GRRR

I don’t know what to do with the fact that my 2 year old is on my LAST nerve.  GAR.  This kid is so. annoying right now!!  He has begun the “look at me” phase and the —pay attention to me at all times at all costs phase.  Quite normal for 2 years of age.  I am well aware of that, since my oldest was also very annoying at 2.  But here’s the thing.  My Drew is normally a mild mannered, quiet and sweet little guy.  Loving, affectionate and genuine.  But lately he has started to have an affected manner.  He says things to copy his sister, he says things that aren’t actually true, he tries his hardest to manipulate me just to see how I react.  He’ll claim injury when there is none, he’ll tell me he can’t do things that he can, and it’s all with the intent of getting my time.  But here’s the thing.  He has my time.  I have made sure of that.  When I interact with Drew I try hard to play with him in a genuine, focused one on one way.  But even when I do give him unadulterated quality time, he is still bossy and mean and really not interested.  

So here’s the lesson.  Right now, Drew is freaking ANNOYING.  I have tried “feeding the meter” so to speak— a wonderful tip from The Happiest Toddler on the Block.  The idea is to proactively have quality time with the child so that they feel emotionally fulfilled and less demanding of Mommy’s time.  This tip works wonders with my Brynn.  Sit and color and make believe with her for 20 minutes and she’ll go all day on her own gas after that.  Drew gets bratty, demanding and rude during quality time.

Drew is, obviously trying to see what he can get away with.  No amount of quality time is going to change that right now.  He wonders, “just how much a slave to me will you be?”  I don’t mean this in a cynical nasty way, I just mean, he is experimenting with boundaries, and rightfully so.  This is what we want from our children.  Push those envelopes, test away, see how it works out for you.  It’s called learning.  But it’s SO ANNOYING.

I think that I am beating myself up for being annoyed.  I have never felt that way in a sustained way with Drew.  But he has also never been 2 1/2 until now.  So this is new territory for my steady sweet boy.  He is having a 2’s moment.  And compared to Brynn, my shrieking, screaming, tantrum-ing, hitting, kicking 2 year old, Drew’s 2’s are still mild and moderate.  But annoying none the less in their own distinctive way.  

I keep thinking, if I just….if only I….if I do better with….. and I am realizing that regardless of what I do, Drew will do the same things because that’s what he’s doing right now.  Drew is 2 and it isn’t about me.  He won’t be less annoying no matter what I do.  Because he’s 2 and that’s what they do.  And it’s ok to be annoyed, and I won’t fix it over night.  I think the hardest part of my annoying son is forgiving myself for the fact that he annoys the crap out of me.  It’s a forgivable offense.  

So there.  I said it.  He’s annoying.  And that’s OK.