Tantrums ahoy !!

Butter wouldn't melt would it??

I used to be so happy with my tantrum free children.. I should be, I had 5 little ones and not one has had a tantrum at the store, or in the car or really, anywhere... Until recently.

Do you see that little guy pulling the cheeky face? That's my 2 and a half year old son Elias. Sweet huh... Butter SURE wouldn't melt... yeah right !

Over the past 2 weeks he has mastered the art of fake whinging/crying. He can turn it on and off at will and he's SUPER stubborn. When he wants to fake cry nothing will stop him, no teasing, no laughing, no bribery.. You can't even ignore the guy cos he follows you around holding onto your clothes with his fake no tears cry. You can get his attention and he'll suddenly stop crying to look, but then again it starts when he realises HEY i'm meant to be crying !

Today at the store was my first ever experience of a child having a tantrum.. even if it is a FAKE crying tantrum like his was. I was so frustrated and embarrassed. Of course little old ladies try to help with their comments ooohhh he's had enough shopping or oh poor little man what's wrong? of course nothing breaks through to Mr Fake Tantrum. *sigh* From the very second we were out of the car to the second we went back into it I had to listen to waaaaaaa with no tears.

Would you like a toy? NO, would you like a yoghurt? NO, would you like to help me? NO... None of the usual joys of shopping would stop the cry. The second we got into the car the fake cry stopped and he asked me why we are going home! can you believe! Needless to say he didn't get a reply and I just drove on home to safety.

How do you deal with this type of behaviour? are there any magical tricks up your sleeve to stop a tantrum in it's tracks? This is so new to me and I was so shocked to find I didn't know what I was meant to do, what to say or really what I was doing.

I'd love to hear from you on this. Has your child mastered the fake cry? 

The boys have me outnumbered

Let me introduce you to my two youngest boys. Ishaq who is 4.5 and Elias who is 2.5. Separately they are the sweetest little guys you can imagine, attentive, cuddly, easy going and happy natured. Put them together and you have a whole different entity.

Aside from little boys usual mischievousness of arguing over toys and then demolishing the house in their play they have another specialty I like to call "tag team insistance" It will happen throughout the day in them times where I must sit down. It's like a beacon goes off in their minds and they have to make me busy... Do they think i'm bored when i'm sitting? really.. i'm not !  And I really do enjoy my tea hot without a skin on it too, though they don't think that i'm sure. Maybe they want to keep me fit? keep me busy to make the day go faster. Most days start out like this..

6am Elias wakes up and wakes me up just because he is awake. I tell him to play with some toys quietly which is translated to him as yell in his brothers room as loudly as possible for him to get up and play with him. I go in there, quieten him and try to sneak back into bed for a little longer.

6:15am Elias will scream MUM I DONE DID POOS !! heaving myself out of my comfy cocoon I slink into their room to change him and tell him again please play quietly so that I can have some more rest and your brother can sleep.

6:30am Ishaq yells MUM I NEED TO GO TOILET !! so again I get out of bed sadly and have to help him with his business and again try to go back to bed.

6:40am The arguing over books or toys commence and I give up finally ( Why I even try I do not know ) and march them into the loungeroom with some lego to play with and cartoons on the tv to turn on the kettle and hope for a fast cup of tea before breakfast.

7am tea is made and I sit to drink it. MUM CAN I HAVE BREAKY !! Realising it's easier to do it fast rather than ask them to wait a few minutes I get it for them and sit to my tea again. As soon as my bottom hits the chair I get another call MUM CAN I HAVE JUICE !! So again... I get up and tend to them then try to sit to my now cold tea and finish it off before getting them ready for school, normally I can get 5 minutes with them eating before they need me again.

This sit down and get up routine is continued through out the entire day. Elias's favourite is asking for a Dora dvd and then the second it is on and I leave the room he cries for Diego. Repeat my leaving the room and he cries for Mickey mouse. Then when he is FINALLY happy his brother wants something else.

Do your kids tagteam you? Do they always wait for you to sit before they realise that they must/need to have something right NOW?

Well.... 

At least the day goes fast !

I'd love to hear what your little ones do each day with you. Do they like to use you as a yoyo or are they pretty easy going.