Operation Hellion

The Bee Family has plunged into the Terrible Twos (soon to be Threes!). I have briefly mentioned the horribleness that is Moose's tantrums, but unless you've witnessed them, you have no idea.

Everyone has been so surprised when I bring up our recent troubles, mainly I think because Moose looks so angelic in his pictures, or perhaps because he is just acting like this with only Cory and I. Our main problem has been tantrums. I will tell him he has to do something (go pee-pee before bed, clean up toys, etc.) and he will literally melt-down. Go limp and lay across the coffee table/couch/toilet/etc. and scream and cry (real tears) until I am ready to cry myself.

Typically he minds pretty well, I.E. if you tell him to not do something he will mind. This has been a new development that someone out there has sent to test me, I am sure of it. Well after two weeks of trying to talk him out of it, ignoring him, trying to be strong, I tapped the educated waters of Experienced Mothers. My mothers and aunt.

I needed a plan.

A plan... of attack. Operation: Hellion is underway.

I picked Moose up from daycare Monday and when we got home, we had a nice discussion about the Operation. When he started to tantrum, I or Cory will tell him we do not like when he tantrums. If he continues to scream or cry, we take him into his room for Tantrum Quiet Time. He will stay in his room with the door shut until he has calmed down and is ready to come out.

Later that evening we inevitably had our first tantrum, Cory and I both told him we did not like when he throws a tantrum, and then drug him off to his bedroom. We set him on his bed, and closed the door, telling him when he calmed down, he could come out. It was pretty pitiful hearing him crying and messing with the door knob. I stood in the hallway listening, and probably two to three minutes later he stopped. So I walked down the hallway and stood outside the door and asked, was he calm now, was he ready to come out? He answered yes so I let him out and told him that we didn't like when he tantrumed, we like when he is a good boy.

A few hours later something else set him off, so Cory and drug him back repeating the process and the minute we sat him on the bed he stopped crying. I stopped on our way out and asked if he had calmed down, he said yes, so we didn't even do the Tantrum Quiet Time.

Tuesday morning he had a minor breakdown because he wanted to wear his tennis shoes instead of his dress shoes, and I asked if he need Tantrum Quiet Time (which I did NOT have time for! but was going to be consistent) and he immediately stopped crying and said no.

Tuesday evening he had no issues, no timeouts or tantrums. Wednesday morning no issues either. Time will tell, but we seem to be on a good track.