The Mother of all Temper Tantrums

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DH has been TDY for a little over two weeks now... until the end of summer.  Okay, I can handle that.  No, really, I can.  Honest! ;)


Last Tuesday my 8-year-old son had THE mother of all temper tantrums.  I was so in shock that all I could do was take deep breaths and try not to laugh (or scream).


It was in the morning and I was trying to pack lunches, get breakfast, and get ready for work.  Normal day routine stuff.  I told my kids to go get dressed.  No big deal, right?  Boy was I wrong that morning!!!


After listening to my kids bounce off walls for almost 10 minutes I finally decided I better check on them in their room to make sure everyone (and everything) was still in one piece.  I open the door to find my daughter under the bunk beds and my son trying to hide behind the book case near his dresser (yes, where his CLOTHES are kept).  Daughter was dressed... son was not quite half-way there yet.  So I simply said, "Son, you are grounded from video games at the babysitter's today b/c you did not get dressed like I told you."  And all hell broke loose...


For the next 20 minutes my son threw an amazingly emotional and dramatic tantrum.  Tantrum on that day included the following:


1.  Son throwing himself on the floor and BEGGING me not to ground him.
2.  Son following me around the house BEGGING me not to ground him.
3.  Son throwing himself face-down on the kitchen floor, kicking and pounding, while BEGGING me not to ground him.
4.  Son kneeling in front of the couch, hands folded in "prayer" position, BEGGING me...
5.  Son saying, "Mom!  Can you ground me tomorrow instead?!"
6.  Son refusing to put on shoes after finally getting dressed.  At which point I calmly told him he could go to the babysitter's in his socks.
7.  Son standing (defiantly) on front porch refusing to get into truck.  I calmly explained that I locked the door and he would eventually get hungry if he did not go to the babysitter's.


I think you can see where this is all going.  And I am proud to admit I NEVER lost my temper.  I simply went about my business and informed him (repeatedly) that he was grounded and my decision was final.


I told some of my friends at work about my glorious morning and I was actually able to laugh... not AT my son, but simply laugh and enjoy the fact that I never lost my temper and we both survived to tell the tale of the mother of all tantrums.  And I owe my ability to stay calm to a therapist I had years ago when my son was 3 and I was constantly screaming at him - then hating myself at night b/c I felt like the worst mother in the world.


By the way, did I mention that my son is EIGHT YEARS OLD!!!  DH got a kick out of the story when we talked the next day.  I guess I have learned a few things over the years.


Share your own tantrum stories and how you handled them!


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