Motherhood: a mash up of (mostly) exquisite days and trying moments. As always, there’s something to take away from each experience. Allow me to share, some sour n’ sweet moments as of late.
Sour
Tiana isn’t quite two yet but her ability to express herself (in forms of attitude and tantrums) has arrived early.
Here she is brushing off my instructions to hold my hand when crossing the road.
I’m not sure who she thinks is boss around here, but that’s changing, quickly.
I stumbled upon “1-2-3 Magic” when Googling “gentle ways to discipline a toddler” (I’m soft). This simple discipline method is all about being consistent and keeping your cool. I tweaked the rules a bit to suit Tiana’s age and personality but overall, I highly recommend it!
I couldn’t believe my eyes when she stopped her tantrum in her tracks before I reached “3”, at my second attempt!
*Poof*. Magic, I tell you.
Sweet
And then there’s the wonderfully amazing aspect about her communication development. I can hear her thoughts! She talks to her dolls, the birds, the moon. She tells me about Daddy’s soccer games. We chat. It’s all very amusing and sweet.
Here she is at the pond, summoning the geese.
Your turn!
1. In the comments below, please share your recent sour n’ sweet mommy highlights . Also, let me know what discipline method works for you and your kids.
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4 Responses to Sour n’ Sweet: Tantrums + Conversations
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I'm Nat Nanton, founder of Tutu Mama. Becoming a mother has made me commit to living my greatest life. If you can relate to that, you're in the right place.Connect with me
Loved this post! My daughter is 20 months and the tantrums seem to have begun just recently. I thought I had a few more months of the sweet-spot that we had just found ourselves in.
I'd love to hear more about 1-2-3 Magic. I have been reading Playful Parenting and have found some helpful little tips and tricks in there.
Looking forward to meeting you in a couple of weeks at Fabulous! 🙂
Jessica
I like the sound of Playful Parenting. About to read "The Happiest Toddler On the Block". I'll let you know what I think of that. Check out the link for the basic jist. However, just today I found myself wishing that I could take the "fear" out of discipline. Even if it is just fear of sitting on a chair for a 30-sec timeout. Hopefully all these books will help me find that sweetspot again. 😉
Thanks for stopping by Jessica!
http://www.ehow.com/how_2106254_use-123-magic-discipline.html
My son is about the same age & he’s recently started screeching at the top of his lungs inside. I stumbled upon a great way to redirect him a few days ago: I ask him to sing me a song. He usually sings me part of Octopus (also known as Slippery Fish). When he sings it, he does it quietly & deliberately–he usually seems to forget about the screeching.
That’s what I try to do with him when he’s doing something I don’t want–offer him a suggestion of something else to do, rather than just saying no. Another thing he does sometimes is poke or hit me when he’s breastfeeding or sitting on my lap. If I just tell him no, he’ll usually continue. But if I say, “No, be gentle”, he turns his whacks into soft strokes.
I put 123 Magic on hold at the library. Thanks for the tip!
Ah yes, the distraction method is the best! No discipline needed! Thanks for the reminder. I can’t believe your guy agrees to sing a song! That is so sweet!! I’ll have to try it.
Hitting hasn’t been too much of a problem so far but when she does, if I ask her to be gentle, she’ll usually comply as well.
Thanks for your input!