Tantrum Taming Little Legacy 16

8pm. I am sitting with my back to the inside of his bedroom door. He shouts. He pulls at me then tries to clamber over me. He yanks at the handle. He tries to hit me.  I pick him up and put him on his bed kicking and screaming.  I start reading a book to him.  He starts to lob things off his bed. Which is when Monkey hits me in the face.

I'm furious, but something catches me in time, makes me see the funny side.

'Hey monkey, I didn't know you could fly' I say.

My boy laughs.  A delicious little chuckle.

I carry on, 'Hey monkey, what's wrong with Mr G?' I make the monkey toy edge towards him. 'Hey Mr G why are you cross?' I say in my best monkey voice.

'Hmmmphh,' says my son, but there is a flicker of a smile in the corner of his mouth.

'Hummph?' I say as monkey,  'What's humphh?'

He laughs some more and pulls his duvet back on the bed.

I lay monkey down on the pillow next to him and make his paw tickle his cheek and his head cock to one side as Monkey asks 'Can I sleep in your bed?'

He pulls the duvet over his head, hugs Monkey and accepts my kiss on the cheek.


Distraction is the name of the game. Puppets are an amazing bridge when emotions are running high.  Naming emotions helps children to cope with them. Things I know thanks to my mum, who was a fabulous mum, gran and playtherapist.

Little legacy is a remembrance project , a positive and creative space, to celebrate small things handed down by inspirational people. Feel free to link up a little legacy you've been thinking about this week, or to leave one in the comments. Here's the code and here's more on Little Legacy
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