It is not usually possible for a single child to maintain a tantrum for two hours. However if three children trade off tag-team style, they can make sure that the screaming does not stop. Sometimes it was in surround sound. I spent from 6 pm until 8 pm just managing tantrums. The tantrums are a direct result of lack of sleep, so I bundled all three into bed as fast as humanly possible. Now it is just Kiki and me and silence.
Link’s sources of sadness:
Friend A sent him home because friend A wanted to play with friend B instead.
Friend A lied about the reason for sending him home.
Life is not fair.
We didn’t do allowances today.
He didn’t want to do his homework.
He was itchy.
Gleek’s sources for tantrum:
Kiki won’t let Gleek use Kiki’s CD player.
Bestfriend is grounded and can’t play.
Link got a bath and Gleek didn’t.
She didn’t want to eat what I served for dinner.
She was hungry.
Patches wore her rollerblades.
I scolded her for kicking Patches because he was wearing her rollerblades.
Life is not fair.
She was starving.
She didn’t want to go to bed.
Patches’ sources of sadness:
Gleek kicked him.
Link got a bath and he didn’t.
He needed a bandaid for an invisible wound.
He didn’t want to eat the dinner I made.
He was starving.
He couldn’t find his blankets.
Life is not fair.
I made him go to bed.
I wouldn’t read Harry Potter tonight.
Last night was a bad night for dinners and Harry Potter, it seems. And going to bed, of course. I had virtually the same tantrums at my house… I empathise with you having tantrums X 3!
Today will be better.
Thank goodness Kiki was okay. O_O
Apropos of nothing, I’m listening to Stephanie Smith’s album at the moment. I like her music. 🙂
I get SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO tired of “I don’t want to eat that.” I have gotten totally burned out on cooking, because AT LEAST three nights out of four that I make supper, it is guaranteed that at least one of the three children will look at what’s put on the table and, without trying it or even asking what it is or what’s in it, declare with an expression of utmost distaste “I don’t want to eat that.”
Sometimes they don’t even bother looking at it first. They wanted [fill in the blank] for supper, this isn’t [fill in the blank], therefore it’s automatically nasty.
I can totally relate to this. Which is why I let them eat their ramen and mac & cheese more often than is healthy. :S
My daughter can tantrum for one hour. Thank goodness we adopted a cat that attacks people who scream and cry and fake cry! That stops it REAL quick. : )
I too have lost all desire to cook for kids who don’t like anything I make.
A big problem for the family if the main meal cooker doesn’t want to cook.
SoccerGirl would eat bread and cheese and cereal for all her meals if I let her. (she’s so picky she won’t even eat cookies!?)
I’ve started to get the desire back, as planning and cooking meals is good for your budget. Now we just have the “eat it or be hungry” talk every night. Meal time is never a win / win situation.
(unless it’s a romantic dinner out with the husband…and the kids are at home eating MacNCheese. 🙂