The “Wild Ones”

There are the “terrible twos” then you have your “threenagers”, but nobody ever warns you about the “Wild Ones”.

My son can’t even speak in full sentences yet but does that stop him from telling me off? Nope. He’ll baby babble at me until he’s blue in the face.

He’s only been walking for 6 months but has somehow mastered stomping and dramatically dropping to the ground for an oscar worthy tantrum.

I never thought my son looked much like me (he’s the spitting image of my husband) but that look he just gave me when I said, “no more fruit snacks”, has me written all over it. Oh if looks could kill…

These are the “Wild Ones”; I don’t know where they came from and I don’t know when they’ll go away but I do know we (moms) can survive them.

Maybe this is God’s way of preparing me for the 2’s, 3’s, or worse..puberty! All I can do is stay strong and survive my 1 year old with the help of:

Coffee. I try to limit my caffeine intake to only one cup a day but some days (days when my son protests naptime like he’s fighting for world peace) I will have a second cup or a third…heck, I might even drink a fourth! And I’ll make it strong.

Friends. I will call up a friend or two and invite them to my house (even if it looks like The Rolling Stones just passed through on tour). I will use adult contact to keep my sanity! Chances are she’s been there and knows just what I’m going through.

My husband. There is no greater help than my husband. I depend on him as he does me. He understands better than anyone the joys and struggles of my daily life and does everything he can to help and support me. Especially if that means taking over bathtime!

Humor. Lastly, as my son is laying on the grocery store floor screaming because I insisted that he wears his left shoe, I will laugh (Of course I will do my best to do so where he can’t see me. We wouldn’t want to reinforce the bad behavior. But yes, I will turn and giggle or laugh in my head as we get dirty looks from strangers). I will do this because he is 1. He’s little and upset for a ridiculous reason. I will laugh because life (and his childhood) goes by fast and isn’t it better to spend it smiling rather than scowling?

Image via some cards

Of course there are also many wonderful things about this stage of my son’s life. We have fun and laugh, learn and discover. We snuggle and sing, play and rejoice. The hard parts will pass. The tantrums, the fits…my son will grow out of it (with the right guidance and discipline of course). One day the “wild ones” will be a distant memory (one that I can remind him of as he calls me one day to complain about his own unruly 1 year old).

Until then, wish me luck. And remember, if you too are experiencing the “wild ones”, you’re not alone mama. Stay strong.