The terrible TWOs Syndrome

Is the terrible twos syndrome beginning to show now? The terrible twos is characterized by toddlers being negative about most things and often saying 'no', the terrible twos may also find your toddler having frequent mood changes and temper tantrums. Maximus is not two yet but I read that the terrible twos will happen anytime when toddlers reach the second years or after the first year birthday.
Maximus is showing a lot of his terrible Twos signs after he turns 18 months. The very first sign was shaking his head to say "no" or disapprove to anything! It's not easy to handle such issues because he can hardly express himself in words yet. He has only limited vocab at this moment. Thus, we have to give him varieties until he nods to it.
Another syndrome is the high-pitch scream! He screams to anything and everything that is unpleasant and not at his approval! Most of the time to avoid continuous screaming we have to distract him or get him to show us what he wanted.
The mood changes and temper tantrums is also the top to the list! He can be happily playing in the minute but the next he will start to throw his toys without much reasons. IGNORE! We will ignore him at all times but mostly he will get what he wanted at the end because it will turn out to be another high-pitch screaming.
It's not an easy-beasy task when toddlers reach the big Twos! I am just hoping for the best although nothing of the knowledge in the early childhood theories that I could apply work! It's the hardest part... it's the real-life scenario.
However, Maximus has reach to a acceptable level of understanding instruction and reasoning. If he is in his good mood, he will be able to accept instructions and reasons. Otherwise, it's just empty talks and he will go his ways...
I tried the spare the rod, spoil the child technique too but he just couldn't understand spanking and worst I don't want him to pick up the habit to spake others with the rod. Anyway, I hope that patience and endurance will show better results.
Our best tool is to IGNORE when it get out of hands / beyond control or to DISTRACT when he can't get what he wanted. Hope that God will provide us with better wisdom in raising our toddler from the terrible Twos syndrome.

Sweet dream and Night Terrors / Nightmares

Sweet dreams are always we hope for especially for our young toddlers. But not every night will be a sweet dream sleeps. Sometimes, our young toddlers will be disturbed with night terrors or nightmares. From my findings, night terrors is different from nightmares. Toddlers will remember nightmares but not night terrors. A toddler will appear awake in a night terrors but the fact is asleep.

I enjoy watching Maximus sleeps. Most of the time it will be a sweet, peaceful sleep. I will not stop kissing him gently on his cheek whilst he is sleeping. In an occasion when he had sweet dream, he giggles and mumbled in his sleep. It sounded so cute... Since I am a light sleeper, I will be awake over such little noise he made and watch him.

However, during a night terrors (I will describe it as night terrors as it's not awaken dream) he will scream, hit and cried. At the end of it he sobbed in his sleep. It's really pitiful to see him but what I can do is just to hug him and gently rub his back to assure him it's safe and fine. By hugging him, I can give him the warm and comfort and soon the night terrors stopped. Sometimes, I will nurse him too.

A not so drastic night terrors will be consider as talking in the sleep or playing in the sleep. Maximus has this experience too. It is always related to over-exhaustion or too much of fun and stimulation to the brain during the day activity. Hence the brain is still active during the night. One of the fun night terrors was when Maximus appeared to be awaken and said "bus" whilst pointing to "it". I thought he was awake and wanted to play, but it was in the middle of the night! But then it was just a fun night terrors and he went back to sleep.

It's such a mystical way seeing toddlers having night terrors. Sometimes they even open their eyes but the fact is that they are not awake! So from experience the best method is a HUG to calm them.

Reading references:

http://www.toddlerbedtimetips.com/night-terrors-in-toddlers.html

http://www.mychildhealth.net/how-to-calm-children-after-nightmare.html

http://www.the-parenting-magazine.com/tag/bedtime/

Pool Picnic

1st May, and I did it! We have a picnic...it's the best pool picnic for a start. Although it was really exhausting preparing the food (all by myself), I do enjoy watching everyone enjoy them. I prepared some sushi, egg sandwiches, sausages rolls and tortilla tuna wrap. Before I can even get my hands on some of the food...they were all gone! And I was a little disappointed because the children (my niece and nephews) ate the wrong container of sushi. They had the allergy free sushi made for Rachel and Lil J.
It was a nice day after all. Will plan for another one again...maybe on Wesak Day holiday then. Anyone care to join?