Notes on a Tantrum
Today on the way home from swim class, G said he wanted to go to the play park. So I thought we'd swing by on our way home. But I pull into the parking lot, and he starts crying and says he wants to go home. So I go home. We pull into the driveway and he cries harder and says play park.
Yeah I can't live that way sunny-Jim.
So we go inside, him screaming and crying, clawing at the garage door (which I locked to keep him in). After maybe 5min? Hard to say really, I open it and ask him what does he need in the garage? Because he's stopped making sense at this point. He's saying random words that don't really make sense so I'm thinking I'm missing something. Did he leave his juice/car/beloved it-probably-cost-a-nickel tiny dinosaur somewhere and he needs it back?
No. He goes to the car door and says play park. I tell him we can go later this afternoon (I mean obviously we can't go now). He screams. There's an empty box in the garage and he picks it up and throws it, kicks it, he does this a handful of itmes. I shut the door and leave him in the garage. I don't really like this plan, per say, because it's not a safe place, but oh well. The screaming stopped and he went to the garage door and peeked around it to see where I was. He did this two or three times and then I grabbed him and made him come inside.
More screaming. More banging on the door (which I locked again). I ignored it. I went into the bedroom and folded laundry.
See, working moms, this is what you miss. Aren't you jealous.
This went on for 15 minutes? From the time we pulled into the driveway (10:55) to about 11:30 he was in some form of upset, alternating between sadness and screaming anger. I knew this was probably sleep or food related. But until he calmed down there was no way to get food in him and I wasn't sending him to bed like that.
Close to 11:30 I decided he couldn't calm himself down. So I went and picked him up (screaming) and found a juice box (which was next to the capri suns). He said he wanted a capri sun. I gave him one. NO! Juice box! I hand him a juice box. NO! That one! (pointing at capri sun). I take back the juice box, but him in his chair and leave him with the capri sun. More screaming.
I mean seriously, he was inconsolable. It made no sense. It was a very bizarre emotional meltdown. Usually my child, even when he's upset, he makes sense. This is why I was pretty confident it was blood sugar related. So I let him suck down the juice, and he calmed down pretty quickly.
Then he ate his lunch. Then he was fine. Then he went and took a nap. And he's sleeping right now.
I'm no stranger to tantrums. I mean he's two. And kids are people and want what they want and sometimes you have to tell them no.
He should just be thankful I'd slept well because I had lots of patience for him and was very calm and loving. Which made his behavior even more bizarre.
But it just cements my theory that there isn't really a behavior problem that can't be traced back to sleep or food. And lest you think I hadn't fed him this morning, he did eat. Not a ton or anything, but he did eat. Just apparently not enough.
Yeah I can't live that way sunny-Jim.
So we go inside, him screaming and crying, clawing at the garage door (which I locked to keep him in). After maybe 5min? Hard to say really, I open it and ask him what does he need in the garage? Because he's stopped making sense at this point. He's saying random words that don't really make sense so I'm thinking I'm missing something. Did he leave his juice/car/beloved it-probably-cost-a-nickel tiny dinosaur somewhere and he needs it back?
No. He goes to the car door and says play park. I tell him we can go later this afternoon (I mean obviously we can't go now). He screams. There's an empty box in the garage and he picks it up and throws it, kicks it, he does this a handful of itmes. I shut the door and leave him in the garage. I don't really like this plan, per say, because it's not a safe place, but oh well. The screaming stopped and he went to the garage door and peeked around it to see where I was. He did this two or three times and then I grabbed him and made him come inside.
More screaming. More banging on the door (which I locked again). I ignored it. I went into the bedroom and folded laundry.
See, working moms, this is what you miss. Aren't you jealous.
This went on for 15 minutes? From the time we pulled into the driveway (10:55) to about 11:30 he was in some form of upset, alternating between sadness and screaming anger. I knew this was probably sleep or food related. But until he calmed down there was no way to get food in him and I wasn't sending him to bed like that.
Close to 11:30 I decided he couldn't calm himself down. So I went and picked him up (screaming) and found a juice box (which was next to the capri suns). He said he wanted a capri sun. I gave him one. NO! Juice box! I hand him a juice box. NO! That one! (pointing at capri sun). I take back the juice box, but him in his chair and leave him with the capri sun. More screaming.
I mean seriously, he was inconsolable. It made no sense. It was a very bizarre emotional meltdown. Usually my child, even when he's upset, he makes sense. This is why I was pretty confident it was blood sugar related. So I let him suck down the juice, and he calmed down pretty quickly.
Then he ate his lunch. Then he was fine. Then he went and took a nap. And he's sleeping right now.
I'm no stranger to tantrums. I mean he's two. And kids are people and want what they want and sometimes you have to tell them no.
He should just be thankful I'd slept well because I had lots of patience for him and was very calm and loving. Which made his behavior even more bizarre.
But it just cements my theory that there isn't really a behavior problem that can't be traced back to sleep or food. And lest you think I hadn't fed him this morning, he did eat. Not a ton or anything, but he did eat. Just apparently not enough.
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