Tantrums, Teething and Grandma...

I can't believe JG is already 21 months old as of yesterday. We went to the lake today and visited with family and JG's Grandma (My Mom). My Mom has been living in California for a couple of years now and so, we don't get to see her very often. The last time JG spent time with her was at Christmas when she flew in for a quick week-long visit.

JG however, isn't always receptive to other people's exuberant interactions. Like many toddlers he is still learning the fine social skills of interactive play. Throwing a ball back and forth for example, is difficult to encourage. Not that he won't toss a ball but, it isn't necessarily going to be in your direction.

Tantrums are also more frequent than they used to be and of course DH and I are not always sure how to handle them when we are outside the home and under the eye of public scrutiny. With JG's recent teething (he's currently getting his back molars) it is often difficult to discern whether JG is simply throwing a tantrum or if he is just hurting. Food wars are also more prevalent. JG has become more picky recently; and again, it is difficult to distinguish his stubbornness to try a new food from his lack of appetite or desire to eat. Of course, DH and I find it even more difficult to deal effectively with these situations with an audience of family members present. Although, everyone seems to have well intentioned suggestions regarding tantrums, teething, fussiness, food wars and countless other scenarios; I still find it more challenging to cope when we're outside of our home.