The Stand-Off with My 2-Yr Old was a Lose/Lose Situation
The other day started off pretty normally. The kids were getting along great for 15 minutes at a time. Then, they would scream at each other. Then, they would apologize. And harmony would ensue for another whole 15 minutes. Ah, Sisters!
I decided at one point to take a moment to sit on the couch and watch them play together. It was at this moment that the bookend twins (my 5 yr old and my 1 yr old are very much alike) decided to gang up on the 2 yr old. They snatched toys from her and ran from the room to go play together without the poor middlest.
But, see, my middlest has quite the spirit in her. She is full of sweetness and spunk. She loves totally, all encompassing, and she also gets really really pissed off. She can charm you with one smile, or freeze you with one glare.
When the bookend twins ran off, they hurt her feelings and made her very very angry. She stomped, and twirled in the middle of the living room, just looking for something to take her frustration out of. She had "that" look. That slightly wild around the edges look. Her eyes stopped on me for half a second.
"Oh no." I said. "You better stop and think about it. Don't Do IT!"
"I WON'T!" she yelled.
"Really." I replied. "Don't do it"
"I wasn't going to!"
"Stop and think about it. Make a good decision," I tried to calmly and firmly rationalize.
"I'm NOT!" she raised the volume and octave in this last scream.
"Don't Do IT!" I am now raising my voice.
We had a couple more exchanges like this, back and forth, each one escalating in tone and volume... until my daughter, having stepped a bit closer and closer to me with each exchange.. reaches out.. and yells "I'm not going to do it!" and proceeds to hit me as she had just promised she wasn't going to... and then turns tail and runs off as fast as her little legs can go.
Her eyes were wide and shocked that she had just hit me. If it wasn't such a serious offense to hit one's Mommy, it would have been one of those made for sitcom moments that would have inspired laughter... the situation inevitably escalating.. innocent bystander mommy.... outraged and indignant two-year old who felt pushed to the point of no return, then the unthinkable outlash with her wide-eyed shock...
Needless to say she spent some time in her room, AND I threw one of her beloved My Little Ponies in the trash. The consequence for violence towards anyone in our house is that you lose a toy you love. Usually, we try to donate it. But in this case, I had to make an immediate point and have her throw it away.
I love that Middlest. Her spirit is so full of awesomesauce. But it will get her in trouble one day. She is the child whose college fund might just end up as bail money.
The other day started off pretty normally. The kids were getting along great for 15 minutes at a time. Then, they would scream at each other. Then, they would apologize. And harmony would ensue for another whole 15 minutes. Ah, Sisters!
I decided at one point to take a moment to sit on the couch and watch them play together. It was at this moment that the bookend twins (my 5 yr old and my 1 yr old are very much alike) decided to gang up on the 2 yr old. They snatched toys from her and ran from the room to go play together without the poor middlest.
But, see, my middlest has quite the spirit in her. She is full of sweetness and spunk. She loves totally, all encompassing, and she also gets really really pissed off. She can charm you with one smile, or freeze you with one glare.
When the bookend twins ran off, they hurt her feelings and made her very very angry. She stomped, and twirled in the middle of the living room, just looking for something to take her frustration out of. She had "that" look. That slightly wild around the edges look. Her eyes stopped on me for half a second.
"Oh no." I said. "You better stop and think about it. Don't Do IT!"
"I WON'T!" she yelled.
"Really." I replied. "Don't do it"
"I wasn't going to!"
"Stop and think about it. Make a good decision," I tried to calmly and firmly rationalize.
"I'm NOT!" she raised the volume and octave in this last scream.
"Don't Do IT!" I am now raising my voice.
We had a couple more exchanges like this, back and forth, each one escalating in tone and volume... until my daughter, having stepped a bit closer and closer to me with each exchange.. reaches out.. and yells "I'm not going to do it!" and proceeds to hit me as she had just promised she wasn't going to... and then turns tail and runs off as fast as her little legs can go.
Her eyes were wide and shocked that she had just hit me. If it wasn't such a serious offense to hit one's Mommy, it would have been one of those made for sitcom moments that would have inspired laughter... the situation inevitably escalating.. innocent bystander mommy.... outraged and indignant two-year old who felt pushed to the point of no return, then the unthinkable outlash with her wide-eyed shock...
Needless to say she spent some time in her room, AND I threw one of her beloved My Little Ponies in the trash. The consequence for violence towards anyone in our house is that you lose a toy you love. Usually, we try to donate it. But in this case, I had to make an immediate point and have her throw it away.
I love that Middlest. Her spirit is so full of awesomesauce. But it will get her in trouble one day. She is the child whose college fund might just end up as bail money.
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