Like A Child

In my life as a nanny, I have many moments where the student becomes the teacher, so to speak. The twins just celebrated their second birthday, therefore entering that time of life known to parents everywhere as "the terrible two's." So far, they have been more like terrific two's but once in a while I see a precursor of what is to come. Like once in a while, they will be pointing at something, like a cookie for instance, and trying to communicate to me that they want the cookie. I will not give them the cookie, because come on, they hadn't even eaten one carrot yet. So, the pleading will escalate. Their voices get louder and more shrill. Before you know it, they have that look on their face. It's what I call the calm before the storm. Their faces get really red and with mouth open wide they take a long breath. Then, comes the screaming. The throw-yourself-on-the-ground, pound-your-fists, wake-up-the-whole-neighborhood-screaming. The easy way out would be to throw a cookie at them, which they would probably catch in their mouth like a seal. That, or invent a time machine and go back to the very beginning of time when they were first deciding what would be healthy food and what would be junk. If I could somehow convince the cavemen to label fruits and vegetables as treats, my problems would be over. However, usually by the time the tantrum is in full swing, there is nothing you can do anyways, but wait it out. This is extremely tough to do. I recommend talking in a normal tone to anybody in the room who is sane or pretend to be engrossed in washing dishes.
As I'm hoping these moments can become fewer and further between, I turned to the internet for some advice. I found an article about tantrums. First of all, I learned that they are a biological fact of life. You cannot feel like a bad caregiver because the babies are just doing what babies do. Secondly, I learned an interesting tactic for how to deal. The author suggested to get down to the child's level, forget using logical explanations ("Cookies are not good for you. You have to eat healthy foods to grow up strong..."), identify with their feelings ("I know you are upset."), and comfort them the minute they start slowing down.
HOLY MOLY. What a great philosophy for life! It totally works. But I'm not sure if it only applies to two year olds. There are times when I can't exactly express how I feel with words. I feel as though my communication skills are no match for the problem in front of me. How great would it be if somebody would look me in the eye, hold my shoulders, and say "Laura, I understand how you feel." Then they would pull me in for a hugsie.
John Mayer had it right- Say What You Need To Say. But when you can't, find comfort in others. And when you see somebody who is in need, it'll be your turn to curb the tantrum before a time-out is warrented.