Patience

June 7, 2013

Testing My Parental (and Patience) Skills

 

So when I was pregnant, I was just sure that I would be SO in love with the ‘newborn baby’ phase and that I would not be so in love with the ‘little kid’ phase. Pre-parenthood I was very awkward with children (I am still awkward with children that are not in a similar age bubble or younger than P), so I was pretty sure that once my child wanted to play and have interaction other than the affection and stimulation and one-way conversations required of a newborn baby, that I would exit my parenting comfort zone and J would have to take over the reigns as primary fun person.  Not that P is very far into the kid part of his life yet, he still has two months until he is even 2, but we are definitely not in the baby part anymore, and I am happy to report that I am loving this age as much, if not at times more than when he was squishy baby.

I did love the baby part, I loved it! I was a little surprised at a few things and there were some times where I felt like I was ready for the ‘next step’.  I was never wishing time away, but I remember specifically a moment around the 4 month area where I was like ‘P is awesome, but it will be nice when he has a few more motor skills and can interact a little more’ since newborns are basically little turtles for the first few months. As P has inched out of Babyland and into the treacherous waters of Toddlerworld, I have really really enjoyed seeing him develop his personality and become a little boy.  I do miss the baby part at times, but I am loving this as well.

Can I add one ‘BUT’ though? But…holy moly my easy and laid back child (to this point) can get his feelings hurt and have a meltdown if he doesn’t get his way! It is so sad and frustrating and maddening (and at times embarrassing). I hate to see him cry, his pouty lip and big ‘you crushed my toddler soul’ eyes, it breaks my heart. I am whipping out my toddler parenting books as we speak and trying to be a quick study!

I was briefly discussing this with one of my close friends in MI who just had her first child in March (i.e. not a toddler at all yet). She is a very logical and practical thinker (although I also am most of the time too) and she commented that she knew the toddler phase would be an adjustment to her as well when the time came because when she thinks about it right now, her mental response is ‘No, you cannot have another cookie young child, you must move past this and get over it’. Case closed. I chuckled to myself and responded to her that in my head, I usually have that same response as well…..but it is rarely as simple as ‘no, you can’t have another cookie’ (especially since we don’t really give cookies). It is more like ‘No, P you can’t open the oven when it is on, or help mommy cook on the stove, or vacuum for an hour, or sit in the freezer with the door open, or climb the magazine rack, or play in the toilet, or go outside in the middle of the thunderstorm, or run the dog over with your push toy, or put your hand between your legs when you have a poopy diaper…..’. The list goes on.

I know meltdowns are a natural sign of our little humans progressing and learning and becoming independent thinkers, it is just an adjustment!