you look silly

Colt has been throwing [or trying to throw] temper tantrums lately. When I grab his hand to lead him out of my bedroom or try to remove him from a situation he doesn't want to be removed from he'll do the ol' lazy bones and pretend he can't walk. Typically tears follow and he becomes a hot mess.

Instead of trying to yank him up off the floor by his arms or get mad...I just let him slide into a puddle on the floor. Then I say, "Colt, look at Mommy. You look silly. This isn't working so can we go now?" And I don't know what it is, but he stops crying and is like, Man, I do look silly.

I take his hand, pull him back up on his feet, and we walk out of the room together...his wet noodle body has magically been healed and off we go.

I'm sure this won't always work, the whole reasoning with a child thing but for now I'm thankful it does, and it saves my larger-than-life pregnant body from bending over and man handling a 30lb toddler.

He's also learned to run as fast as he can at naptime to the far, back corner of his monster tent because it's a pain for me to waddle back there on my hands and knees, pick him up, and carry him out...so instead I grab his foot and yank him from the safty of his monster home.

You can't always depend on words ;)