Testing

He's 2 years old...I get that. I understand that this is supposed to be his "terrible 2's." I know that he will push his limits, test my patience, screech like a banshee when I say no or someone doesn't do what he wants right now. I can understand all of that, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

He's become very demanding. He will tell me to "Stop it!" or yell at other kids to "Sit down!" Both of those outbursts are usually followed by someone gasping, and it's usually not me. Obviously I'll make him apologize, either to me or to the child, but it still bothers me.

He's also becoming more physical, and not in the loving sense. He still wants to hug all the kids, hold their hands and sit next to them. But he also wants to "play tag," which really means "shove you to the floor." And hand holding has gone from sweet to not so fun since now he likes to drag them around. Again, we make him apologize and he will usually stop pushing or pulling, but by that time a lot of the children are done trying to play and the parents are giving me the stink eye. Yes, they really are. I've given the stink eye to plenty of parents at the play area at the mall who let their 9 and 10 year olds run around like hoodlums, trampling the teeny tiny kids. I know what the stink eye looks like. But that's another story.

The worst part is when I know he knows not to do something but does it anyway. Even after being told not to. "Don't open the back door" doesn't mean anything to him anymore. To time out he goes! "Don't kick the dog" apparently means "Just wait a second, I may change my mind." Telling him to stop running or not to yell is like talking to a wall.

Again, I know this is not abnormal. I know that Tim did these kind of things as a child, especially being told not to do something and then looking right at his parents as he disobeyed them. I'm sure I gave my parents plenty of headaches. That just doesn't make it much easier. I'm tired, and by 4 pm, after telling him about 15 times not to do something, I'm worn out mentally.

Not all of his developments are awful. Some are actually really great. For example, his speech his really taken off. A few people at the dance studio hadn't seen him in a week or two and were amazed at how much more he was saying and how they could understand him. Even when you are told that they will make huge strides out of no where, it doesn't really prepare you for just how much they can change in a matter of days. Before, I was happy that he was finally saying "mommy" and "daddy." Now he comes up to me and says things like "Mommy, that's your eyebrow." (while actually pointing to my eyebrow) or "Mommy, where did daddy go?"

He could be speaking fluent French right now and that wouldn't really make up for all the tantrums and screaming. Even when he asks me "Need help?" it doesn't do a whole lot. Especially since he doesn't like it when I answer, "Yes. I need you to stop acting like a crazy person!" Of course, "Mommy, need a hug?" Yeah...that makes things just a little easier.