Screaming toddler

image from http://www.babytipsonline.com

I'm sure you've come across a toddler who yells, kicks, screams and seems out of control. I'm also sure you've thought to yourself "Oh em gee! My baby is never going to be like that".  Well, that's how I feel.

It's different when a baby cries. It's their innate response and the only way they know how to communicate when they're hungry, or wet, or unwell, or whatever the case maybe.  A toddler is about 2+ years old with more ways of conveying what they want.

I remember during our Mexico babymoon trip, there was this little girl in our tour group to Chichen Itza.  She came with her parents and an older sibling. I don't remember if the other sibling is a boy or a girl. But that's really besides the point I'm trying to make.  So this little girl, who we shall name "Chuckie's Bride", sat on her daddy's lap across from our seats in the bus.  During the two hour ride to the destination, she screamed endlessly. and very loudly.  We were on a bus full of tourists from different countries.  I'm sure if I were annoyed, then most of them were too.  The part that really upset me the most was the parents just let her be.  They didn't tell her to be quiet.  When we arrived at Chichen Itza, Chuckie's Bride quiet down a bit until we stopped at the bottom of a pyramid to listen to our tour guide tell the story about the pyramids & the Mayan civilization. She kicked. She screamed. And I wanted to put her on time-out for being so rude.  She was annoying throughout the entire tour that at some point we had to escape from the group. 

Kids will be kids, right? They want what they want and they want it now.

I was pregnant and hormonal on that trip which explains why Chuckie's Bride got on my very last nerve.  Or maybe she was just out of control.

I believe that the parents should have done something to kept Chuckie's Bride from being so disruptive. Even on our ride back to the hotels, she was screaming half way through, until she finally got tired and fell asleep. The child is not the boss.  However, it seemed that way with their family.  The child controlled the parents.  There has to be balance between the child and parents. 

Who am I to say? Matt's only 8 months old and I haven't reached the screaming toddler phase.  I might have to deal with that same issue in a year or so.  Although I'm hoping not.  I'm seeing his mini tantrums here and there during playtime when his cousin takes away his toys or at feeding time when he wants his food given one after the other.  I try to maintain a firm voice to let him know its not okay and he usually stops.  I pray that I wouldn't have to encounter the same problem.