I wish I had a nickel for every time my three year old has said those words. And a dime for every time he says, "Why?" So many people talk about the terrible twos, but in our house, James and I have always found that it is the threes that are the hardest to go through.
Thomas has exercised his Three-ness this week. His imagination is running like crazy. A few days ago he spent about 3 hours in pure panic that a fly was going to get him. Every speck of dust/dirt/lint (and there are many) on my floor was a fly that he was terrified of. He couldn't walk on the floor or even sit at the table to eat his lunch, or lay in his bed for nap. Flies were buzzing in his ears, climbing down his shirt, and he thought he even saw one on Owen's toe! He went outside for a little bit only to come screaming back in that there were flies and lady bugs all over him. No amount of reassuring that the lady bugs are still sleeping, and the flies are mostly still sleeping didn't do anything for him. Then of course, he encountered a real fly and lost his mind completely. I tried really hard to be patient and empathetic. For a little while I started worrying that he had meningitis or some other problem with his brain that was causing him to see little insects everywhere. I tried to visualize what he was--I imagined one of Pharoah's plagues--but I mostly felt irritated and annoyed. Especially when the baby started screaming too and I knew I had to get lunch ready for the boys and nurse the baby with a three-year old glued to my body. Luckily that horrific day ended and now the fear of the flies just comes at night or naptime. :-) Today he came down stairs really happy because he had found his hammers. "Now I can smash the flies!" he said joyfully. (We had talked about smashing them with Mommy's slippers, or with the swatter, or with his boxing gloves before this.) We'll see if he's brave enough next time he meets one of those deadly beasts!
(The other day Thomas heard James say he had butterflies in his stomach and soon we heard him telling Owen that he had "bumblebees" in his stomach and a "Rhino in my eye!")
Whoa! That is a weird thing to be suddenly scared of. Poor kid (and poor mother dealing with it) :) I like your idea of telling him to smash them. Empowering him so he won't be so scared. What is the "rhino in my eye" though? Sweet pictures. I especially love the 2nd one---that little half-pouting bashful face. Seb gets that same expression sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI found with boys, it was hard when they were 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and Matthew will be 15 in two weeks or so. I will let you know. We never had terrible twos. You are doing great. I read and I don't even have a sleeping baby to hold!! :-)
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