Wonderful Ones - The Prequel to Terrible Twos

Bear is starting to show his personality, by which I mean he's practising tantrums. He has just turned one and is not happy to wait until he is two to show his displeasure at certain objects,

After a lovely day watching Bear have a bit of a disagreement with a toy and being bemused by his actions I came across a blog post with lovely, funny drawings. The top 4 Toddler Tantrums..And How To Handle Them by Carry On Katy.

Aha! That's what Bear's doing, he's practising for when he's two. He wants to be perfect when he's two so a full year of practise should just do it. The wonderful ones are just a dress rehearsal for the main event.

All good stories and films have prequel's, so here's mine to the Terrible Twos.

The Wonderful Ones

Being one is wonderful, so much to explore, so many words to say, so much food to throw. Excepting one thing....everything is so frustrating. Button's don't push, puzzle pieces don't fit, towers topple, gates won't open, nap time..well just nap time.

So the practising begins.

1. The Arm Lift

"I will not be picked up unless I want to be picked up".

This is subtle. Bear has been doing this for a few weeks now and has fine tuned it to perfection.
When he wants to be picked up he just raises his arms, when he doesn't, he continues to raise his arms so your hands slip up his body and up his arms and off his hands. Subtle.

2. The Climb

"I will not be put down unless I want to be put down".

When trying to put Bear down because you have been carrying him longer than you can remember or you really need two hands free, he performs the climb.

As you try to lower him towards the floor he climbs up your body until he is back in your arms, exactly where he wants to be.

3. The Arch

"I will not be put into that unless I want to be put into that".

This is in preparation for the plank. When being put into anything he doesn't want to be put into, he arches his back so that only his head and heels touch down.



4. Tears and Fists


"I will not give you that unless I want to give you that".

When he has hold of something precious, a leaf, a pair of glasses, an unknown black thing or similar and it is removed from his grasp the fists are made, the face contorts, tears are forced between the lids and a sound escapes his lips. This is practise for the tantrum.


5. The Head Shake


"I do not want to do that, I will not do that. I will do one of the above if you try to make me".

The random shaking of his head began when he was still a little baby. This progressed into a proper head shake that means "if you continue with your unreasonable requests I will implement one or all of the above".

Not helping to put washing into the dryer but taking wet washing out..ahh bless him xx