Scream Therapy

Ah yes, my sweet adorable girl. Why is it that as we get closer to three, the tantrums have suddenly taken on a life of their own? At first I thought it was Nacho's extended absences this spring and now for training. Then I thought maybe she was getting overly tired or too much sugar or who knows what else. But lately, their intensity has taken me by surprise and I cannot find the patience I once had. I lose it. It's just too much for this achy pregnant momma to bear. I caught this video snipit at the end of a good 2-3 minute rant which found me stuffing Elisa in her crib more for her own safety. Later when I let her watch it, she seemed shocked but somehow amused by her own distress. During one of these spells, she flails around on the hardwood floor (and throws things at me when she's being particularly nasty), so the crib seems the best option until she regains her composure. But now that she has her new bed, she doesn't take to the crib kindly. We'll have to work on other places for timeouts, but for now, I try to let her flop on the floor until she isn't safe. And sometimes, I find that the screaming only gets worse the more I ignore it, although yesterday one episode stopped after about 5 minutes of me washing dishes and ignoring her completely. Once she snaps out of it and begins to breathe again, she usually apologizes or at least reiterates what she wants (if it was over a dispute). In fact, her reflectiveness and sweet apologies have become something I especially appreciate because at least I know she understands why her actions are not acceptable. But other times, I'm just left baffled and fried without any idea why she's flipping out. My nerves shot over a bout of screaming that seems so unnecessary. I really don't know what to expect when there are two screaming girls in the house, but something tells me I'm going to appreciate those baby screams in a whole new light. So much less manipulative and innocent. These on the other hand, I can do without.