I know I am a broken record, and a neurotic one at that, but I love, love, love my social work friends. They not only make the work day bearable, they are full of empathy, support and resources, which is no surprise. One of them passed along this awesome book, The Emotional Life of the Toddler, and I happened to flip open to this paragraph.
"...temper tantrums are so important for healthy development. Tantrums take a child to the very bottom of his being, hleping him to learn that anger and despair are part of the human experience and need not lead to lasting emotional collapse. If the parents can remain emotionally available even while firm in their position of denying something, tantrums also teach a child that he will not be left alone in his 'dark night of the soul.'"
Dude, Avi doesn't officially turn one until Sunday and I am already in it. This book also talks about how parents long for the "easier" time of infancy during this challenging time when babies become toddlers and want (and need!) to assert their autonomy but don't quite have the language or gross motor skill to do so. I get it. I realize I don't need a book to tell me this stuff. But it is so reassuring to feel normal, to be reminded that Avi is totally normal; and I remain grateful to my colleagues, who are also my friends, for their sheer awesomeness and for reminding me of these things. And not making me feel like a crazy nut.
Lastly, I had a great trip to Target with Avi on Sunday. I was able to navigate all of the above and came out feeling triumphant. I want to remember that.
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