The disagreeable stage

The Terrible Two.

Wasn’t that terrible after all. I half-thought we’d had it easy with Jay. Maybe we jinxed it by rejoicing a tad too soon.

The Terrible Three?

This is unfolding into a pretty big nightmare.

Barely two weeks into Jay’s third year, and we were already reeling from the constant onslaught of “No!”, “I don’t want. I said I DON’T WANT!” and other petulant pouts and patience-trying words.

Oodles of patience, treasuring the non-pouting moments as they come by, and learning to smile through the headache are all important parenting skills that only come by with experience and well, trial and error. Confession time: With Jay, I didn’t manage to attend any ante-natal classes. No learning about the huffing or puffing method, no preparation (mental or physical or emotional) whatsoever to prepare me for the delivery. But ya see, I survived the delivery. Heck, that was the easy part. Literally.

But there sure wasn’t any prep classes to prepare parents for the time when the cuteness subsides and the clenching of teeth (on Mommy’s part) sets in.

After a while, you learn ways to get through those moments when you wonder where on earth that innocent, adorable, cutie-pie child went and speculate on whose traits that particular tantrum takes after (if you ask me, it’s ALL Daddy. Hahaha!)

But hey, I learn, and I’ve developed my own guide to deal with this disagreeable stage. I’m still testing it out as the days go by, but so far, it seems to work. Here’s my quick guide to Surviving Those Tantrums 101:

1. Try reasoning. Asking a three-year-old, “Why are you saying such silly things?” always brings an insightful and well thought-out answer from the said child.
2. When reasoning fails, chocolates are a good distraction. When faced with the possibility of a melt-down, always ensure a healthy supply of chocolates is at hand. Or should that be a supply of healthy chocolates? Hmm… Whatever. Whichever.
3. When all else fails… Daddy takes over. While Mommy simmers down. Same is true vice versa as well, of course!

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