People have been asking me for parenting advice since long before I had children. Occupational hazard. Most common questions were "how to I get my ___ year old to stop ____" etc, etc. Since my expertise (and I use that word lightly) was not with preschool aged children I used to tell them I didn't know but offer some sort of advice which I now look back on as not being half bad. My favorite was when a mom (and a great mom at that) asked how she could get her two year old to stop getting into her makeup and her older sister's markers, etc. I said, "put them up where they can't be reached." Good, right! I know it isn't what she wanted to hear. She wanted me to give her a way to teach her child obedience. That is way harder!
I am currently surrounded by a lot of moms who are struggling with their preschool children. Struggling with strong willed children, highly sensitive children, special needs children, and even "normal" children, whatever that means. These are smart moms, good moms, moms who do their research and are having difficulty getting through this phase. Can you relate?
Jenna writes;
i need something tangible that works. these past few months (since she's turned 4 in november) have been out of control. big ol' throw down kicking screaming, and yelling temper tantrums. not your average 2 year old tantrums either. you know they talk about the terrible twos? the twos were nothin! i'd take the twos anyday! its the 3's and 4's that are the hard part! have you ever heard that kid screaming in target yelling at his mother that he "won't leave the toy isle!", yeah, that's me.
and what's worse, i have little brother (19 months) who is watching everything like a hawk. and i see bits in him that are just as strong willed if not more determined than big sissy. scary thought.
but i'm committed to my daughter. i will not lose this fight for her. because i do feel like its a spiritual battle and i'm on my knees fighting for her soul.
and what's worse, i have little brother (19 months) who is watching everything like a hawk. and i see bits in him that are just as strong willed if not more determined than big sissy. scary thought.
but i'm committed to my daughter. i will not lose this fight for her. because i do feel like its a spiritual battle and i'm on my knees fighting for her soul.
So here I am asking you to throw your experiences out there. What helped you get through the tough times? What kept you sane? Did you find any techniques useful? I know, you could all write your own book about this so feel free to write a long comment or write your own blog post and leave us the link!
