As a mama of a 2 year old, some days I want to scream off the mountaintops how I have the cutest stinkin toddler in all of the land and other days I want to bang my head against the wall…repeatedly! He is sweet, sour, loving, stubborn, considerate and sometimes downright crazy:O! Hmmmm….sounds a lot like…..…. his dad. I mean we all know any trait that can be perceived as negative, definitely didn’t come from us ;) Can I get an amen sister?

Anywho, getting out of the house can be both easy and sometimes it can feel damn near impossible! I didn’t really believe other mamas because my toddler has always been a sweet angel who would never act like some evil possessed red-haired murderous doll. I swear I even heard him mutter under his breath can we be friends till the end? Sorry this movie reference might be too old… am I showing my age?

For us, the terrible 2’s began at 2 1/2! Holy moly….where did my sweet angel go? Sometimes he throws himself into a tizzy where I can’t even put him into his car seat without strong arming him(I legit price checked straight jackets on Amazon). My 30 pound toddler somehow morphs into the Incredible Hulk.

Here is what I have learned so far. If you’re a new mama, hopefully these strategies will help and work for you like they have for me.

STEP 1

Be prepared! Very prepared!

Timing is everything, especially when it comes to our little emotional human beings. Make sure you plan your day accordingly as far as naps, snacks, drinks and drive time. Planning ahead will help with minimizing tantrums.

STEP 2

Damage control-have a “tantrum goodie bag”

Pack stickers, lollipops, cupcakes, etc….whatever your toddler likes so when a tantrum does occur you can use a little bribery to help everyone’s sanity (If you don’t agree with this, that’s ok, do what works for you..again this works for me).

STEP 3

Woooo-sah…Stay calm

If nothing seems to be working, take some deep breaths and count to 10. If you need to pack up where ever you are and head home that’s ok. After you get home, kiss little “Chuckie” (haha) and tell him or her it will be ok. If it’s passed nap-time, snuggle up anyway and pour yourself some wine , you deserve it mama!