Geoffrey Jr. had a spectacular disintegration of manners and obedience this week.
The classic tantrums were augmented by food throwing, kicking, and defiant tinkering with people's landscaping and refusal to brush teeth unless wrestled down to the ground like a wild bull (day 4 of no brushing, mind you).
This morning I heard him madly throwing every one of his $20 toy trains against the walls of his toy room. For some reason, he did NOT want them on his train table. I stopped him and had to patiently talk him through picking up the mess and storing his trains in his train bag. This was after a bit of screaming on his side, and some stern and focused discussion from me.
Do you ever feel like you are the one with the most feral child? If so, let me know, because as they say, misery loves company.
That said, he has been improving radically, now that he knows that strict lines are being drawn, and that consequences are not "laughable." That is to say, 5 minute time outs and even restrictions to solitary confinement to his room are now coupled with removal of favorite toys for 48 hours or even indefinitely.
He is starting to be proactive about calming himself down, obeying, and even (dare I say?) sitting down through a meal to eat without throwing food.
It's the little things that make life civilized, and hence, happier.
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