i thought i kind of lucked out when it came to the “throwing fits” department.
Sister did not have the typical “terrible two” fist-banging, lung-blasting-always-in-public tantrums that i had been warned about.
she is generally compliant, rational, and had a big vocabulary from an early age.
until NOW…..
the last couple of weeks have been tantrum-central around here.
after being at the beach for a week with several other kids her age (3 going on 4), we came to realize that we weren’t alone with the tantrums.
we discovered, that perhaps it wasn’t just a huge parenting failure, but more a developmental stage they are all going through.
a stage of INDEPENDENCE.
duh, dun, dun…
oh yes, you know the moment when your child discovers that they can do many things by themselves, on their own time, and with their own choices.
today it was in the crowded church lobby, tonight it was in Home Depot.
i’m a tiny bit at my wits end, because let’s be honest—public disobedience is REALLY embarrassing.
i don’t want to be “that mom” with “that kid.”
none of us do.
yet, the Lord’s been working on me to see that it (like most things) is NOT about me. it’s about her heart and about how i can point her to her need for Jesus in these moments with lack of self-control.
the root of the tantrums is always a deeper heart issue—selfishness, discontentment, lack of control. (hmmm, sounds a lot like my own inner struggles.) and it is important for me to help her recognize those issues and learn to deal with them in a reasonable, biblical way.
“Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind
and will make your heart glad.” Proverbs 29:17
