You know how they always say, one day you will laugh about it. Well, I'm still waiting...
Being that I have a very spirited, stubborn child, I have become well versed in meltdowns. I've begun to see a pattern in the different stages of tantrums. These stages, are very similar to the five stages of grief.
The only difference is, no one died.
Which, can be a hard sell to a child who's positive he's going to die if he doesn't get his way.
Without further ado, the one thing all toddlers have in common, The five stages of a toddler meltdown.
1. Denial- Toddler tantrums most always start with denial of some form. Their face becomes flush with shock and disbelief. Tears of shattered dreams begin to pour down. They are positive there is just absolutely no freaking way you are being serious right now.
2. Anger- When tears and a few half-assed tries to get their way ceases to work, ANGER sets in. This is the stage where a verbal assault is paired with launching toys across the room. When necessary, a dead drop to the ground is followed by flailing arms and legs, to convey just how pissed off he is.
3. Bargaining- things get interesting at the bargaining stage. Kids can get very creative at this stage. They might hand out options or empty promises to be good. Expect ANYTHING during this stage. Toddlers are crazy, and aren't afraid to show it.
4. Depression- Depression is the most annoying of the stages. Depression ushers in the hard-core fake tears, which can make you feel like the worst parent. Well, don't fall for it! This is their last fight. They are out of options. They know they are beat. That's what the rivers of tears are about. They are pissed they didn't get their way. This no longer has anything to do with the original cause of the meltdown.
Then, finally, when both of you are emotionally and physically worn out, the end is near, but not without a one last blast.
Acceptance- This stage is the most vindictive. Once a toddler realizes that he's not going to get his way, he fakes acceptance just to throw you off his trail. The fact is, he's a toddler and already on to his next evil plan. Even though you won this round, he's not going to give up his Independence that easily.
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