Blowing off Steam

Yesterday, Jupiter had a full blown screaming tantrum.

It's been awhile since that's happened.

On Sunday, we were home most of the day, and it was a great day. Jupiter used a nice polite voice and words all day. She said "I forgive you," when I had to do some work (pulling the waterlogged carpet out of the basement before the next storm) instead of playing with her. Later that day, we played the matching card game and she kept giving me her matches. It was so sweet.

Monday evening was another story. Jupiter couldn't get settled and into bed...she'd been rocking and I disturbed the rocking and then it was all over. She wanted me to read to her again, (I'd already read a whole Magic Tree House book), and she wanted the soft sheet off my bed to put on her bed. Then she couldn't or wouldn't go back to sleep. My take is that she was just feeling stubborn and defiant at that point and wouldn't go to sleep because I told her too. So finally, at 9pm, I said, "Fine. Stay up. Don't go to sleep. Tomorrow you will have natural consequences. But I'm going to bed."

I fell asleep somewhere around 9:30. When I woke up at 11:30, she'd fallen asleep with the light on. So I don't really know what time she actually fell asleep.

I woke her up at 6am as usual. She got ready for school. She got through school without any major issues (she claims she fell asleep twice, but I don't have confirmation). After school, at Mimi's house, she lost it. Her blanket fort fell down and she wasn't able to ask nicely for help to get it fixed. So she didn't recieve any help.

Hence the screaming tantrum. 10 minutes. When she was done, she had something to eat.

When I picked her up, she was exhausted, but very mellow. She had a shower, ate her supper, listened to one chapter of a story, and went to sleep.

Sometimes I think she just needs to blow everything off. Even if the goal is no loud screaming two year oldish tantrums, I have to think that yesterday the tantrum served a purpose. She felt better afterward.