When my kids were each two years old, I jokingly referred to them as my little psychopaths. Being two is hard! You have all these strong emotions running through you and you just don’t know how to handle it. This led to many, many epic tantrums and freak outs by my own darling children. I counted down the days until they turned four and the much-adored Four Fairy came to bless my children with reason.
Not all kids deal with it the same way. Not all Moms do, either. I made it through, but I feel like I left a huge hunk of my sanity on the side of the road about four miles back.
This Mom, however, is in the thick of it but is full of such grace that it’s inspiring just to watch her interact with her two year old son.
This little guy is also in the thick of it, but on the other end. You can see the wheels turning in his head as he processes life going on around him. Learning by leaps and bounds.
But here is where he is unique! Instead of doing the infamous Wet Noodle (where you go limp and become impossible to pick up, all while shrieking like a banshee– my kids had this down to a science), all he wanted was physical connection with Mom and Dad. A deep, warm hug to reassure him that everything would be okay.
Especially Mom. You could just feel the deep bond between them, with every movement he made. If he was not touching her, his eyes were on his much-adored Mama.
Once in his comfort zone, he was relaxed, happy, and secure in the love of those most important to him.
And that’s all that matters.
I think there is something to be said about how he is learning to navigate life. How many of us totally shut down when faced with stressful situations? Do you still do the Wet Noodle, even if it’s just psychologically?
I think I am going to try to take his tactic instead. Reach for what grounds you. Breathe. Try again.
It will all be okay.
