It seems as though with 18 months came the onset of the "terrible twos".
And the stink eye...
Mean, huh?
I was not prepared for either one.
Lucas has been having melt downs pretty much since the day we brought him home. They were few and far between and we learned very quickly that he can't be in one place for very long, needing and relishing change to his environment. But now, these melt downs are full blown temper tantrums and they can be wicked.
There are two to three a day and we have learned to minimize our interference and just let him go through it. It's safer for everyone involved.
We have never hit Lucas. As parents we do not believe in spanking, so we never will (I have been tempted for sure, but have refrained).
But he hits.
When he's mad or frustrated or bonks himself on the corner of a table, he hits it. He hits us. He hits himself.
It's scary.
Where do children learn to do this? Is it a natural instinct, a protection mechanism? Is it a boy thing, or do girls do it too? When does it subside? Please tell me it subsides!
More than once recently, Lucas has been put in a Time-Out for hitting and throwing things with very little to zero effectiveness. He thinks it's a game. We don't want Time-Out to be a punishment necessarily, but an opportunity for him to reset himself, i.e. modify his crappy behavior.
I have read that 18 months is not too early to start this practice, but we are novices and it doesn't seem to be going very well so far.
Today, I bought a designated Time-Out chair. Hopefully it will help him understand we mean business. Any Time-Out advice?
When did the terrible twos begin in your house and what else can we expect from them? I miss my sweet boy.Lucas turned 19 months on Thursday. I can't wait to see what this month will bring. Wish us luck...
