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8.28.2011

Tempering

Among other imaginative games -- turning corn chips into spaceships and riding daddy's back like a rhinoceros through the jungle -- Tucker likes to use blocks to build hospitals for his people.  He makes a bed for the patient, with room for the nurse to wheel the chair in... and then, in an instant, the entire building collapses with one swift blow, an impulsive result of miscommunication or an abrupt assertion of independence.
We try to regard tantrums as a normal and generally transient feature of toddlerhood, but even occasional aggression feels frustrating and frightening for all of us.  By pushing the blocks he pushes the envelope, testing boundaries and parental patience.  In the domestic realm myth dictates that we, as adults, are endowed with a disproportionate measure of power, but in the midst of strong-willed toddler theatrics it can be difficult to be convinced.
When his tears seem filled with blame, so accusatory he might as well throw them at us too, we try to remember that he's just a little boy learning to handle big feelings.  And it's a big job to help him express them respectfully.

JEB

5 comments:

  1. Jenni Baby,
    Next time Tucker has a temper tantrum, try this...
    Put him in Superman jammies and place him in the top bunk.
    It worked when you were a toddler.

    L2A5

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  2. I remember reading a sign posted on the wall near the building blocks at KidSpace inside COSI that stated that creating and "uncreating" things with blocks is all part of the toddler experience. They learn consequences of actions and whether it comes from curiousity, independence, anger, or being a boy, it's natural. The interesting part will be when Betz #3 "helps" him dismantle his structures. Talk about temper tantrums : )

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  3. Go Bucks! What a great new OHIO header for Betz Family Columbus!

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  4. Love that new header! I'm ready for the season, too, Tuck!

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  5. Cool new header! You both are doing a beautiful job of nurturing all of your children. The 2s and 3s are challenging as they exert their power and challenge authority.
    Love and hugs and prayers,
    Debi

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