Category Archives: Behaviour

What the parent of that screaming child is really thinking

15 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by in Behaviour

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You’re walking down the road, or browsing the supermarket aisles when BOOM – it starts. A piercing, wailing scream, a bit like a police siren. It gets louder until you can’t ignore it. The noise bores into your head, raising your blood pressure and leaving a dull ache in your temples.

You look up and see a child in full meltdown mode. The mother is on the edge of your vision and you can’t understand why she won’t shut her banshee child up – or at least take him out of your line of hearing. What is wrong with some people? Why do they even have kids if they can’t control them?

I have been that mother of that screaming child. And, as I look at you wincing with every piercing scream, I know the thoughts going through your head. Trust me, before I was a mum, they went through my head too. Continue reading »

The Nativity play rehearsal

28 Thursday Nov 2013

Posted by in Behaviour, Seasonal

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My daughter is in a Christmas play. It’s her first Christmas play, she is three.

I am already fearful of the big day. It’s not the concern over crying in public (although, knowing me, I will be an emotional wreck). It’s not even the immense feeling of parental responsibility at helping her learn her lines. No. It’s something far, far worse.

At pre-school drop-off yesterday, I was given a sheet of paper with lyrics to the songs in Frog’s Christmas play. Contained within the package was a CD. Oh good, I thought, we can have a jolly sing-a-long when she gets home this afternoon. I pictured some good mother-daughter bonding. Possibly even an early mug of mulled wine for Mummy. We made an imaginary stage and Frog stepped behind the curtain… Continue reading »

Adjustment

22 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by in Behaviour, Family

≈ 18 Comments

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Looking at a cattle marketLife can be tough when you’re three.

Things don’t always make sense. You sort of understand, but there are murky bits that don’t fit together. You think you know everything and you want to do it all by yourself, but you can’t. Not yet.

Frog is going through what I believe parenting experts call a “challenging phase”. Relocating to an entirely new area (even if it is one she loves), coupled with her already strong sense of independence and “switched on” attitude, is proving a little tricky.  Continue reading »

Kid rules: Learning to laugh at yourself

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in Behaviour, Motherhood

≈ 26 Comments

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Putting on flip-flops

The other day, my nearly-three year old put on her dad’s flip-flops, wobbled into the garden and promptly fell over. And I laughed so hard I almost wet myself.

“You NOT laugh Mummy!” Scolded my child. “It NOT funny!”

That’s when I realised I was about to teach her a big lesson. One that’s right up there with being kind to people and remembering to say “please” and “thank you”. Continue reading »

Parenting a toddler – picking your battles the wise way

26 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by in Behaviour

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Today has been a day of battles. It has also been the reminder that, before becoming a mother, I had no idea of what REAL, nail-biting, tear-inducing, vomit-making stress feels like.

The lunchtime nursery pick-up started as normal. As I drove the usual route I planned an afternoon of painting and snuggles watching CBeebies with my two year old. Rushing into the nursery, I was greeted with positive indifference.

My shining diva child did not want to be collected. She wanted to carry on playing with her friends and didn’t much like the idea of going back to her boring home with her boring mummy.

Stung but undeterred, I shrugged. One battle down, telling myself she’d be fine once we got outside, I kept up the smile and cheerfully ignored my tot’s angry grumbles. Continue reading »

Parenting – it’s not always crayons and kisses

26 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by in Behaviour, Motherhood, Relationships

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The end of a long day

The end of a long day

Before I was a mum, I had an idea that MY experience of parenting would be a rosy one. I naively assumed that others who had difficult days were probably “doing it wrong” and that there was ALWAYS a solution to a problem – and I would instantly know that solution.

I wish I could go back in time and have a word with myself. What an idiot.

I’ve been lucky enough to be graced with a beautiful, independent, hilarious, clever, quick witted child. Who is also somewhat of a diva. I say “somewhat”. I mean “very much”. Continue reading »

Sassitude

16 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by in Behaviour, Motherhood, Speech

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Sassitude

My daughter has always had attitude. At seven hours old, she let the world know she’d arrived by waking all the other sleeping babies on the hospital ward with loud shouts. The nurses joked she’d be an opera singer. I winced.

Her spirit was apparant when she refused to take a bottle of expressed milk. Ever. Medicine on a spoon? No way. In fact, if she didn’t want to do it or she wasn’t 100% in control of it, she was not a fan. Not a fan at all.

I’ve since learned that the best way to persuade my two and a half year old to do something not involving chocolate or paint is to make her think it was her idea. This helps in certain situations, but not in ones involving a new personality trait she’s been displaying recently. Continue reading »

My toddler, the Facebook addict

07 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by in Behaviour, Social media

≈ 7 Comments

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ImageI have to admit to something now which may cause raised eyebrows and a few grunts of judgment. I’m sorry. I tried to stop it, but it would appear it is too late. My toddler is addicted to Facebook.

There, I said it.

She accidentally discovered Facebook on my phone the other day, closing down Twitter due to the lack of pictures. I think she was searching for YouTube but can’t be sure. At the tender age of two and a half she is a social media queen. I hate it. Continue reading »

Toddlager

14 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by in Behaviour, Motherhood

≈ 19 Comments

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DON’T KISS ME MUMMY!

I should have seen it coming. The signs were clear. It was the little things at first; refusing to come to the dinner table without moaning, muttering “it not fair” at the tiniest request from her mother. But I was naive. Blinkered to the fact my child is but two years old.

The stark truth revealed itself last weekend. When asked what she wanted for Christmas, rather than shouting, “CHOC CHOC MUMMY!”, my two year old clearly stated, “Justin Bieber CD”. And there was a definite eye-roll in there somewhere.

In the car yesterday, as I went to insert her nursery rhyme CD, Frog quickly chirped from the back, “No Mummy. I want Nicki Minaj.” Continue reading »