Last night, I was very tempted to take some video footage of Baby Girl’s ripper tantrum. I resisted though. It was an absolute cracker and far bigger and bolder than any she has thrown to date. If you’ve ever seen snippets of The Exorcist, where the character played by Linda Blair is completely controlled by a demon, that’s how I explained it to her father upon his arrival home from work. I waited in anticipation of her head spinning and I was certain that green froth would spew forth from her screaming mouth. Yep, that bad. Ummm, maybe actually worse.
Kicking the floor.
Screaming.
Kicking the wall.
Screaming.
Kicking her bed.
Wailing.
Lashing out.
Full on.
I waited. Sucked in the deep ones, waited some more.
Then I waited.
It seemed to last forever, but in reality was over in 10 minutes and yes it was 10 minutes of pain-in-the-arse frustration – for her and me both.
I decided early on in the event not to react. Much, much easier said than done, isn’t it? But on this occasion it was the right thing to do. I sat on the edge of the bed and just watched, waited and said nothing. Not a word until the end. Until she was an exhausted, sobbing mess confused by the ferocity of her own behavior.
I had to remind myself that her behavior was a form of communication. She was frustrated and upset and hindered by lacking the language skills to express herself in a calmer way. At age two and half impulse control is limited and not yet mastered BUT at forty-three and a half (shhhhhhh) I would have no excuse for responding in kind. Hard, so hard when you’re in the moment, hey!
She said she was “sorry, Mummy” sob, sob and I accepted her apology with a hug. I explained the inappropriateness of the behavior and I think she understood …. until next time. There will be a next time, won’t there?
How do you clear your head after a massive kiddie meltdown? I like to go for a hot shower and wash my hair – weird huh, but it works for me. So, what works for you?
