Taking It One Day At a Time

It has begun: the great power struggle between a willful toddler and his equally stubborn mother. It seems a switch was turned one night, and since that day (or night), everything... I mean, e-v-e-r-y l-i-t-t-l-e t-h-i-n-g, has become a struggle with him: getting into the high chair, getting his diaper changed, getting a shirt on AND off, taking something away from him... to name a few. Since the turning of that "I'm a big boy now and I expect to be treated as one" switch, Kai has discovered (and evidently fully enjoys) the power of a simple, affirmative "NO!" The only things he doesn't say "No" to are:

1. Anything that involves water: drinking water, brushing his teeth, washing his hands, taking a bath, out in the rain, puddle-jumping, etc.

2. Anything that involves food: Kai would eat everything that is on his plate, and he'll go after what's on yours. In fact, this boy eats so much I often wonder if he's gonna puke it all out in the middle of the night. Between meals, his favorite snacks are Cheerios, soy dessert (豆花), and fruit.

Unfortunately for his mommy, along with the constant "No! No! No"s also comes the physical response to a request he does not agree to: thrashing around so I can't get a hold of him, planting himself on the floor refusing to get up and move, arching his back when I'm trying to hold onto him, and most agitating of all, any of the actions mentioned earlier in combination with the hitting or kicking.

Argh! It makes me so angry when he hits or kicks me. It's so frustrating 'cause I can't hit/kick him back but explaining why he shouldn't do it or how it hurts me is simply a waste of breath. Kai's too young to understand.

All this means is that, as soon as the little monster falls asleep, I find myself typing these search words: "early childhood development", "discipline issues", "parenting styles" in the dark, hoping to arm myself with enough information so I can form some kind of a game plan for... oh, who knows what he'll be up to tomorrow.