Two

[eema.gray]

Yeled pretty much got us kicked out of the post office yesterday.  

I decided I was going to run errends with both kids.  I needed to mail some cards and packages, deposit a couple checks at the bank, and pick up a couple things for my housekeeping binder at Michael's.  Lots of moms do this.  I should be capable of doing it too, right?

Wrong.

First stop:  Post office.  We get in there, there are two clerks, each assisting someone, and one lady in line.  So I'm thinking this should be pretty easy.  Yeled will sit on a bench for a few minutes, I'll get my stuff mailed out, and we'll be back in the truck in no time at all.  Five minutes later, Yeled was trying to run up and down the benches (they're wood slates, not a good idea).  I got him off the benches and held him next to me.  He started shrieking and flailing.  Neither clerk looked particularly pleased.  The lady in front of us kept giving me dirty looks.  So I collared the boy and we marched right back out, packages and cards unmailed.  Drove through at the bank since I was determined to get at least on thing done, then we went home.

Since Ranger Daddy was home and sleeping, I put Yeled down for a nap, waited for him to fall asleep, then marched myself and Yalda back to the post office and out to Michael's.  We were home long before he woke up.  And for the record, RD sleeps lightly.  If Yeled had gotten into any sort of difficulty, RD would have heard and woken up.  He knew the plan because I told him what I wanted to do before he went to bed.

I know my son is just a typical terrifying two year old.  I know it.  But he makes it harder than necessary because he's not really talking yet.  He has a dozen or so words that he's pretty good at using but what little speech he does have disappears completely when he's in anything other than a completely calm emotional state.  When he pulls a stunt like yesterday's, I feel like I'm not doing a very good job with him.  He excels at making me feel like I'm a very poor excuse for a parent.  I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon debating if we should put him into a day care / preschool program post haste.  I feel like, if he spent more time with other kids, other adults, he would learn to behave better.  Not to mention, maybe he'd get a better handle on talking instead of relying on point and shout.  On the other hand, he'd probably behave perfectly there and then be a normal terrifying two year old the second he got home.

[IrishMommaC]

Jan. 28, 2010 at 4:35 PM

((((Hugs)))) He will outgrow it.  I know that seems hard to believe, but I've watched Liam do it--- and he did tantrums like that nearly every time we went anywhere for more than a year.  Now, other than the constant reminders to stay where I can see him, he does really well.  Cora's at the tantrum stage though.

They do do an awesome job at making you feel like an inadequate parent though.  The only think I had going for me that you don't is that with the daycare kids, I knew I could get those kids to behave so there had to be some hope for my abilities.  Consistancy and time make all the difference.

The only thing I would say though is don't let tantrums mean that he gets out of being wherever he is.  He'll figure that out and just tantrum to leave places.  While its horribly embarrassing, finish your errand.  I did entire grocery shopping trips with a screaming, flailing 2yo strapped into a cart.  There will be people who give you the dirtiest looks,, but there will also be people who pat your arm and tell you you're doing the right thing and it'll get better.

Hang in there momma- even if it feels like it takes a million years, eventually he'll get over it and you'll really appreciate every good outting.

((((Hugs))))