There are benefits to having a child under age 2 who can speak sentences and communicate effectively. For one, you always know what crime her older sister committed that caused her some distress. I hear this a lot, “No, Kelsey, that’s mine!” For another, there is little confusion regarding what she wants to eat or drink at any given time, or what she wants for entertainment. Yesterday, Laurel brought me a Between the Lions video and said, “I want TV now, Mommy.” Later, last night, she crawled into my lap and said “I wanna nurse you, Mommy.”
Nevetheless, it’s not like we’re skipping the tantrum stage. Although she can communicate her wishes quite well, I’m not the fairy godmother of toddlers, able or willing to pull cookies out of my ass when we’re in the middle of the grocery store. Likewise, I can’t seem to make Laurel understand the concept of “waiting” for something she wants. And she’s so very stubborn! Since she’s able to make her wants known, and since she knows I can understand her, she expects want fulfillment immediately; the funny thing is, she’s not terribly demanding. She rarely gets worked up over something and is usually happy with sucking on her fingers and playing with whatever toy I can keep Kelsey from taking from her. But when Laurel desperately wants something and doesn’t get it, she has her tantrum, throwing herself on the floor or flinging a toy and screaming like a banshee. I look forward to her emotional maturity catching up with her verbal skills! In the meantime, I’m loving the fact that I can communicate with both of my kids finally!