As mentioned in numerous blog posts I have two children, J1 and J2. J2 is always described as something along the lines of '18 months old, very energetic, stubborn / willful but gorgeous toddler...' and this week he could not have fitted that description better.
The moment every parent dreads, the moment they know is coming, from when that little blue line shows up on the pregnancy test (or the word 'pregnant' on the very fancy pants ones) arrived in my household this week. J2 learned the word ... 'No'. Oh crap. For want of a better reaction - 'Houston, we have a problem'.
Actually that should read 'problems', multiple. As far as I can see, the issues are threefold:
Firstly, how do you continue to make your version of using 'No' meaningful if secondly, most of the time he uses it you are going to over-rule it and 'de-value' it. Conundrum. The third? Oh that would be that he is so damn cute when he says it!
He isn't at the running around in the tantrum 'No No No NOOOO' stage (yet - can sense it's en-route) but he obviously comes to a cross-roads in his mind (of either something he doesn't want to do, go, eat, drink etc) and his little mind springs into action with 'you can do it or use that 'no' word...', so he gets this poised little face and says 'Neeeeewwwwwww' and then kind of waits for a reaction. If that doesn't make you want to laugh nothing will but I can't show him that!
The last couple of days however, have presented this current challenge in conjunction with another. Also something that you know you are going to have to deal with at some point but in order to keep your sanity you push to the back of your mind with the one strand of hope that you will have an angel for a child. It's the 'oh so very funny' (for them, not you) game of 'Catch me if you can' every time you need to; change a bum, get them dressed in the morning, get them changed throughout the day or get them ready for bed. And goodness me, my little one is quick!
I have tried the 'reasoning' tactic, i.e 'Come here and have this nappy / these clothes on and then you can go and play in the garden / go and have your warm milk' (delete as appropriate). Does not work. If anything only eggs him on. I have tried the 'firm' tactic. Does not work, only eggs him on. I have tried the just following him around waving nappy / clothes with stern look on face. Definitely does not work. In fact, most definitely only eggs him on.
The only thing I have succeeded in is the rugby tackle, which he believes is hilarious, until he realises that I have managed to sneak the pull up on in amidst tickles and then he kind of gives in to the clothes going on, well, that is if in the time it's taken us to get back to the room with the clothes he hasn't managed to pull the nappy off. If he has, then we are back to square one. And although sometimes, if you have nothing else going on, no where to be or are not at the end of your patience level at the end of the day it can be a giggle, the other times its just draining! Add to this the 'no' word leaving his (very cute) little lips with it, I think we can safely assume we have officially hit the 'terrible toddler time'. I would assume many a blog post will come on those issues...
So, you would think that given the amount of cheek I am getting from J2, J1 would ease up on Mumma a bit, but no. Recently J1 was spending some time at Nanny and Grandad's house and when I arrived I was informed not to go in and talk to him because he was in 'time out'. After it had finished I went to him to ask why he was in 'time out', as we try and get him to do the explaining so we know he understands exactly why he was 'punished' and I got a dose of the 'tude that I recently experienced with the 'Why are you wearing two jumpers?' incident (see blog post A is for...) cue 'tut' and 'Cos I am'. I could see my parents almost wetting themselves with laughter in the kitchen, so had to step out of his line of vision, compose myself before asking for an appropriate answer (which I never got incidentally).
This might not have irked me had I not already been given cheek from a 9 year old boy in town asking people if they 'had a light' (horrifying I know). In a rush I barked 'No I haven't' with a disgusted look on my face, to which I could hear him mimicking as I strode away. I returned home from this, to a husband laid up in bed after a foot operation, ringing me on my mobile downstairs, for 'a cup of tea with two sugars and a decent slice of ginger cake' numerous times (tut, cheek!) whatever happened to bellowing down the stairs? I suppose I should just thank my lucky stars he hasn't got a bell...
Another 'C' I could have added in today was 'Corrrrrrr I am going to ache tomorrow' as I have just returned from my first run! Hop over to my other blog 'The Run Mummy Run Mumma' to keep up with that grand plan!
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I would love for you to quack your thoughts along with me and will always try and quack right back.