6 months and counting

I mentioned early that my friend Gayle (of Oprah and Gayle fame) told me that every other year is a good one with young kids, and you just learn to love them in between. For a few days, I thought I was off the hook! I thought we were on a 6 month rotation - but alas, we are not.

We had about 9 days of AH-MAY-ZING baby behavior. So sweet! So pleasant, so fun! He was starting to say please and thank you and was transitioning so well between playtime, clean up time, time to leave, time to eat... Those days have come to a screeching halt, and I am back to counting the days until he turns two. I swear, I am looking forward to the 'terrible twos' - anything to get me out of the 'my child is a crazed, flesh eating, tantrum throwing, impatient, and self centered' one a half year old phase.

Within the span of three days, he learned "mine". He started saying "no". He started saying "no, mine!" in glorious harmony. He has gotten rougher with his little buddy at daycare, and his tantrums have gotten very physical, very abrupt, angry, and frequent. Today, I felt like a complete and utter failure as a mother. I picked him up from daycare and he flew into a total rage. Nothing helped (distractions, force, tricks, toys...). There was biting, kicking, thrashing, and clinging to the car. If I wasn't on my way BACK to work, I wold have cried my eyes out with him.

Im not sure where we are going wrong. I am consistent. I do not give in to his tantrums (every book says they will lessen if the child doesn't get his way). I also pick my battles. However, the battle to leave daycare is non-negotiable. The battle to not hit or bite me is non-negotiable. I am sick of the 'its a normal phase' crap too. I know that, but it still has to get under control.

So, here I am, getting ready to dive into my three favorite parenting books - "The Everything Guide to Tantrums", "What to Expect, the Toddler Years", and "the complete single parent". I have decided to attack it this time like a teacher ;-) I am making making note cards to laminate. I shall put my parenting tips and tools on paper! I shall carry them with me to study at red lights! And, the next time he terrorizes me at Target, and I can look down at my note cards and remember that leaving him in the display of pack and plays will not, in the long run, be effective.

I think my first note card with address the no sharing issue. The front will read:

Your child is egocentric, self-centered, and impulsive. Congrats - he's developing normally.

The back will list all the techniques for dealing with that (when I figure it out!).

My next card will be my friendly "naughty corner" tips from Supernanny (although, thanks to repetition, I pretty much have that down, and thank goodness its still pretty effective!)

I will continue my cards, and hopefully keep my sanity! I know tomorrow, for at least the first 10 minutes of the day, when in his eyes, I can do no wrong, I will not be an epic failure of a mom.