Zara used to be a wailer, you know the crying-for-1hr-like-a-banshee kind? The no-matter-what-you-do-will-not-calm-her-down-once-it’s-started kind?<\/p>\n
She was at her worst when she was around 18months~30months old. Not that it was’t bad when she was younger, but that time I thought she was still a baby (and a high need one) and I could tolerate it better. This so stressed me out. <\/p>\n
When she started her wailing;
\nI used to hug her, didn’t work.
\nTalked to her and tried calming her, didn’t work.
\nPut her in the naughty corner, didn’t work.
\nOnce, when she was standing right in front of the study screaming her head off (while I was working), I got so angry, I lifted her like a sack of potato, brought her to the room, placed her on my lap gave her 2 big smack on her buttocks. It didn’t stop her crying but instead made her cry even louder, and made me feel extremely guilty and lousy. <\/p>\n
Daddy kept telling me it’s her state of mind, and nothing we did would stop it, so we should just let her cry it out. <\/p>\n
Eventually, I took the approach. I just told Zara I won’t hold her or hug her until she stops. She can wail or shout or scream, I won’t touch her. “If you are upset, or angry, crying is ok, but you have to control yourself and not cry and shout like you are crazy. Mummy will hug you when you calm down.”<\/span><\/p>\n I’m not sure if this helped, or she is just growing up and went passed that phase. Nowadays, when she cries, it will be only for a short while. Sometimes, the crying is replaced with a sob, and she’ll come over and say, “Mummy, I can control myself already.”<\/span> occasionally adding, “Because now I’m 4 years old.”<\/span><\/p>\n I have been telling her, I’m really very proud of her. I really am.<\/p>\n