I have a love affair with all that is Google. Whenever a teacher complains that their Internet is down, I ask, "can you get to Google?" Google is a constant. It always works. Except for this past Thursday.
You are like Google, a constant in my life. You have become quite dependable / predictable... except lately. You have become an emotional mess. You cry at the drop of the hat, like when someone tells you no. You cry hysterically when I drop you off at daycare, clinging to my legs like you will never see me again. You shy away from cashiers at stores, you don't like to say hello back to a stranger who has instigated a conversation with you. All of this is very abnormal for you. This behavior just started in the past couple of weeks. We don't understand where the hyper-emotional state has come from, and it's not all the time. You seem to pick and choose when you want to turn into a basketcase.
According to BabyCenter, two is the age when you really begin to understand how big and scary the world can be while craving independence. It becomes overwhelming for a toddler to try to balance fears and new found independence. The website article reports that such a time is marked with an increased attachment to a lovie. In your case, your blanket, which has become inseparable from you and has begun to give off a not-so-pleasant odor. When I do wrangle it away to wash, you become very anxious and as a result we have to visit your blanket in the basement while it "drives" in the washer and dryer. I think you say drive because it goes around in a circle... not really sure.
You have all these new fears of being pinched. Today, you told me a leaf pinched you. You love the itsy bitsy spider and the spider puppet and looking at pictures of spiders but when you saw an actual spider on the side of your playhouse, you freaked out. You also have a fear of worms, ants, trash trucks and the birds at Home Depot who live in the rafters. However, once your father or I explain and demonstrate that there is nothing to be afraid of, your anxiety usually subsides. Now you hear a trash truck and proudly exclaim such, but if one gets close, you need to be clinging to some part of your father or I. You are curious and want to look and explore but you want us there reassuring you that nothing will harm or pinch you.
Your independence is becoming more and more pronounced as you have more and more emotional breakdowns. You have this saying: "Me do it!" or my favorite, "Me by myself!" You have to put on your shoes, buckle your carseat, drink out of cup on your own. Today you opened your umbrella (child's size) walked out to the car, closed the umbrella, got up into the car, into your carseat and buckled yourself. I told you I wasn't ready for all of this. You smiled in this devious manner, knowing full well that this is only the beginning.
There is a definite correlation between the increased independence and the emotional breakdowns. I left you screaming at Ms. Patti's on Thursday (the day Google proved it too has bad days), I missed a phone call from Ms. Patti late in the afternoon. I thought for sure something had happened and you were either sick or hurt. But no, Ms. Patti wanted to share with us that you had decided you wanted use the potty all day. You would let Ms. Patti know that you had to go and you went! You didn't use your diaper once! You even pooped in the potty! That night we were so proud of you but you were an emotional mess and we had to put you to bed early. Apparently, all that potty independence left you emotionally spent.
BabyCenter promises this stage will pass with lots of understanding, support and reassurance from us. Advice that has worked is when you are on the verge of a meltdown, we simply offer you an explanation or compromise. You can cognitively understand simple reasoning and future cause and effect. "If you clean up these toys then you will get a pack of gummies." Or "we can't go to the park now because we have to wait for Grandma to get here. Once she does, then we will go the park." You don't forget what we say either. You remember and remind us of things we talked about. All in a few weeks, you have become so independent and easier to hold a conversation / compromise with.
Your brain must be exhausted because mine certainly is.
The pictures were recycled from April. I have been slacking on uploading pictures from our camera. I have been dealing with an over-emotional toddler lately. Forgive me.
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