Thoughts on raising a spirited child
I got an email from baby center today about dealing with the tantrums that come along with toddlerhood and how some children tend to be more "spirited" than others. Ha! Spirited. That's a funny way to put it. I suppose I am raising a spirited child. He's not necessarily more emotional to the point that he can't calm down from a tantrum. But he throws tantrums frequently, with his whole body, and very loudly. A woman at daycare recently referred to those cries as "Graham's man bellows." Although she preceded this statement by saying that she loves him and that he's a very smart little boy. :) Graham's issue is that when he wants something, he wants it NOW! He sees me even start to make dinner and he is hungry right now and demanding that I feed him instantly. It's amazing how much this kid can be pacified with food (more on that in another post). He's become a bit of a hugger, but he wants a brief hug and wants to move on. He has never been a child that needs a lot of snuggle time with mom and dad.
So here's what baby center has to say about raising a spirited child. I've recently finally locked the pots and pans after he almost dropped a cast iron skillet on both of our feet. We've recently discovered Graham's love of painting. We clap and praise him when he does good things and I'm trying really hard not to constantly be chasing him saying no - but chasing him for fun and encouraging good playing (we've been bouncing, hopping, dancing and marching lately). He loves his new basketball hoop and LeapFrog car, both which he got for his birthday. He continues to love throwing balls. As long as we can keep him away from the dog food (he'll eat that, but not pasta - what is wrong with that kid?), the power cord and the dog leash, I feel like we're doing pretty good.
The thing I need to work on, according to this article, is relaxing when he's asleep and not trying to cram in house work, chores, and other organization projects. Damn me, and my insanely type A personality!
So here's what baby center has to say about raising a spirited child. I've recently finally locked the pots and pans after he almost dropped a cast iron skillet on both of our feet. We've recently discovered Graham's love of painting. We clap and praise him when he does good things and I'm trying really hard not to constantly be chasing him saying no - but chasing him for fun and encouraging good playing (we've been bouncing, hopping, dancing and marching lately). He loves his new basketball hoop and LeapFrog car, both which he got for his birthday. He continues to love throwing balls. As long as we can keep him away from the dog food (he'll eat that, but not pasta - what is wrong with that kid?), the power cord and the dog leash, I feel like we're doing pretty good.
The thing I need to work on, according to this article, is relaxing when he's asleep and not trying to cram in house work, chores, and other organization projects. Damn me, and my insanely type A personality!
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