manning fits

i had thought that maddux was our 'strong-willed child' - until manning turned one. and then the battles with maddux came flooding back to me. how i wasn't sure i was going to survive. i had really forgotten how bad it had been. 

manning is my little buddy. he will even tell you so. but when manning wants to do something he shouldn't, there is no way to stop the action without physically removing him. we have made wonderful progress together. i have learned what works best for him to redirect his choices and he is learning that fits don't get him what he wants. he has even become accepting of his consequences without tears or arguing (i.e. losing snack because he wouldn't leave when asked). 

but we have reached a new fit type. one that really holds us all hostage. 

we were using the bathrooms at the park and manning was playing with the automatic water and driers. i had asked him to stop because it wastes water and power. usually that will do the trick but today he could not be stopped. he becomes super defiant and was even running back inside the bathroom after we had left. even when i carried him a decent distance away, the second i put him down he ran back. because of his choices, we had to leave the park. (the other boys were angels during this whole exchange - mercifully!)

once i had him buckled into his carseat, he slid his top buckle down all the way and was pulling on the passenger seat headrest! (which is why i started to take video to share with matt.) so we were hostages. i can't drive when he isn't properly in his carseat and there was nothing i could do to further restrain him. so we parked and waited. the big boys and i had books so we read while manning got it all out of his system. and thankfully we weren't in a time crunch to get home for the bus. 

once he finally worked himself down to the 'fake' or crying out of habit phase, i was able to remind him of his current choices - let me fix his buckles and go home to his lovey or continue screaming and lose his lovey for the rest of the day.

he chose to go home to his lovey - "elephant" - and turned off the fit. this was a longer one and lasted almost 15 minutes in the car. he hasn't had one in a long time which might be this one was given such gusto. that and he was a little worn out from playing at the park.

i just wanted to show that it is not all smooth sailing around here. in fact, manning often chooses the 15 minutes we are inside the preschool for pick-up to throw most of his fits (in a more mild version). some of the parents must think that he never stops crying. oh well. this too shall pass. love.