I am 98% certain my two year-old is trying to kill me.
Of all the aspects of life with three kids, dealing with the challenges she’s been tossing my way is by far the most difficult.
This week she got into a tub of Sudocrem diaper cream and smeared it on every extremity.
Then while my back was turned for 4.7 seconds, she found a bottle of scarlet nail polish, opened it up and painted her hands with it, then proceeded to rub it IN HER EYEBALL. Cue my frantic screaming, a husband running upstairs with an emergency eye wash kit, and 10 minutes of her howling as he rinsed her socket out.
Then she randomly got a Barf Attack virus that struck at midnight the other night, she’s working on her molars and is even crankier than usual, and she’s been sneaking out of her bunk bed a half-dozen times a night then wailing like a tortured banshee when we put her back to bed. Last night we’d finally had enough of her getting out of bed that we put her back in her old crib and she cried, nay, rabidly howled and frothed at the mouth in rage, for an hour. She finally fell asleep and woke up hoarse and angry. Kind of like me.
The newborn has been the lowest maintenance member of this family! All she needs is milk and some snuggles, the occasional diaper change, and did I mention the milk?
Two years olds are at such a hard age, I know. They are irrational, easily frustrated, and kind of not too keen on learning how to be a decent human being. It feels like my days are on an endless cycle of time-outs, spankings, lather, rinse, repeat. Karenna is like a wild stallion and I’m realizing we need to break her renegade spirit just a little before she breaks US. But the effort that that will require is a little overwhelming when I stop to think of it amidst the round-the-clock feedings, sleep deprivation, and daily stress of life with three dependents clinging to me all day long.
I know we’ll get through this. And it’s good I’m writing all this down now since I’m sure I’ll look back and heartily laugh at all the mayhem we endured in these wild years. Right?
RIGHT?!!
I can relate to the last comment (Melissa). I feel like the relationship with my first born was damaged with the arrival of the second, and then now I feel like I’ve ruined it with the second when the third arrived. It is so hard! I feel like all day I am just a referee trying to avoid them from hurting eachother, and if they aren’t hurting eachother, they are destroying the place!! There are days when I look longingly at the nearby daycare and figure they would be so much happier there instead of here with a nagging, grumpy mother who never lets them do anything! But I think the thing is that they are strong-willed (like your girls)…and regardless of who raises them, it will be tough and they may hate me in the process. But they will be amazing adults?! (Or so I pray!) And I also pray that I can make it through in one piece. It is taking all I have. BUT ok, that was really negative. I’m not going to lie… 3, 4 isn’t much easier, but there are stages/phases which are a little better than others. And those happy mountain peaks will keep you assured that you can do it and this is worth it (it is worth it. it is worth it)!
I have two, and I found my oldest child to be the most work after my son was born. He was easy, he slept, ate every three hours to the minute, and pooped nearly every time he ate. He cried if he was overstimulated, but as long as he didn’t get hot or hungry he was easy to quiet. My daughter was another story altogether.
It has gotten easier as time has passed, she sees the value in helping out – although I have this nagging feeling that our relationship has been somehow damaged since her brother was born 18 mos ago. She also sees her brother as more of a playmate now, so she is quite glad he is around. The good news is that things have settled down appreciably, and I can put some effort into repairing our relationship rather than just surviving.
Mmmmmm not I’m not sure about the looking back and laughing part. The documentation can come in handy though when THEY don’t remember the torture you endured in shaping their futures lmao.
It doesn’t get easier at three. I wish you luck, though my son has never nail polished his eye socket, he has painted my LCD with it which daddy was not impressed with and a lightening speed I’m enrolling him in an esticians course this week (wink wink)!
I laughed when I saw your picture of Kareena and the Sudocreme. My eldest two kids decided writing on each other with Sharpies was a grand idea the other day and I still have an entire tube of lipstick ‘decorating’ my upstairs hallway. It’s crazy the things the do and in such short amounts of time. But bending their will is well worth the hard work. It will help them in school, and make them employable and one day they’ll move out ;). I’ll think of you while placing my three kids on their billionth time out today and I’ll feel a little stronger cuz I’ll remember that us parents, were all in this together!
Amanda- Congratulations on your new babe. We have not met and our present lives are far apart as bloggers – me with the teens and you with the breast feeding and tantrums BUT I want to tell you that my 13 year old daughter tried to kill me for 2 years. I felt close to tears at least once a day with her at that time. She came into our room at 5 in the morning with a butcher knife when she was 2 asking if I could help her cut a piece of bread. She painted her room at 3- during ‘quiet time’. She daily through herself to the floor screaming that she could not get up. Her tantrums were legendary. I mean legendary. I hated spring because the windows were open!
She is strong, self directed and very bright. As it turns out being little was an extreme challenge for her. She even remembers her frustration. I can’t tell you how much you will enjoy this child and never worry about them. As you know, no one can tell them what to do. This serves them well after toddlerhood.
You just have to survive it!
Having kids is HARD! I remember feeling like a bad mom in the beginning because I thought it was so so so hard, and not all lovey-dovey. I think it was my sister who said to me that motherhood is hard 90% of the time, and only fun 10% of the time.
Dude. BEEN THERE. And we’re still there. Actually, I think the threes have been worse than the twos. I hope Brinley skips this whole terrible twos thing for you!
Okay – I have a two year old…no one else (not even a husband)…so this is me bowing to on my hands and knees in a Wayne’s World ‘we’re not worthy’ pose…My kid is killing me and it’s just him…I’m told it gets easier – and I’m going with that…you’re totally surviving because you’re writing about it…you can still feel the warmth and hilarity in your words…. break her!!!…:)
Hey Girl,
I’m so glad you’re blogging all this too. I seem to be lost for words at this stage. I’m right there with you with 3 children looking to me for their every need, and their every need must be met instantly you know. My daughter is 31/2 and my son is 5 so they are just a bit older than your older ones, but we went through the sneaking, and getting into and opening messy things, and hair cutting and violent tantrums only this past spring. I can identify with the diaper cream and nail polish. Actually, I’ll take those messy incidents over the tantrums, because the messy incidents make for a good story and picture at least. Glad baby is treating you kindly. I know that is my escape right now; no one demands much from me when I have Baby in my arms, and I can just soak her up. I’m not in a rush for her to get big that’s for sure.
Oh man. I am feeling for you Amanda. 2 year olds can be a challenge and even more so when you have a newborn in your house! The nail polish in the eye thing freaked me right up. My anxiety increased because 1) I hadn’t thought about a toddler pulling that one off. 2) I don’t own an eye wash kit but I do have a toddler. Hope you have a few good days ahead of you.
Oh man. With the first baby you think it’s so much work, and then the subsequent babies are a breeze. Don’t worry, it won’t last forever. The school years are awesome! (Grace – my youngest – just started grade one and it’s a whole new wonderful world).
A long time reader and first time commenting. You WILL make it. Reach out for people to help you through this. And don’t listen or compare, just live through it. There is so much love, happiness and intimacy in these days – don’t lose sight or hope.
You WILL look back and laugh. If not, you will shake your head and thank your lucky stars it’s over. Because it WILL be over. Everyday you survive is one more day you will never have to live over. And one more day closer to sanity. I’m glad you decided to put her back in her crib. At this point, you all need sleep and you need to do whatever it takes to get it. Love ya! If I can do it you can. You’re much stronger than I.