Nathan and I had a ton of errands to run yesterday, one of which included getting my new glasses! It’s been so long since I’ve worn glasses that it’s definitely going to take some getting used to. Fortunately, I only need them for close-up stuff like reading and computer work because I still have great vision (20/30) just problems with some far-sightedness and astigmatisms.
So after we got my glasses, I took Nathan with me to get our flu shots. We didn’t get them last year because he was so little, and I was worried there might be side effects. Plus we weren’t around a lot of people. But this year? Nathan has already been sick a few times, passing his illnesses on to me, and then I pass it to Paul. (Yes, he is now sick with the cold Nathan and I just had!) So I don’t want to deal with the flu on top of everything else. He’s around other sick kids a lot because apparently, people have no qualms with taking their sick (and contagious) kids out in public and around other children. The risk of contracting the flu is very high for us. Besides, I read in the news that there are three different strains going around this year, and the vaccine protects against all of them.
So anyway. It was a long wait. And guess who decided to start living up to the Terrible Two’s? That’s right. You guessed it. NATHAN.
I was completely horrified at his behavior. Ok, I understand he was tired of waiting, and I get that he was hungry and tired. But OMG you guys, I seriously wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. I was so embarrassed… he was carrying on like I had never disciplined him in his life. He started throwing tantrums which included kicking, screaming, and scratching me…. He was running around the room as if he had just chugged three Mellow Yellows, he was touching people and stepping on their feet. I put him in time out on my lap, and that solicited screeching wails of protest complete with headbutting and anger to the point that his face turned BRIGHT RED.
My sweet little angel was nowhere, and I mean NOWHERE to be seen. Instead, I had this crazy little disobedient maniac on my hands.
Mortified. That’s the only way I can describe how I felt. Completely and utterly MORTIFIED.
Plus, it didn’t help that there was another kid there, probably around age 5, who was extremely hyperactive and had no problems feeding his hyperactivity to Nathan. This kid was throwing his coat in the air and dive-bombing onto it when it landed on the floor. When I had Nathan in time-out on my lap, this kid kept poking Nathan and telling him he could get down and play. I sternly told the child, “No, Nathan is in time out and cannot play. Please stop touching him.” And you guys! The kid wouldn’t stop! I finally had to get the Mommy Voice with him, and I looked at him and said, “Please stop.”
Guess where his mother was? Sitting one seat away from me, texting. Go figure.
So our little expedition was one huge nightmare. The Terrible Two’s are here, and I think I have my hands full… I will not tolerate him behaving that way in public. He will not be one of “those kids” that solicit eye-rolls and angry murmurs from onlookers. So it looks like I need to come up with another strategy as to how to handle these outbursts.
Time to brainstorm.
After we got home from our errands. Look, he still has an impish little gleam in his eyes!
You look very pretty in your new glasses. Almost all kids act out in public…they test you to see what they can get away with…hope is that soon he will be old enough to reason with (or bribe if necessary!)
.-= SuziCate´s last blog ..Fairy Tale Gone Bad =-.
Aw, thank you! Still getting used to the new glasses… been so long since I’ve worn any! You’re right about the testing and let me tell ya, Nathan was testing me to the MAX! I am looking forward to when he can start talking and communicating with me… and when all else fails, I definitely will be bribing!!