Maybe it is because they come in the bright packaging like her yogurt snacks. Or maybe it’s because they have “Seuss” on them (Seuss is our cat and all cats are Seuss). Or maybe it’s from the handful of times that she’s stolen the kitty’s treats from Seuss and scarfed them down, but my little Dinosaur REALLY wants to eat those soft salmon morsels and she will totally tantrum if I don’t give them to her. (I don’t give them to her.)
We’re in the tantrum phase. My daughter goes boneless and will bite. She’ll bite me, she’ll bite her toy, she’ll bite herself, but when she’s upset that’s the very first thing that she wants to do to take our her frustration. Bite. Bite. Bite. And we aren’t in that space where she can use her words so everything that frustrates her becomes a tantrum. And then I have a tantrum. It’s a vicious cycle.
I do my best to remain calm and most of the time I succeed. But I definitely have lost it in those moments when I’m already tired and stressed out, just like she is. In those moments when I no longer am able to be the patient mum, I become the frustrated toddler instead. Then I feel guilt icky for losing my cool and scaring my kid. You know what I’m talking about; that type of guilt that seeps into your bones and stays there, making you second guess everything else that you do. I know, I know. It happens to everyone. I still hate it anyway.
I just feel so bad denying her something that she really wants that much. I don’t feel that way when it’s dangerous, like when she wants to play with scissors or touch burners on the stove. But I do when it’s kitty treats. Because I want her to be happy. I want her to enjoy life. I think back to when I was worried that I wouldn’t have her anymore and suddenly I’m willing to give her anything she desires.
Kids, man. They screw you up. But in a good way. I wouldn’t change her for all the loot in Azeroth.
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