Toddler V Parent

Over the past few months, it has been very obvious that I no longer have a little baby, Phoebe is most definitely fully embracing her new Toddler Title. Everything now seems like a battle/game between us and at first I really struggled to understand where this little nightmare minx had come from!!! Phoebe had always been a wilful baby, very strong physically and mentally but this new adventure into Toddler-Ville is something else, almost a different breed altogether.

Everyday me and Phoebe are learning something new about each other, because as I’m having to deal with Phoebe’s frustration or sudden outbursts when she doesn’t get something she wants, she’s seeing my reaction and know’s she’s not getting it so, decides a tantrum or tears (or both) is the best way to deal with it. I try to resolve it, by coming down to her level and calming explaining why she can’t have it or she has to get dressed because we need to go out…even though at first it felt like talking to a crying brick wall, the minx does understand now and I’ve got to teach her boundaries and right and wrong…it’s hard work and a huge learning curve for both of us.

For every annoying new skill that Phoebe does under the Toddler title, she amazes me with 3 or 4 fabulous funny moments, new skills, or just being cute! Watching her master a new skill or game is great, you see them develop and learn before your very eyes. Yesterday at my Breastfeeding Group, munchkin was extremely tired but refused to sleep on the way there, so I just let her play independently as she want’s to do everything herself, which meant I could welcome the mamma’s as they arrived. I looked over to Phoebe as she was gently placing a baby dolly into a little toy pram, then started pushing dolly around. Such a milestone moment to watch. Feebs then continued to throw said dolly out of the little pram into the wooden kitchen with a bang before moving onto something else. I had no idea that she could do that, but I suppose she watches me and my other mamma mates doing it. Another dolly went into the little toy shopping trolley and they started to collect shopping together, gorgeous clever girly. Train em young I say.

When attempting to calm my toddler down, I’ve learnt its best to stay calm and almost ignore the issue (where possible) until she’s finished. We are now at the kicking legs and stamping like a little pony stage (which is apparently what I did) in the buggy and out! It’s quite funny to watch, the other day I just had to laugh when she stopped and started trotting around the place…other days I don’t find it as funny and sometimes have a cry with her. I am just trying to take each day as it comes at the moment, because living with a toddler is mega unpredictable and I just try to keep us busy.

The last thing I want to mention is the absurd things you end up saying as a parent of a toddler, I would never have imagined saying “hands out of the bin” 20 times a day or “stop biting the door”.

So here are my top 5 current “Phoebe Stop that’s”

1. “Stop Licking the buggy wheels”
2. “Stop trying to put Daddies work boots in the fridge”
3. “Stop climbing on the table”
4. “Stop walking backwards into everything”
5. “Stop eating the post”

I haven’t talked about it much on here yet but I’m a big football fan (LFC) and often use toddler-footie-talk for example when Phoebe is half way through her lunch/dinner its “half time” when she has a strop and I manage to calm her down that’s a “GOAL” and if she breaks me and I cry before her then an “Own goal” and one for her if she sorts herself out.

The current score this week is 3-2 to Phoebe.

Linking up with the wonderful ladies over at something crunchy mummy and Life as Mum for their #justanotherlinky.

A place for you to link an old or new post, favourite from the week or one from the archive.