We've been attacked!

Man your battle stations. We have been attacked!

It is a sneak attack from the front that only experience could have predicted.

The terrible twos have hit early and they have hit hard!

It started around 18 months and Jacob was teething. Teething is tough and I had grace for him, but then the teething was over the attitude stayed.



Oh my, where did this come from? Why did no one warn me? Where was this covered in the manual...oh wait, there is no manual.



What happened to my happy child? Where did my Jacob go? Who is this fussy, fit-throwing expert that has come to live at my house?



In the Shaw house, we are learning valuable lessons. I'm trying (and failing more than succeeding) at finding the balance between truth and grace. When he is tired do I let him have his way? How hard should I be on him? If I put him in time out every time he pitched a fit he would be there all day!



We are surviving, but barely. Some days are better than others. The other day was bad. He was in time out twice and he had only been up 30min! I'm learning to be consistent. Figuring out what is acceptable behavior, what he understands (which is so much) and how to communicate with him is much harder than I thought. It makes me glad for the days that I go to work, just to have a break, but then makes me glad that I have so much time with him so that we can work on his attitude.



We'll get there. In the meantime, Jacob is learning tons! He has learned that pitching a fit and running is hazardous to one's health. He has learned that I want him to say "please" after he demands something. He has learned that hitting mommy is not a good idea. He has also learned (after only 1 week) how to sit in time out without getting up (I don't even have to gate him in).



Hopefully he will survive this new learning season for his Mommy and Daddy!