Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Angry Tot .......Part Two

Ever since he was born, Max has been the sweetest, most laid back, easy going child. He even made it through the "terrible twos" with the minimum number of tantrums.
He is a sweetheart. Very loving, very tender hearted.
Max loves to help with anything he can. At age three, he can set the table for dinner all by himself.
He will get his toys out, play with them and then put them away.

Without being asked.

In the last few weeks, since he turned three, I have noticed things starting to change a bit.
I will ask him to set the table, he will say "No" so one of his siblings will set it. This will make him mad, and he will take all the dishes off of the table and put them back on himself.
I will ask him to put his coat away. He will say "No" so I will put it in the closet. This will upset him, and he will get it out of the closet walk across the room, drop it back on the floor (where it was originally) and then pick it up and take it back to the closet and put it away.

Max usually has a very pleasant disposition until late afternoon, when he will sometimes turn into "Mr. Crabbypants" (as we ever so affectionately call him)

The kid really needs an afternoon nap, and on the rare days where this is accomplished, we enjoy Max and his sweet disposition until bedtime.

Today, there was no nap.

Set the scene:

Dinnertime.
Dad has grilled some hamburgers for dinner. Max will always ask for a hamburger, but will only eat the top bun, and occasionally peel the cheese off of the hamburger patty.

He NEVER eats the hamburger.

Max: "I want some cheese."

I unwrap a slice of cheese, and he inhales it.

Max: "I WANT SOME MORE CHEESE!"
Me "Max, do you think you can ask for that nicer?"
Max: (Lowering his voice) "Please I some have cheese?)

I unwrap another slice and hand it to him.

Max "I NEED SOME MILK!"
Me: "Hey Max, do you want to try that again?"
Max (lowering his voice) Please I some have milk?"

CJ pours him some milk, and he freaks out.

Max: "NO! Make it be dempty! Make it be dempty! ("dempty" means empty)

I pick up his glass of milk and drink it.
He hands me the glass and says "Mom get me milk"
(He is currently going through a phase where I am the only person that can do anything for him)
I poured him the milk.

Max: "I NEED SOME MORE CHEESE!"
ME: "Try that again little dude."
Max: "Please I some have more cheese?"

At this point, Brielle asks "What, is he on some kind of dairy only diet or something?"

We decide that since he has had so much cheese, that he won't be wanting a hamburger, so someone else eats Max's hamburger patty. Just as the last bite of it is being eaten...........

Max: "I WANT A HAMBURGER!"

Thinking that I'm being clever, I say "How about a bun? We could put some cheese on it.
Max looked like he was going to go for this idea, and just as we were putting the top bun on the cheese sandwich , Aaron (bless his unobservant little heart) says "Hey Max, why aren't you having a hamburger on that?"

Thanks Aaron.

Now Max wants hamburger on his bun. Hamburger that has already been eaten. Hamburger that Max would only nibble on at the most.
Max is now screaming "I WANT THE BROWN PART! I WANT THE BROWN PART!!"
(brown part meaning the hamburger patty)

Me: "Sorry Max, but all the brown parts are gone see."
I hold up the empty plate foolishly thinking that this will satisfy him.

Max: (sobbing) "I want a brown part! I want a brown part!"

I go searching through the freezer, hoping to find something that will pass for a "brown part."
I found an old frozen microwaveable breakfast sandwich with a sausage patty.

SCORE!!

I chip the sandwich apart, flake the cheese off of the sausage patty, and nuke it in the microwave. as soon as I pulled it out of the microwave, I KNEW that we would have a problem.

It wasn't brown.

The darn patty was a dark tan at best. Not even close to the delicious flame grilled burgers that the rest of us had devoured just moments before.
"Maybe he won't notice" I thought.

Okay Jill, get a clue. You really thought he wouldn't notice?

I hurried and slipped the sausage patty on the bun and tried to cover it with a slice of cheese.
Max lifted the top bun, peeled off the cheese and said..........

"IT'S NOT BROWN!!
IT'S NOT BROWN!!
IT'S WHITE!! "

"I WANT THE BROWN ONE!!!!"

