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I’m beginning to learn that the answer to almost every parenting dilemma thus far is “More love.” Clingy toddler? More love. Dramatic tween? More love. Grumpy kid? More love. Disobedient child? More love.
My Tyler is 2.5 and if you’ve been following me for longer than a minute, you’ll already know I’m obsessed with him. He was a dreamy, snuggly, happy baby, and is just the sweetest little guy. His hair! His cute voice! He calls snuggles, “huggles”, and instead of “hold on tight” he says “hug on tight”. We love him to pieces.
But this week, hooooo boy. He has been climbing out of his crib, and I’m going to lose my friggin mind. I am very protective of my family’s sleep (especially mine!) and I’ve been so dang grumpy thinking about toddler beds and no more naps and 5am wake ups.
And today the crap really hit the fan. He cried for approximately 23 out of 24 hours today, refused to nap, and said NO! more than any other word.
And as I laid in bed tonight, reflecting (whining) about my day, I started to think about why he he might have been so ornery today and how I can fix it. And it hit me, “MORE LOVE.”
Kids can sense when we’re frustrated with them, and it just makes them act worse. Every time. They know, guys. They can sense the strained patience, the clenched teeth, the pursed lips. And it makes them feel crummy, and then they act crummy. I first wrote about this parenting phenomenon years ago, but it’s a lesson I have to keep learning over and over, I guess.
So, I’m going to dig deep and focus on more love tomorrow. More hugs, more deep breaths, more gratitude, more snuggles, more laughter, more love.
It always helps.
This post originally appeared on my Instagram account (@thehowtomom) on June 8, 2017.
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