The time has come again for the monthly Toddler Talk. We’re up to 2 years and 10 months of age. Three is around the corner now. It didn’t really happen fast, but then– it did. Strange how that works.
Growth Spurts. According to Gary’s unofficial measurement, Remy’s close to a height of 3 feet and 4 inches. I swear at least an inch of that happened in the past 30 days. He’s been having bouts of extreme crankiness, intermittent lengthy naps and heavy eating spells. Suddenly, we have moments when we look at him and exclaim, “Holy mackeral, look how tall he is!” And like a little boy. That toddler-baby face is on the way out.
Temper and Time-Out Threats. Remy’s never been a patient child. Nor has he ever been terribly accepting of things not working the way he wants them. We’ve made progress with him using the word “please” on a regular basis, but lately it just comes out whine-ily and indiscriminately as he either starts the meltdown dance or throws things in frustration. Typically, he’s upset with something he’s done himself and is perfectly capable of fixing by himself. However, rather than fixing it, his destructive impulse overtakes him. We’ve been getting so much of this that Mommy’s patience is worn thin and now I’ve given him the talking to about going into the naughty corner if he can’t pull himself together. He understands perfectly, because he regains control as soon as the threats come. I’ve followed through on the threats a couple times, but I’m wondering if I need to do it sooner since he seems to be testing the limits of how much time has passed since the last meltdown before we are in just threat stage again.
Parental Manipulation. So lest you think that Remy’s become nothing more than a growth-spurting emotional wreck, here’s another trend. He’s become quite the unbidded hugger. He’ll also throw in the random ”I like you Mommy” or “I love you too Daddy”. He knows that this is an effective way to get positive attention and make Mommy and Daddy very pliable. It is sooooo cute! The little devil. I’ll take hugs and I love you’s over tantrums any day.
Endurance Hikes – Recently, Remy’s insisted on taking walks through the neighborhood. It all started w/ the 4th of July parade that our neighborhood has when all the local kids and parents follow a fire engine around with requisite red-white-blue decorations. On that day, he pulled his wagon the whole way with Daddy by his side but refusing any help. He couldn’t wait to tell Mommy about how FAR he walked ALL THE WAY up the BIG HILL. He was close to the point of meltdown about the whole thing and yet somehow also prideful about his accomplishment. Last night, after dinner, we went all over with the addition of some cul de sacs to add to the distance (again, at his insistence). I feel as though we’re building up to something, I’m just not sure what.
Swimming Pool Visits. At least once a week, Gary takes Remy to the YMCA to swim. Errrr, “swim.” I know some of you have water babies that couldn’t wait to dunk their heads in the liquidy stuff from day one. Not Remy. He’s still got a weird thing about his ears getting wet. Even so, Gary says that he’s making great strides getting more and more comfortable in the pool. The Y has a zero entry, extra warm floating and play area, so that’s where he spends most of his time. As with most things, Remy likes to work his way into a skill gradually. He does push himself to do new things continually, so I’m not concerned that he won’t develop his water safety skills over time. He will.
Personality. The little guy really seems to have a lot of personality characteristics in common with his mother, and I’m not just being a self-absorbed, over-identifying parent. Gary concurs with that observation. All the temperamental quirks I mention above and in previous posts remind me of the influences I feel inside me even as I’ve disguised and socialized these drives to get along in this world as a productive adult. I find this somehow reassuring when he’s acting out on the more difficult end of the behavior spectrum because I know that with proper guidance and role modeling, he’ll work it all out too.
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