The Day We Learned About Frustration

So Brooke has been going through a “phase" lately… at least I hope it is a phase.  She has started throwing tantrums… but they are hilarious.  She is so articulate that she doesn’t do a lot of screaming… she does a little screaming and then tells us exactly how she’s feeling.  After a growl and a stomp of the feet she will tell us “I am SOOOO frustrated you guys!”  I don’t think it helps her frustration when we laugh after she says that.

Yesterday we were in Target, and she saw something she really liked and asked me if we could buy it.  I told her “No, not today Sweetie.”  She used to accept that as an answer, but in her new “phase,” my response was no longer ok.  She responded by giving me a hearty sigh and disgruntled look and then said with perfect  diction, “MOM!  It is not nice for you to tell me NO!”  It was priceless.

Today, she went ballistic about something I had not done to her satisfaction.  I tried to talk to her about it, but that didn’t work, so I put her in her bed and she responded by holding on to the rail and jumping up and down while yelling like a crazed monkey.  So I told her that I was going to leave the room until she calmed down.  As I turned towards the door, she abruptly stopped her antics and through tears said “MOM! You are so frustrating to me!”  Again, I don’t think me laughing at her helped with the frustration.  I always try to remind myself during tantrums that kids are simply doing what we wish we could do when we don’t get what we want, when and how we want it.  So even though I am trying to extinguish this new behavior of hers, I hope she enjoys it while she can.