a fifo wife {fifo life: me: that mother earth she dissappeared}

Remeber how I said the other day I had that mother earth thing going on? Well it dissappeared yesterday…well sort of…I handled the tantrum with such calmness even I surprised myself but it would seem even the calmness of mother earth could not break this mother of all tantrums. The mother earth thing I knew it wouldnt last but I tried. But on wards and upwards I say.

B3 threw several tantrums yesterday. He is coming down with a cold so with each one I tried to give him some lee way but come yesterday afternoon he refused to get out of the pool. The pool is heated and I thought (this mother thing is not exact science please dont judge me) it would help to wear him out as we are not sleeping through. We had a great time swimming and carrying on as we watched B1 and B2 doing there lessons. Sound familiar? Everything was going well. Swimmingly pardon the pun. But it was time to go the pool was getting far to cold. I started the count down..I read that somewhere once to count down for a toddler when a really fun activity is coming to an end…so I warned him at the five minute mark we have to get out in five minutes. Two minutes bubba. One minute bubba. Okay lets go. Nooo he said. Yes bubba the pool is getting too cold. And it was I was cold. He must be cold. His brothers jumped out no worries. No he didnt. He jumped back in. I jumped in. I got him out. I started the process of handing towels out. He started the process of a tantrum.

It was cold out of the pool. Its winter for goodness sake. Swimming in winter. I was going as fast I could so was he and the pool was packed. Full of those earth mothers. Then he started. I dont like you. Over, over and over again. Screaming. I tried to ‘talk’ him through it. Telling him he was about to miss out on his thursday night mc donalds should he continue. Then he refused to walk. I was trying to hold up my towel, carry the basket, open the gate and calmly walk out as my child was screaming he didnt like me. I could feel the earth mothers looking at me. I could see them raise an eyebrow as they breastfed their three year old as I warned my three year old that if he didnt stop this unaccepatble behaviour and he knew thats what it was he would cop a smack to the bum.

Rather proud of myself I remained calm right through this tantrum. I hadnt even got to the change rooms when he broke free of my grasp and ran back to the pool. I reached him at the gate. At this point he had worked himself into to such a state that it was ridiclous. I again tried to ‘talk’ to him again. Nope he was to far gone. Free hands I picked him up and we walked to the change room. Putting him down to get inside he started screaming again.

It was then that earth mother well she left me. Im not sure where she went but she vacated the building and left. I pondered calmly what to do. This talking stuff hadnt worked for the last three minutes, although it seemed typically like eternity. This behaviour was ridiclous and if I hadnt been worried about the earth mothers looking on I would have smacked his bottom long before this. Without thought without a look over my shoulder to see who was still looking. I smacked his bum. Just one. Not hard. Not even direct. You wouldnt even call it a smack knowing the smacks I have given in the past and ones I had endured at the hand of my mother. He stopped dead in his tracks and walked inside, I followed and I locked the door.

He stopped crying as I silently undressed him. He started to shiver. I dressed him still not talking. He spoke to me. I didnt. I listened. I dont like you and Im very angry with you he said trying to control his sobbing. Well B3 I said. I dont like you right now and Im even angrier with you. I asked you nicely to get out of the pool and we had a nice time but the pool was getting too cold. That behaviour was ridiclous. Silly behaviour bubba. You my fine feathered friend will not be getting Mc Donalds for dinner. No mummy, No mummy. He started the wind up again. Think about it bubba I said. I warned you that you would miss out you had many chances to stop being silly and you didnt. I warned you this would happen. And he did. Stop that is. He was silent all the way home and no he didnt get Mc Donalds his brothers did though all though they didnt rub it in they just ate silently in the car. B3 ate when he got home. He had a piece of toast and milo with me.

Lets see how today pans out,

xxDeb