At this point, I was SO finished. I hauled him off to his room and got him ready for bed.

I'm too exhausted to describe the process of getting his pajamas on him. Let's just say it was similar to dinner.

I just went into his room to check on him. He's so sweet, snuggling under his blanket, hugging his stuffed frog, dreaming about all the wonderful things in his life...........

Oh, who am I kidding. He's not sleeping, he's "recharging."

I've got to figure out a way to get this kid to nap.

13 comments:

Alison Wonderland said...

I don't believe in the "terrible twos" Horrible Horrific and Unbelievably Awful Threes however? Oh Yeah, we've done that.

M said...

There are moments when I look at my sleeping children and wonder why on earth I'm allowing them to get more energy to attack me the next day. I think they should stay up ALL night watching horrible movies, eating junk food and sleeping the next day. *Bliss.*

As for the nap, I used to have to set a 20/30 minute timer, convince my child to lay down in the dark until the timer went off and then they could get up. Sometimes they napped, sometimes they didn't. The trick is to convince them they want to lie down for the 20/30 minutes in the first place. Good luck. Three sucks.

M said...

Oh yeah, I forgot, I should have broken up that last post so as to leave you more comments. I'm getting lazy in my old age.

Tausha said...

we have a problem with our 3 also! She didn't like naps either-then I got smart. I am all about bribing! So-I bribed her-I went and bought a little toy and her fav. treat. She wanted it so bad! I wouldn't give it to her. I told her she could have it when she had 7 stickers. She loves sticker so this was good. I told her if she went down for a nap-she could get a sticker. If she cried adn screamned and pouted then she would not get a sticker and I could take a sticker away. I talked about the toy and treat alot adn kept where she could see it. She wanted it. So-after about a 5 days of this-she was doing better with the whole nap thing. I also make sure that everything else in the house takes a nap too-this helps alot too!
Good luck-hope it will work for you as well as it worked for us!

Jana Nielson said...

One word:
Melatonin!

Cookie said...

That is soooo funny! I love the "recharging" comment. Sometimes I wish i just had Half the energy my kids have!

Elizabeth said...

Max and Snorkie are like twins separated by fate! I've had essentially the same conversations with him. Last night he made the mistake of taking a second swing at his father (after being warned that he'd get a spanking).
He swung. He got the spanking.
A quick not too tough rap on the tush. We might as well have flogged him. Such a face. He comes to me for his binkie.
During the day he goes to Scooter...I'm usually the one to reprimand him...he gets no sympathy from me.
Loved the re-charge comment!
Blessings, EJT

Tausha said...

ok-I know that i already posted, so i will keep it short. Hey-I am hosting a swap over at my house. i would love for you to be a part of it. Nothing major-just fun! It will be fun and we get to get fun mail and not bills! So come on over and let me know!

elizasmom said...

Oooooh, boy can I relate. Toddlers and pre-schoolers are, in my experience, an unfortunate combination of OCD and anarchy. Meltdown because the gardening shoes are dirty? Check! Melt-down because the cheese is crooked on the sandwich? CHECK!

Half the time it's totally exasperating, and the other I just feel sorry for them, because it can't be easy, can it?

I hope Mr. Crabbypants is better soon.

Hey It's Di said...

Oh I feel for you! I can never outsmart my kids or pull one over on them. Those toddlers are moody!

I agree with Lola, melatonin is the best!

Jo said...

Other people's angry tots are cute!

Bonnie the Boss said...

Terrible two's have nothing in my experience in traumatizing, terrible, trunculant three's. I have found it to be more difficult. You have my complete sympathy. It is so nice that they turn 4 eventually. I am sure you just wish it was next week.

Damama T said...

RECHARGING!! HA HA HA! You are so funny, girl.

The nap thing - Try asking him to tuck you in and keep you company while you take a nap in your bed. Bug never lasted more than 5 minutes after he started being quiet so he didn't wake the me. ;o) He wants to be with you - use that to your advantage!

Good luck!