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Gabe and I went to a playdate at a friend's house this afternoon. A friend that has a baby 3 months younger than Gabe, and who is not yet crawling or scooting around the house. A baby that stays on the blanket on which you place him, and who is not yet eating dust and cobwebs and pulling himself up on anything that is within reach. Meaning, a friend whose house is NOT babyproofed.
More than not being babyproofed, though, her house was a veritable construction site of danger. The doors to her basement were hanging open, the wires to her flat panel that hangs on the wall in her living room were taunting us as they sat jumbled together on the floor, the screws to her missing fireplace gate sat menacingly from the wide open fireplace bricks. And Gabe, with his super special sense for all things that could kill you, headed straight for each of these.
Oh, I did what the books tell you... I distracted him, redirected him, encouraged him to play with LOOK! the ball! the car! the talking table! the book! my water bottle! my cell phone! please? anything!!! But I have a determined child with a singular purpose- to reach whatever I have told him not to touch.
After I'd peeled him off the fireplace opening for the 6th time, he started to get annoyed with me, and frankly, I was a little annoyed with him. By the 7th time, he started to cry when I hauled him across the room. And by the 8th time, he threw his first ever, real live tantrum.
He threw himself face down on the floor, sobbing and flailing his arms and legs.
At 9 months. NINE MONTHS.
Then, amidst the big crocodile tears, he picked himself up again and headed straight back for the sooty dirty fireplace with the screws and the brick corners and the step up and the danger danger danger. I pulled him off again, and he threw another tantrum, and I realized that I wasn't having fun anymore. So I picked him up, packed up our bag, and headed home. It wasn't a play date if there was no playing going on, and at least in my living room I don't have to keep saying no to a person that doesn't even understand what I'm saying.
Isn't 9 months a little young for this, though? Isn't toddlerhood going to be AWFULLY long if we start with the tantrums now? I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
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4 comments:
Ok, well wait a sec. Let's look at this from another angle:
If he's tantruming at 9 months, then it's likely he'll be outgrowing tantrums sooner than kids who start later*. So, it's not that you have more tantrums to deal with, your tantrum window has simply shifted to begin at an earlier age.
*this is not at all based in fact.
...but just look at the sweet angel in the previous post...
I have to say his development is right on time. Seriously. Some days are a lot worse than others. Some days are a lot longer than others. Some days you wonder what happened to the sweet baby you had just 5 minutes prior. Some days you want to unhinge your jaw and swallow them whole - even without being chocolate dipped. And some day long away from now you will look back and wish you could have those days back and wonder how they zipped by so very fast. Remember - find the joy in it. It is hard but I promise you can find it if you keep looking.
P.S. Steven now tells me resounding "no's" and "stop that" and "get down!" LOL He also hugs me tight and whispers "momma's baby" *sob*
Oh dear Lord--he and ALB are SO SIMILAR. AB never had tantrums, but ALB will go face down on the ground and kick one leg on the floor when I pull him away from something lethal, or the dog's food dish. I'm such a mean mama.
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