Toddler Temper Tantrum? Give Him a Break!
Submitted by piwamoto
There's been a lot written lately about society's attack on boys. One of my friends was encouraged to hold her son back from starting kindergarten to "give him a year to mature some of the boy out of him." What is the deal here? Why do people seem to think that being a boy is somehow inherently bad?
I am reminded of the time I went into a store and there was a mother hovering over her son, who was rolling on the floor, having a toddler temper tantrum. She kept exhorting him to get up, since she had shopping to do. When that didn't work (like he was going to jump up and say, "Oh, I didn't realize you had shopping to do! I'll stop my tantrum immediately!"), she started threatening to take away privileges. He just kept rolling and whining. Finally she said, "Do you want me to tell Daddy that you acted this way?" (I hate it when moms use "Daddy" as the ultimate threat.)
Another woman walked by and offered some words of sympathy. The mom rolled her eyes exasperatedly and said, "I have two girls, and they NEVER acted like this!" Her girls had apparently never toddler temper tantrums.
I walked over to her and gently offered, "Sometimes, you just have to pick them up and go." She looked at me through narrowed eyes, picked up her toddler and repeated, "My two GIRLS never acted like this!" and walked out of the store.
So what's the take-away message this little boy is going to grow up with? Girls = good and boys = bad? Please, give our boys a break!
I am reminded of the time I went into a store and there was a mother hovering over her son, who was rolling on the floor, having a toddler temper tantrum. She kept exhorting him to get up, since she had shopping to do. When that didn't work (like he was going to jump up and say, "Oh, I didn't realize you had shopping to do! I'll stop my tantrum immediately!"), she started threatening to take away privileges. He just kept rolling and whining. Finally she said, "Do you want me to tell Daddy that you acted this way?" (I hate it when moms use "Daddy" as the ultimate threat.)
Another woman walked by and offered some words of sympathy. The mom rolled her eyes exasperatedly and said, "I have two girls, and they NEVER acted like this!" Her girls had apparently never toddler temper tantrums.
I walked over to her and gently offered, "Sometimes, you just have to pick them up and go." She looked at me through narrowed eyes, picked up her toddler and repeated, "My two GIRLS never acted like this!" and walked out of the store.
So what's the take-away message this little boy is going to grow up with? Girls = good and boys = bad? Please, give our boys a break!
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