Practice Tantrums
RM has this new habit. When she is annoyed by something, not getting her way, or completely frustrated, she gives out one little yell (although sometimes a loud one) then stomps across the floor to the middle of the room, then gently lays herself down on the floor. It’s like watching a child having a tantrum throw them self down in very slow motion.
Occasionally though, instead of the graceful move to lying on the floor, she chooses what V calls her “ostrich pose.” She stands up straight, bends at the waist and places the top of her head on the floor. She will then spend a minute or two gazing at the world upside-down between her feet.
These things are amazingly effective for her disposition. After a couple of minutes lying on the floor or studying things in reverse, she will get up and go on about her business; accepting that she’s not getting whatever she wanted, or that she does need help with some task, or that sometimes life is just annoying.
I’m a little nervous though, as I’m wondering if this is just her warm up to entering the wonderful world of the two-year-old. So far her coping skills are fantastic, but the one thing constant about children is that nothing is constant. As they grow and change, and the developmental stages move forward, what’s the norm one day is long gone the next. So what is easy today may be a challenge tomorrow. But at least the challenges of today will also pass.
