"Do Self"

Those are the two words most likely to be heard from N. He has just started to be really vocal in asserting his independence. High on the list of things he needs to do by himself are opening the door, climbing in and out of his car seat and chair at the table, putting on his boots, carrying the milk from the fridge to the counter (and back), and taking off his jacket. If he is determined to "do self!" it is nearly impossible to do it for him without a tantrum on his part. I know that it is necessary for him to go through this, and that the only way he will learn to do these things well IS to do them himself, but sometimes my patience runs thin. If we are running late, and he has insisted on getting himself out the front door and down the walk (stopping to swing on the railing, roll in the leaves, look up at the trees, etc.), you will find me impatiently calling,"Come on N, let's go!" Which of course causes him to stop cold in his tracks, stare at me with a mischievous grin, before turning around back toward the house. At this point I start walking toward him saying, "N, you need to obey Mommy and come right now!". This only spurs him on, as he leads me on a little chase back up the path. I catch him, and carry him to the car seat where I struggle to buckle this octopus of a child into his car seat, as he arches his back and wails,"DO SELF! DO SELF!!"

And this is just one moment, in a day of many moments like this. He is my 'Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde'. One minute he is sunny, agreeable, trying to make us laugh. The next he is red faced, screaming and disagreeable. And you don't always know what will set him off. I feel like he is that little girl in the poem about the curl--

There was a little girl, who had a little curl,
right in the middle of her forehead
And when she was good, she was very, very good,
and when she was bad, she was horrid"

Yes, that about sums it up.