Au Revoir

We have made it safely back to Florida and now are staying a couple nights oceanside. I could listen to the sound of the waves every day, all day. The boys actually handled the nine hours in the car like champs. You can tell that it tired them out (thankfully!).

This is the dilemma I am having. If your partner senses you are at the end of your rope with your youngest child and magnanimously steps in to take over (thank you, Mad Dog!), what happens when he, too, has reached his limit? Do you then pass the child over to a third party, or do you simply lock him away until he decides to shape up? Do I have any takers? Anyone?

In my house the terrible twos start at about the age of 15 months and last well into the fourth year of life. Little T.Puzzle is following heartily in his big brother’s footsteps by meticulously adhering to this unfortunate behavioral timeline. His favorite phrases are “I NOT!” and “NO! NO! NO!” I’m concerned that his language development will be impeded by his serious overuse of the word ‘no’. How will he ever expand his vocabulary if he does not use he mouth and tongue muscles to ever form the ‘Y’ sound as in ‘yes, ma’am’ or ‘yes, my Mommy, you are so pretty, my Mommy’ (or something like that)?

The great thing about so many consecutive days together as a family is that Mad Dog can see what I’m really up against day after day. Oh, sure, he sees glimpses of it on the weekends, but to have to deal with little T.Puzzle in all his defiant glory 24/7 is a whole other ballgame. Mad Dog initially was very patient with T.Puzzle’s mood swings. He would even offer to sit by him at restaurants to give me a break. Eventually, Mad Dog couldn’t take it. I could tell he was reaching his breaking point as T.Puzzle said ‘No!’ for the 337th time in a twenty minute period and I stepped in to calm the situation.

That’s when it struck me. If both parents reach their absolute limit, where do you go from there?

My guess is boarding school.

Au revoir, little T.Puzzle. Au revoir.