Showing posts with label terrible twos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label terrible twos. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Terrible Twos? It Could be Gut Bacteria!
People never used to believe me when I told them that my son cried all the time, but he really did. And I mean, All. The. Time. One time he wanted to play with one of my shoes. I politely took it away and he began throwing a fit. And he proceeded to throw a fit for 65 minutes. I know because I counted the minutes. He followed me around the house, crying for an entire 65 minutes.
Several months later we went on a trip and we didn't have access to a refrigerator and in an attempt to save money, I ordered water instead of milk for the kids for several meals. All of a sudden, I noticed a different kid. He didn't cry all the time. He suddenly had normal, non-runny poops, and it began to occur to me that he might be lactose intolerant. My husband thought I was crazy, but when I brought it up with my doctor, he immediately recommended we get him tested and voila! We suddenly had to worry about Lactaid pills, butter-filled desserts, and pizza nights, but the great news was that life was so much better for our entire family! My heart broke for him when I realized how uncomfortable he must have been those first two years of his life. Along with taking away milk products, we started a daily Probiotic treatment and the combination made all the difference.
While lactose intolerance is pretty rare in kids, general stomach discomfort isn't. Some new research just came out from Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science, that the microbiome of a toddler's gut may affect his temperament and behavior, particularly in boys. The study carefully points out that there is a communication between bacteria in the gut and the brain, but also urges parents not to change diets just yet since they are continuing their research on the subject. However, based on my experience, if your toddler is going through anything like the "Terrible Two's", I suggest that you strongly consider starting Probiotics. It might make all the difference.
Here is our favorite Probiotic Brand:
I hope you will consider checking out my book, The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn
. I give lots of ideas on keeping your toddlers and preschoolers entertained and engaged, so that you can have a stronger bond and even get some work done around the house!
. I give lots of ideas on keeping your toddlers and preschoolers entertained and engaged, so that you can have a stronger bond and even get some work done around the house!
Monday, April 16, 2012
"Mommy, It's Not Fair!!" Is it Bad Behavior or Just Human Nature?
This morning I almost lost my cool in a very bad way. See this toy? Munchkin Girl has played with this approximately once in four years. I really should have gotten rid of it by now, but I keep thinking they might get some educational value from it so I can't bring myself to pitch it.
For whatever reason, she chose to play with it today. Little Buddy immediately started demanding that she turn it over to him, even though he's never touched it either. Of course that wasn't fair. Munchkin Girl had it first so I told him to find something else to play with, which began a cycle of screaming, kicking, crying, and all around mayhem. Sometimes they work it out themselves, so I left the room briefly to see what would happen. I came back to find them hitting each other and crying, while playing tug of war with the stupid toy. My maternal instinct was to scream at the top of my lungs,
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU??? I AM SO SICK OF THIS!! STOP FIGHTING SO MOMMY CAN DRINK HER TEA!!!!!"
But I didn't. Why? Because I had an earth-shattering realization a few days ago. Earlier in the week, I came across a study from the journal Current Biology, which found that even toddlers are susceptible to peer pressure. When I saw this report, my first reaction was, "DUH."
At first I thought it was absurd that they were even reporting this. Anyone with kids knows that if one toddler climbs on top of the toy car, they are all going to want to do it and will soon be yelling, MY TURN!!!! in a high-pitched squeal.
Then it came to me. This is just human nature. Even adults do this. How many times have we complained that someone got a raise and we didn't and it's just not fair because we work harder? I remember thinking it wasn't fair that my friends kept having babies who slept all night while mine were up every hour wanting to eat. I never thought in a million years that I would want a Coach bag. Franky, I usually don't even like the designs all that much. Yet, I found myself wanting one a few years ago when I saw all my friends with them because the truth is, it is human nature to want what your friends have and do what your friends are doing. That's why brand names are so popular. I've even heard adult women lamenting that their Grandma or whoever didn't spend enough on wedding gifts compared to how much she spent on a different Grandchild and it wasn't fair.
The difference is, adults have grown to recognize this behavior and hopefully curb the desire to stomp our feet and scream and demand the purple Coach bag that our friend just got. Frankly, this might be the entire reason that kids go through the "Terrible Twos". They are smart enough to realize they want something, but haven't learned yet to control the behavior. Even Munchkin Girl is three and a half, and it's clear how far she's come since she was two.
So, as parents, how can we curb this type of behavior and teach our children the right way to behave? The way I see it, we can:
1. Put away toys that we know are triggers. There is always something that is really popular and guaranteed to cause issues. Why not just put them away for a few months?
2. If possible, try distraction. I don't mean giving them another toy and trying to convince them it's better. I mean changing the scenery. Take them outside, in the basement, or even in the car.
3. Feel free to tell them that if a specific toy is too frustrating, you will have to put it away. Then make sure to follow through. Just calmly take the toy, put it in the closet, and tell them it's because they couldn't share. Make them wait for awhile before giving it back. Next time they might think twice about fighting.
So, this morning after I found them hitting each other and crying hysterically, I realized that no matter how many timeouts and rational discussions we had, the situation was too far gone. I really did want to scream at the top of my lungs. Instead, I took a deep breath and said, "Who wants to go to Mimi and Papa's house?"
1. Put away toys that we know are triggers. There is always something that is really popular and guaranteed to cause issues. Why not just put them away for a few months?
2. If possible, try distraction. I don't mean giving them another toy and trying to convince them it's better. I mean changing the scenery. Take them outside, in the basement, or even in the car.
3. Feel free to tell them that if a specific toy is too frustrating, you will have to put it away. Then make sure to follow through. Just calmly take the toy, put it in the closet, and tell them it's because they couldn't share. Make them wait for awhile before giving it back. Next time they might think twice about fighting.
So, this morning after I found them hitting each other and crying hysterically, I realized that no matter how many timeouts and rational discussions we had, the situation was too far gone. I really did want to scream at the top of my lungs. Instead, I took a deep breath and said, "Who wants to go to Mimi and Papa's house?"
They both scampered down and ran to the car, at which point I threw the absurd toy in the basement, where it will remain. Yes, they should have behaved better, but it truly is just human nature, so I need to do a better job next time of preventing and molding the behavior before it gets to the point of no return. Of course, I'm only human too, so I can only do so much, but it's sort of a relief to know that my children aren't monsters. It's just human nature.
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