Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Y is for Yelling and Screaming: My Journey Through Parenthood

Y is for Yelling and screaming.

"about" 18 months old?
Who really remembers these things? 

I remember the first huge, earthquake of a tantrum Michael threw at the grocery store.  Safeway, to be exact.  He was about 18 months old (but as I think about it a LOT of things happened when he was "about" 18 months old).

Thankfully, I had done my research and I was prepared.  Instead of standing around, red-faced and trying to talk sense into the senseless, I picked him and ran out as fast as I could.  And yup, some minimum wage clerk had to put away my full basket of groceries.

I'm not sure where exactly I learned to do this.  I read that I needed to take him out of the situation to show him who was in control.  Weird thing was that it worked.  Over time the tantrums lessened and I was able to console him right then and there.  No running out for this mom!  It was an amazing feeling.  As soon as his head threw back my "mommy tone" came out and he shaped right up.

As he got older, years older, he realized he could still throw himself on the floor even when I was using my "mommy tone."  That wasn't fun.  Thankfully Mr. Sexy had put a ring on my finger and has played a major role in Michael's life.

It just so happens that a big part of our lives involve yelling and screaming.

Still.

He's 6.  I hear that for some kids that's normal and for others it's not.

Who cares.

All our kids are different from all kinds of different families.  I'm proud of Michael constantly because he has a huge heart that yearns to love people.  He doesn't always know how to do that, however.  So he resorts to yelling and screaming.

Oh well, perhaps 7 will be different!

A Valentine's project we did together for school.


What was your worst tantrum experience like? 

This is the A-Z blogging challenge so go ahead and read the introduction and see a list of all my A-Z posts.

7 comments:

  1. just found you. I am a stepparent. The "boys" are now in their 30s. No screaming at this juncture. But there were a few fits and my husband did not tolerate it. He'd snatch them up and take them outside. We were back in the day when a good swat on the butt did the trick. We don't advocate beatings, but sometimes talking just does not work. They are both fine and well adjusted with kids of their own. Timeouts take them so far.

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    1. Somebody called the cops on me one day because I was putting bandaids on my daughter in the walmart parking lot. I make sure to keep our house fully stocked now so as not cause concern. lol

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  2. I've had to carry her out of a store just one time, thankfully. I think it's her shyness that keeps her from throwing fits around strangers. But at home, in her element, we've had a few tantrums of epic proportions. I hope we'll be outgrowing that soon!

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  3. The worst tantrum experience I've had was with Little Red when she was 6. We were at her basketball practice at the Y. She didn't want to go practice with her team, but she didn't want to leave and go home either. (Those were the choices I gave her.) She screamed and kicked and screamed some more as I threw her over my shoulder and took her out of there, while EVERYONE in the gym watched. It's amazing how screams can echo in a large gym. LOL

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    1. Oh my gosh I have had those moments, too. They are awful!

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  4. oh my, every single time we went to visit my hubby's father - my son would have the worst behaviour. Just awful. there was some weird dynamic in play that I still have not figured out to this day, because he never acted that way at home before, or after. But it was so bad, we seriously considered leaveing him in the woods on the way home. It was that bad. And then once home, it was fine after a while -- until we went to visit him again.
    to be fair, I am not sure if it was my FIL in particular, or the 3 day journey it took to get there. Since it was the only time he ever behaved like that. Thankfully.

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