I am so over the statement “I WOULD NEVER” when it comes to my son, Tyson. I have put my foot in my mouth way too many times. For example:
1. What I said: “I will never let my baby sleep in the bed with me at night, that’s crazy I would probably smother it or something!”
What I did: My son slept in my bed until he was about 1 ½ years old. I guess technically you can say he still sleeps in my bed due to the fact the he wakes up in the middle of the night and comes to my bed. L
2. What I said: “I will never breastfeed my baby past the first year! That’s just gross!”
What I did: We all know what I did. My son is about to be 2 on the 29th… I’m working on it. Every time I try to give him regular cow’s milk he spits it out. L No one ever warns you about all the little difficult tasks you'll have to endure as a mom.
3. What I said: “Listen to that kid screaming! If I ever have a baby it will never throw a tantrum like that… That has to be embarrassing.”
How I feel: Oh no not another tantrum, this is so embarrassing! Why does he have to scream so loud? I can barely hold on to him when he stiffens his 45 pound body like a piece of wood.
This list could go on forever… But it reminds me of some really good information I want to share with you about toddlers and tantrums. It’s from the October 2011 Awake published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. It explains why toddlers go through “the terrible twos” and I found it very fitting, I am going to quote a piece of the article:
“Parents of infants are kept quite busy responding to their newborn’s everyday needs. Baby cries, and someone is there to feed him. Baby cries, and someone is there to change him. Baby cries, and someone is there to hold him. Such pampering is appropriate and necessary. It is a primary way that parents fulfill their role as caretakers. In view of the above, it is only natural if a baby believes that he is at the center of the universe and that adults-in particular, parents-exist solely to do his bidding. That view is flawed but completely understandable. Remember, for more than a year, that has been the baby’s reality. In his view, he is the monarch of an empire populated by big people who were put here to serve him…
...At about age two, the bubble does indeed burst as a parent shifts roles from caretaker to instructor. Now the baby becomes aware that his parents are not following his lead; instead, he is being expected to follow theirs. The baby’s monarch has been overthrown, and he may not take well to the new regime. Frustrated, he attempts to hold his ground. How?” – Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. “How to Raise Responsible Children.” October 2011, p5.
Doesn’t that totally make sense? I couldn’t believe it when I read it. I felt like it was written just for me. It helps me understand why Tyson is throwing his tantrums. The Awake goes on to talk about coping with tantrums. I’ll share that piece of the article with you another day. Tyson has already been napping for about an hour. I doubt I have time to type up that portion right now…
