Yesterday Jake and I had a play date with a couple friends from our neighborhood. I like both these ladies and they have precious two year olds and I used to have a precious two year old so I was looking forward to the meeting. When I say I used to have a precious two year old don't panic. Nothing has happened to Jake except that I think maybe he has been replaced with some alien pod person. Like in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
When I told him we were going to go play with these friends he said "Play! With Kenna and Weo!" (He doesn't say the letter L yet.) He seemed very excited and happy to go. I think the first mistake I made was letting him take one of his trucks with us. Because as soon as we got there and one of the other kids wanted to play with that firetruck, you would have thought that she was asking for one of his kidneys instead. He really did NOT want to share and was very ugly about it screaming "MINE and NO!" Oh, and he did not want to leave my lap and whined every time I tried to put him down.
Finally, he decided to get down and play. But he clearly wanted to play on his terms which meant by himself with "his" toys and nobody else better touch what he was playing with. I was disturbed by his actions but the other mama's were very gracious and insisted that their kids have their moments too. SO, I left for about fifteen minutes to go pick up lunch for everyone and when I returned my friends gave me a good report on Jake's behaviour while I was gone. Not five minutes later, I'm in the kitchen and hear one of the other kids crying. Then I hear Jake crying. So I went upstairs to find out that my child had whacked the other child right on the forehead with a little metal toy motorcycle. Hard enough to leave a mark. And Jake was crying like he had somehow been the offended party. Off to time out we went. When he came out of time out and I told him to say sorry to the boy he hit, my child said "NO, don't wanna." It was a bright and shining moment in my motherhood experience.
I would have taken him home right then, but ya'll I was hungry and the pizza was almost ready. So we stayed. And I'm not kidding you that not ten minutes later he had whacked the other child upside the head with the same motorcycle. It was like an unending game of Clue with the outcome of the crime scene always being "Jake in the playroom with the motorcycle." I was truly mortified.
We finally got the motorcycle away from Jake and got the kids settled down to eat. He seemed to get better once he had some food in him. So I thought maybe his blood sugar was just whacked out from the donuts we had for breakfast and because he was hungry and that my sweet boy will be back now. And that is when I looked over to see him whacking one of the kids in the head with a slice of pizza because she tried to sit in his chair. Sigh. Clearly, we have work to do. I don't even know where to begin because frankly, I'm too fat and tired to think about it. I need some serious parenting advice here before we have to send him off to some sort of military school for toddlers. Do they make such places?
Don't fret, sweet friend. We'll try it again next week and see which of these sweet toddlers does the hitting. Leo generally opts for biting, but he's had all of his shots, so no worries : ). They are realizing that they have choice (darnit) and a sense of ownership right now. Just wait until y'all come over and play with all of Leo toys; he'll probably freak. Please come nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteIf you find a military school for that age let me know because mine needs to go too then. I feel like I am parenting all the time but then every once in awhile I see another parent with the same problem as me so it makes me feel better. I can get you the names of a lot of people whose kids test them a lot!
ReplyDeleteI meant to say failing at parenting. I feel like I am failing.
ReplyDeleteyeah, i hate to tell you this but those "toddler snatchers" took wyatt about a year ago and they still haven't brought him back. terrible two's my ass. it is the threes! but take courage...this too shall pass.
ReplyDeleteI am not a parent, and don't claim to know anything about it, but i can tell you it is normal. Children in their 2's-3's are in the egocentric stage of life, everything is "me, mine". Jake doesn't want to share his toys or his chair, and it often results "violence". Just be firm with the time-outs and be consistent about hitting/biting not being acceptable or ok. He doesn't always have to share, but he is not allowed to hit if he doesn't like it. But what do I know, that's just what all the books/teachers say...
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