Under the influence of a Toddler
How does that poem go?
There was a little girl
Who had a little pony-tail
Right on the side of her head
When she was good
She was very very good
But when she was bad, she was horrid!
I wouldn’t say Baby Bug has been “horrid” lately but she has been definitely testing my last nerves as if they were her own personal trampoline. I looked away for one minute and she completely chewed up one of the little cardboard game pieces that goes to this new rhyming game some friends gave us. Slobbered, chewed, corners gone. It’s been eaten to bits as if there was a puppy in the house.
Why? I thought our days of putting everything in her mouth were behind us. Is she deficient in some vitamin that paper has? Talc? Rosin? Fiber? Then five minutes later she chewed up this little paper box that my sister-in-law sent us with some magnets in it. She left the magnets alone but the box is a soggy mess. It was a sweet little handmade box made out of pink scrapbook paper. Phooey!
I know why she is doing this actually. It’s because I’m ignoring her. I had just one more email to send that was urgent and I had to look away again. This time she crawled up in my lap and bit my arm. That was the last straw. Naptime immediately got moved up by 30 minutes and I’m happy to say that she is snoozing in bed and will stay there until the good girl (with the little pony tail on the side of her head) comes back.
Just one more parting glance before I close this post to give you a little glimpse into my world lately.
I would say that my life is heavily under the influence of a toddler.
30 Comments
range
I have to say that it sounds cute, event though she’s going through some of your stuff by chewing it up.
It reminds me of my puppy, a French bulldog. I used to put cayenne pepper on the plants and the bottom of the furniture so that he wouldn’t chew on it. I gave him some cardboard boxes to chew. Since then, he’s always had massive fun destroying the cardboard boxes that I gave him.
sizzle
sometimes nap time is the cure for what ails us- adults and kids alike. i could really go for a nap because i think i might be close to biting someone.
she’s so adorable even if she is eating boxes. :)
pinky
My family used that poem on me when I was tiny! I was definitely that little girl with the little curl right in the middle of her forehead :-)
Jennifer
Sometimes chewing things could be a sign of those molars in the back coming in…you know the 2 year old ones? I’ve also once heard rumors that if a child chews specifically on one type of material that they may be needing certain types of vitamins or minerals. For example, if you just can’t stop them from eating sand, up to intake of iron. It really works. Unfortunatly I don’t know what eating cardboard would replace, but it could be something.
I’ve also noticed that a lot of people have been restless lately, myself included. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but maybe all those earthquakes in Baja has something to do with it?!?
Becky
And I can’t wait until Eric starts walking….. maybe I’ll rethink that.
Kaili
My son is SO there right now too. It’s really rough some days. I don’t know if your a big reader, but this book is AWESOME, “Hold on to your kids” by Gabor Mate. Especially the chapter on “counterwill”.
Also I notice if my son bits and is chewing on things all day, he is SO teething. He only has the back molars (two year molars) to come in. I they are really bad, everyone says they are BAD. So maybe they are going up and down and it’s really painful and makes them extremely irritated and irrtiable!
Good luck! I hope when you enter her room once she wakes from her nap that the ponytail greets you!
Angella
Oh, she and Emily would be fast friends. Emily puts EVERYTHING into her mouth.
And thinks the coffee table is her new chair.
BB is so cute, though…it makes it hard to stay mad, hey? ;)
bluejaye
The box is easy enough to replace. I’ll teach you how to fold them next time we meet.
Are the gloves meet your expectations?
bluejaye
I changed the last sentence mid way. Oops.
I remember one day when the kids were about the same age. We had just come back from the grocery store. All the groceries were on the table and of course that’s when my boy needed help in the bathroom. When I came back to the kitchen my girl had thrown all the freshly ground coffee all over the table like it was confetti. I stood back and SCREAMED…….then scooped the coffee back in the sack. That was the day that I spent extra for the good coffee and used the fancy grinder at the store.
Kuky
Ahhh I so know how you feel. Isabelle wanted my attention and was hanging all over me. I just wanted a minute, one minute. But she wasn’t having any of it.
DeeJay
Awww. Just testing the boundaries Mama. You are her world.
gorillabuns
I suggest you nap with her – you need to re-coop your energy too!
Mrs. Wilson
Oh yes, you’re definitely right!
jpwillett
If I lived in California, we could go have cocktails…because my 4 year old is driving me up the WALL! Everything is full of drama, like the world is about to end.
I’m thinking that your idea is probably right…she needs attention, too. With 2 little ones around, she usually gets the short end of the stick. I’ll have to think of something special to do with her.
Sarah
whatever you do, do not operate heavy machinery while under the influence of a toddler!!!
Jummy
I thought this might be a teething thing too…but I have no idea if toddlers teethe.
margalit
There was a little girl
that had a little whorl
right in the middle of her forehead
and when she was good
she was very very good
and when she was bad
she was horrid.
Bug is being 2. Being 2 means being horrid, being adorable, being trying, being sweet, being adventurous, and being very very two. I have a great photo of my daughter hanging from a chandelier at this age. It’s what two’s do!
reddirtroad
Aww… This Too Shall Pass…. I hope.
OMSH
But see, BB, like kittens and puppies, is so stinkin’ adorable, you just can’t help but love her.
I’m hoping things calmed down after naps a bit.
Lori/lorimo
I started a parenting class last night and relearned something that I had forgotten during the trying times with my son, “the behaviors that you pay the most attention to will be the behaviors that you see an increase in” or something like that. Basically, it is so easy to make a big deal about the negative behaviors and give them attention for it, but then they learn to do bad things to get attention, even though it is negative attention. I need to do a better job about giving my son attention for his positive behavior. Not that I don’t ever give my son attention when he is good (or you with BB), but is is easy to let him play and get other things done when he is playing nicely on his own. :)
Starryprincess
SAJ you never mention going to any mother and toddler groups, so you both get a little space. I know some are awful but you may find one you like.
Anonymous
Sounds like 2 year molars to me. I can also pinpoint tantrumness to a tooth.
Susan
Maybe she needs to be in a baby gymnastics? Haha…my nieces chewed on everything at 2 years old and it was definitely the molars. I’ve heard those are worse than the front teeth. Have fun with your little toddler monkey.
Margie
My mom always used to say it this way:
There was a little girl
and she had a little curl
right in the middle of her forehead.
And when she was good,
She was very, very good.
And when she was bad,
She was horrid!
My sympathies. Two year olds can be tough.
She Likes Purple
Oh that last picture made me laugh. Frustrating, I am sure, but adorable? Absolutely.
Not Afraid To Use It
Ah man. Your girl and my boy must be kindred spirits. I haven’t found him on the kitchen table yet, but he thinks the coffee table is kingdom. Sigh. Love the cat tree in the background, too. We are about to move, and our cat tree will be up for the first time in two years. How I am going to keep him off of it is beyond me.
BeachMama
Oh my goodness, she is just so cute, how can she be biting you?? Or doing anything wrong, not that sweet little face :). I feel for you, but know that it will not last long. Before you know it this phase will pass and you will be onto the next one. The last photo makes my tummy do a flop.
familymclean
Hoo–ha-ha-ha, you crack me up….we are totally in the same world!
tami
I’m glad it was just the cards. Magnets can be very dangerous for kids. This article has more info.
Anonymous
Have you thought of positive reinforcement or introducing time outs? So she knows that if she physically hurts someone that the behavior will not be tolerated?