Toddler Life / Tantrums

This little yoghurt faced warrior is having a melt down, in fact for the past three or so weeks she has been having a melt down. I know they tell you all about the terrible twos and tantrums, but they didn't tell you it would be this difficult - and Romy isn't even two yet! I know that she is just trying to sort her feelings out and is trying to communicate with us, and I know how frustrating it can be at times when I am poorly trying to explain something and it isn't getting across, so I understand. But it's the high pitched squeals that hold that same piercing note for what seems like great lengths of time that get me. I thought those unsettled newborn cries broke my parental ear drums in, but they were just warming me up for what was to come. My friend Elle was telling me a few months back how she had been reading something somewhere about toddler behaviour and how this time in a person's life is generally the most violent you will ever be, & I remember really listening and tucking that tid-bit away. But it has only now really resonated with me as Romy has grown into that boisterous toddler that uses her entire body to communicate.  

If her plate gets caught under the tray of the highchair, that warrants a tantrum. And if she stays in the highchair one second too long that also warrants a tantrum. Brushing her teeth & hair  = tantrum. Sitting in the pram = tantrum. Anything that doesn't involve The Wiggles, the park or food = tantrum. Her outbursts in the highchair are (if I have to choose!) preferable because she doesn't tend to hurt herself while having them, whereas if she was walking around and got upset she will instantly be on the ground rolling around and on the occasion hitting and kicking anything in reach. The more I try to calm her down and resolve the situation, the worse it becomes so I  approach the situation by letting her get it all out of her system and being her calming spot to cool down. And that works for us (at least for now).