10-12-2009 - Tantrums

My mood while writing this blog: Frustrated

Well.. This morning was NOT fun!!!! Caeden has reached this new phase lately where he wants to hold your fingers and wants you to help him walk all over the house... a million times. I know he just really wants to walk and what not.. but he wants to do this allllllllllll the time. Most of the time we do it... It's almost like an instant reaction for him... He's sitting in your lap...and barely touches your hands and BAM! The idea pops into his head and he is ready to walk...

Well... this morning... it was time to sit down and eat breakfast. This is the same thing we do EVERY day!!! But this morning... he grabbed my fingeres and was trying to tell me he wanted to walk instead. Well.... this morning I didn't give in. I made him let go of my hands. I wasn't mean about it.. I just simply let go... and.... all hell broke lose (so to speak)... He started screaming!!! He cried and cried and cried... he wouldn't let me hold him... I tried to rock him in the rocker... I tried to just let him sit there...and he was crying so hard he was choking himself... so I just held him.. and even then he tried to wiggle out of arms and get me to stand him to walk.. He was being EXTREMELY stubborn! When I tried to just sit him down.. he straightened his legs and tried to insist he was going to stand up... he was not going to stop until he got to walk.. and I wasn't giving in.

So finally... after a few minutes.. I gave up on him trying to eat his oatmeal and gave him a bottle. I was so worried he wasn't going to eat at all...I just did it. Not sure if that was the right thing.. Well he drank that and calmed down... I got him to take a few more bites of his oatmeal. And then it was time to go...

He wore himself out... he fell asleep on the way to school and was asleep still when I left his school...

My dilemma is.... what should I have done differently? or did I do the right thing? I didn't know what to do?! He never throws these tantrums.. not like this!!! I don't want to give in... and I don't want to ignore him completely... unless that is all there is to be done. It made me feel like a failure today... I felt like I wasn't doing the right thing... I don't know.. I am sure this is the stupidest thing to write about... and all you other more experienced mom's out there are laughing at me... but it's frustrating.. It doesn't help that I am pregnant and dealing with this at all... I am trying soooo hard to be patient with him.

Anyone out there that can give me any pointers or just anything... let me have it! I don't want to feel like a crappy mom! I know temper tantrums happen... I know that kids will act out... I know I need to be patient and calm and not yell at him or punish him for these tantrums.... I just need to let him work it out and get him back on track... It's just hard!!!

Hope all of you are having a great day!!!! : ) : ) : ) Weekend is almost here!