A Battle of Wills

Over the weekend I really experienced the terrible two's in action. There have been times over the past several months where my son has had meltdowns and we have worked through them. But the numerous temper tantrums that Zack experienced the last couple of days seemed to go on forever and were like something from a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde episode.

I was so concerned at one point that I was combing the Internet for information about temper tantrums to find out if this was a phase, or part of his personality that I should be concerned about!! Usually my son is so easy going and happy, that when he does get strong willed about something I can easily divert him, or give in to the situation because it is not a big deal. But these tantrums were over something he became frustrated about, or became a battle of wills, in which he wanted me to do something that second and would not take "no" for an answer, causing a sudden eruption.

Now as a mom, I get tired of doing a million things for my son, but he is a toddler and I am there to help him get what he needs. But there is also a fine line that gets pushed throughout the day when there are things he can do himself, that I shouldn't have to do for him, and there are things that I need to do, that will cause him to wait until I am done before I can help him. So patience and self sufficiency are tools that he is being pushed into learning that he may not like and I have to tow the line as his parent.

But with these episodes I could not give in to his behavior and set up a pattern with him believing that it will get him what he wants. So I saw my son erupt into a temper tantrum in which I couldn't talk to him, he wouldn't listen to anything I was saying, he started hitting, and would continue to scream....there was no calming him down. Time outs were not an option because he wasn't calm enough to sit, and it was as if all he saw was red.

What I did learn from various articles is that this is normal (great) and that I need to wait it out....try to calm him down and help him with his words...which is what I know as a professional, and have tried with him in the past but these episodes where uncontrollable!! But ultimately it will work itself out.

My husband was worried about even going out to dinner last night because we didn't want Zack to have an episode out at the restaurant and have to leave. But when we left for the restaurant and all the time that he was there, he was his happy go lucky self, flirting with the waitresses, dancing in his seat to the music, waving and talking to the other people going to their tables -- our precious little boy was back! But when would Dr. Jekyll come back to invade my sons body again?