.
We usually have problems right off in the morning. If I give her a choice for breakfast she cries from being overwhelmed and if I don’t she cries because it’s not what she wants. And then our day can go downhill pretty quick, depending on other things like diaper changes or combing her hair! It’s so frustrating to always hear whining and to never know what will set her off. She’s a sweet, sensitive girl, but a handful for sure!