It doesn’t get easier, you get better!

Natasha Bailie - 4 Jun 15

Woah Nelly Furtado, I now live at Tantrum HQ, Tantrum City, East Tantrum. You can take either the tantrum express or tantrum tunnel to get here. Please send H-E-L-P.

I have only documented a handful of Max’s ‘terrible twos’ because, in all honesty they haven’t all been “terrible”, but this past week has been terrifying. The kid is physical, loud and damn right obnoxious. I blame the parents. In Max’s defence he is not being “naughty”, he is not doing anything mischievous or nasty that would warrant a time out in the cone of shame, but he is 2 years old and it looks tricky. He is navigating life and discovering that there are limits to what humans can do and in turn he is pushing this mama to her limits!

However what I have realised is that I am COPING. Mr.B is travelling with work so I have been a single mum for the last 5 days and normally, just the mention of a possible “work trip” would of normally sent me straight to the cupboard under the stairs ala Harry Potter, but this time I was like “Babe, I  got this”. I definitely “had it” for the first three days, but then I broke. Tantrums will wear you down, they crush your soul and leave nothing in their wake, but disappointment in both yourself and your child. I am half the person I used to be. Tantrum Thursday soon turned into Tantrum Friday, oh and Saturday and really, now Sunday and so on.

The best part about tantrums is that you think that by taking your torturous toddler outside that it will get better. Every time I do this I open myself up to the potential of crying on a stranger, because it is like taking a contained tiger out for a walk or poking a bear. Nothing hammers home how much your child is being a complete butt munch than public bribery and judgement from the park mafia. In public you have to pretend that this is the first time you are being showered in a confetti of rice cakes whilst being kicked in the throat as you strap your cherub into the Bugaboo. In public it is kind of frowned upon to walk away from your child when you need someone to spin you on the rage roundabout. Breathe.

Ah motherhood. It is hard to see the wood through the trees sometimes isn’t it? I am pleased to say things have become a little more manageable after a rough week here. He suddenly knows colours and can tell me when he needs the toilet soooo…..great? Another wanker, I mean wonder week under our belt. I met a mum in a cafe today who had a 5 month old baby and she asked me if it gets easier and she looked so hopeful and so I said yes. I remember 5 months, I was up 24/7 and I was wondering when the “Babe, I got this” moment was coming so I lied. She left me with fresh optimism, a large sized frothy coffee and an “I got this” look in her eye. Good on her, because it really doesn’t get easier, but you get better at it.

Natasha Bailie

A mother, blogger, vlogger and potty mouth living in Brighton and trying to keep it together with a two year old son. @natashabailie

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