Living with a Toddler

Today has been a challenging day. I am sitting on my sofa as I write this, feeling drained and emotional. I am not well which doesn’t help the situation but the main reason for my bad day has been that I feel as though I have failed as a parent.

Living with a toddler is hard work. We are currently experiencing the whinging stage and quite honestly it is breaking me down bit by bit. Tantrums I can handle- they are easy compared to the incessant whining that we seem to be facing every day now.

For example, at dinner this evening I placed dinner in front of her and immediately she started crying that she wanted ‘dip dip’ (ketchup). At bedtime she had her toast and burst into tears that it wasn’t butter- even though she has pâté every bedtime without fail. These are just two examples, my mind is too frazzled to remember any more.

So why have I failed?

I lost my temper. I snapped, not too much but more that I should have. I told her she had to eat all of her toast or I wouldn’t read her a story. I looked at her sternly. I put my own feelings before hers, my little baby girl.

Yes she is going through her ‘terrible twos’ but it is not her fault. She is also exhausted from starting nursery 3 mornings a week and refuses to nap. I need to take this into account and help her pass through this phase. I need to be a kinder mummy.

As I turned to leave her bedroom I said ‘I love you’. She always replies ‘I love you too mummy’ but tonight she just looked at me. I turned off the light and shut the door with tears in my eyes. I let her down.

I will try harder tomorrow.