Things my Two-Year-Old Taught Me: Part IV

Sometimes, bug will haul off and SCREAM one of those high pitched ear splitting screams for no ascertainable reason whatsoever.  He’ll be playing with his cars, sending them down the ramp when all of a sudden.... “SCREAM!!!”  Or he’ll be eating in his high chair.... “SCREAM!!!”  Or (and this is the most common one) he’ll be playing with K and they will both “SCREAM!!!”  

I usually have a little talk with him about how we don’t scream like that, we need to use our words, we are a big boy now and that means we can talk without yelling, etc.  I’ve tried to detect a common pattern so I can perhaps take preventive measures if I see "the screams" coming.  But it doesn’t seem to have any kind of basis in reality, or if it does, I sure can’t figure it out.  It seems so illogical.

I was contemplating this again today.  Then I remembered a day about a year ago.

It was turning out to be one of THOSE days.  You know the ones.  You didn’t get enough sleep so you’re tired and therefore crabby, you have no energy, the two year old is ornery, the baby is fussy, and there’s nothing to make for lunch. You’re watching your niece and your nephew on top of your own kids, and you don’t even really feel like moving, let alone entertaining the kids.  Nothing you do amuses them, nothing they do amuses you, and so you send them to the corner (repeatedly) for being naughty, for hitting, for pushing, for not listening, for screaming, for not sharing, and the list goes on.  Then, of course, you feel guilty for sending them to the corner.  You await nap time anxiously, and when it arrives, you toss the kids in bed (screaming notwithstanding) and are perfectly prepared to bask in the silence.  

It doesn’t come.  The kids keep yelling, half for fun and half out of frustration at being put in bed and the baby is still crying and you think to yourself, I may just go out of my mind today.  Pretty sure today is the day I lose it completely.  

So you slowly and purposefully walk downstairs, pull open the garage door, walk inside, shut the door behind you, pray no one is outside your house walking their dog, and you try it.  

You scream.  Loud.  

I mean, the twos seem to enjoy it, the baby seems to need it, so maybe there’s something to it.  

Surprisingly, you feel better.  Like maybe you can read books, play dress up and make a decent snack.  Maybe everything will be ok.  

When you go back inside, all is quiet.  You decide this might be a good time to sneak in a shower. (who knows how long it’s been since that’s happened, right?)  

Sometimes, inexplicably, you just need to scream.