The Days that try a Mom's Soul

When Isaac was 2, there were days when we swore that those blond curls of his actually hid horns. There were times when you could almost see the good angel and the bad angel on his shoulders duking it out to see what course of action he would take. Often, the bad angel won. Children test limits. That is part of their job. They want to see exactly how far they can go before somebody stops them and what the consequences will be of their actions. The truth is that they actually want limits. Of course they also want some self-determination also. With time, patience, and alot of time-outs, they eventually get the idea that perhaps listening to Mommy and Daddy is a good idea.

Now, I will take a three year old over a two year old any day of the week, but Isaac still does have his moments when he is determined to get into a battle of wills. He is cuddly and cute and lovable, but there are times when those horns still make an appearance. (Sometimes, we actually tell him to put his horns back in. Usually, he will pull up his curls and say, "No, I want them out!") Tonight we engaged in one of those battles of will. He was tired and angry and frustrated, which still did not make it OK that he was absolutely refusing to listen and insisted on hitting everything in sight (including his mother!). After two time-outs and his losing 10 minutes of computer time tomorrow (his absolute favorite activity) and having another of his favorite toys put on time-out, he finally calmed down. Another battle won. Another step in helping him learn self-control. Another day in the world of being a mommy.