Lessons Learned on Tantrums
Posted by G.I. Jane
About a year or so ago I posted about how my life was nothing but a series of pre-meditated actions and routines since I had a toddler. At the time, I was still calculating my moves, reflecting on my failures and above all else trying to determine why this was becoming second nature to me. And recently it hit me: tantrums.
In the last two years, I have been in mental and physical training for tantrums. I have learned to squash my fear of her meltdowns, to recognize I am the boss and will not be embarassed of her tantrum, and to repeat the mantra “her attitude is not a reflection of my ability to parent.”
Here are my lessons learned regarding tantrums:
1. Stay calm and in control of your actions. I like to pretend I’m a prisoner of warfare and am being interrogated for my knowledge on the latest mission. [...]
Battling Stress
Posted by G.I. Jane
As a first time parent—side note, at what point I stop referring to myself as that I’m not clear, but I digress—I am constantly questioning, analyzing and evaluating my actions and my daughter’s behavior in some attempt to demystify this thing called parenting.
Working for an educational childcare company is somewhat of an occupational hazard. Part of my job description is to look at parent-focused topics, which then leads me to question (a.k.a. obsess over) my own parenting skills, or lack thereof.
That questioning creates anxiety for me, which I think causes some stress for my daughter or at least impacts her. This creates a never-ending cycle of frustration, stress and meltdowns…for her and me. I’m constantly over-analyzing her tantrums, her attitude, her interactions with me, only to wonder if it’s a result of something I’m doing wrong.
But what I’ve discovered is stress in children is a very real thing that needs [...]
