Hell hath no fury like a toddler whose cup is orange when he really wanted blue. Ah yes, three-year-old tantrums. It’s a rite of passage that no parent can ever truly prepare for.

It’s like something out of a horror film. There you are, minding your own business in the canned vegetables aisle. Suddenly, a high pitched droning noise fills your ears. Everything around you slows down until that noise, that haunting noise, is all you can hear. The tiny demon shakes uncontrollably on the floor and innocent bystanders cower in terror. The horror… the horror

Letters from the trenches

I was there. I was once like you. I speak to you with the wisdom of a mother of a slightly older child (he’s four). I know the pain of being requested to make toast and then shouted at for making said toast. I know the humiliation of getting your pants pulled down in the post office by a tiny version of yourself. I know the torture of never being able to use your phone in the eye line of a tiny human who will not stop yelling about Peppa Pig.

I can tell you, hand on heart, that this anxiety you are feeling will fade. Slowly and in increments. The sentences will become more intelligible, the ability to reason will start to emerge and you’ll begin to be afforded some clarity instead of this ‘what the hell is going on’ mindset you’re in at the moment.

How do I get there, oh slightly-more-experienced font of all knowledge?

For me, the answer was providing my son with extra stimulation. When children are this age, they’re like sponges. Always filthy and in the sink. And also the way they, you know, soak up all knowledge around them.

As a mum, there were just certain things that I couldn’t provide. I didn’t have the patience or time to be endlessly doing craft. I’m not the sportiest of mamas (unless putting on makeup is a sport, in which case, I am a gold medallist) and I’m just not that into nature. I get sunburned easily and am scared of most birds – they’re unpredictable, alright? Back off.

What I do have lots of, though, is intense love for my child. I want the best and I want him to have as many experiences as possible. I found that when I placed him in situations where his mind was stimulated and his creativity was tapped into, his tantrums and frustrations became easier to deal with. I felt less defeated and I felt like I had more of myself to give him than I did before.

Finding a workable solution is important because there is no return policy on children – even with a receipt! And selling things you made on Etsy does not extend to adorable and small people who sometimes get very angry. No, engaging their brains can be a circuit-breaker for those intense feelings that your little one is having. It’s worth exploring all your options – and maybe childcare is the right answer for your family.

How can your child benefit from learning in a new environment? Contact us to discover how Little Scholars is changing the lives of families.