It all starts with toast.
My three year old son wants the crust cut off.
No problem. I cut the crust. I know better than to cut the bread in half — I made that mistake yesterday.
But this time he does want it cut in half.
No problem. I cut the toast in half, two triangles.
Now he wants more butter.
Also, no problem.
But now the butter has melted, and he can’t see that it’s there.
And now he doesn’t want our dog looking at him. Or his seven year old sister. Or me.
An orange toddler fork gets thrown to the floor, making a surprisingly loud smack, accompanied by our son’s piercing shriek.
Our dog howls along with him.
The dog always howls along with the kids when they cry.
And that’s how it all starts.
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I’m smiling…I’ve got one who is in the same phase as your child! Everything is complaint-worthy…everything seems to be delivered with a whine. Ugh! Fingers crossed we both maintain our sense of humor until this phase ends. Sweet slice!
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Humor goes a looooooooong way toward preserving our sanity!
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I love how you began and ended your piece with the same line. Even though I don’t have children of my own, I can clearly see how raising a toddler is filled with humor and annoyance!
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Thanks Katie!
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This is amazing. Thank you for sharing. First time mama here and my 15mo son has very little patience. Good to know that I’m in good company. We sure love these sweet, little beasties, don’t we!
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So true – patience is not their strong suit, is it? : )
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Oh, Jackson! Three is such a tough age when you’ve got crust concerns, Indie staring at you, and so much more. Four is only nine months away!
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You wouldn’t believe how upsetting Indie staring at you could be, according to Jackson!
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Oh to be three. It must be very hard. I mean, with all those terrible problems he was facing in his day? Lol, I’ve been there. Three is harder than two. But, you get through it and look at all the stories you will have to tell. 🙂
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So hard. All day. Every day.
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Well that’s a day right there, isn’t it!
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If one identifies herself as a mom, she’s been here. Many people say “terrible twos”, but I’ve always said that the threes are worse. The kids have some words, but not enough to actually be able to fully communicate their thoughts. It does seem, in my experience, that they have just enough words to get a little sassy. I have four boys, so my experiences with communication may be different than others, especially moms of girls. Your post took me back in time and simultaneously made me cringe for the future. I have a 13, 10, 7, and a 1 year old. They keep us going.
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Oof! I can totally put myself in the shoes of everyone in that situation. Hang in there!
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Thanks Ashley!
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Ah, the tantrums. Does he bang his head on the floor too? Love the repetition in this, Beth, as well as the developing tension. Yep, no problem–but it just might be one!
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Banging his head on the floor, wall, toys is a phase that we’ve thankfully passed… for now… hopefully it will not return. Sigh.
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