Nooooo, Mummy, nooooo!

Lest you think Mr Planet and I are blessed with a contented, delightful and utterly charming little toddler, I thought it time I post about Little Planet's terrible toddler antics:

• Her favourite word is No. In fact, her favourite phrase is Noooo, Mummy, noooo!
  
  
• Mummy, I want water. Here it is, darling. No, Mummy, no I not want water. Do you want milk? Yes, milk, Little P wants milk. Okay, let me get you some milk. No, Mummy, no, I want water, not milk, no milk! Cue many tears of anger for silly Mummy not understanding.
  
  
• Little P and I are racing home from daycare as the rain pounds down. Little P is in her buggy and I am trying to put the buggy's hood down to save her from getting wet (all the while getting soaked to the skin myself). No, Mummy, no hood, no hood! her hand pushing the hood back repeatedly. But you will get wet, darling. No get wet, no hood! Sticking her head out, her face getting soaked, crying loud tears of rage as passersby look at me disapprovingly as if I am allowing my daughter to get wet deliberately.
  
  
• Calling out from downstairs: Mummy, mummy, what you doing?! I'm up here. Mummy! Come upstairs, darling. No come upstairs, Mummy, carry carry carry! I'm on the toilet, come up here, you can climb the stairs. No, Mummy, carry carry! Then she repeatedly bangs her head on the floor in rage.
  
  
• As well as bang her head repeatedly on the floor or wall, my daughter attempts to take off her clothes when she's angry - last night before bed, for example, in the middle of the kitchen, she unbuttoned her entire babygro and stood glaring defiantly at me because she didn't know what to do with herself.
  
  
• And, of course, she loves throwing things in the event they, for whatever reason, do not satisfy her.
  

Two strategies work for me, generally. I start with distraction, of the "Look, a bird flying in the sky" or "Let's do some colouring" variety. But if she is so immersed in her rage that distraction does not work then I've found turning away and ignoring her works well: So long as I can see her to ensure she will not hurt herself then I simply withdraw any attention, turn away from her and remain outwardly calm. Her rages soon subside when attention is withdrawn. But inside my heart is always racing and I chant, "It's all a phase, it's all a phase, this too shall pass."

Mothering a toddler can be extremely tough. Thank goodness her sweet and happy side is the side we see the most... for the moment at least!