Toddler survival tips

I have never been a woman of patience. I will be the first to blow up, the first to walk out and the first to start screaming...in any order. So I think having a very intelligent and very talkative toddler is the universe's way of getting back at me. Kaykay as she is fondly called is a teenager in a small toddler body. It's her way..or the highway. From the moment she wakes up, to what she will wear to school, to what is in her lunchbox and what song is playing on the radio. I have devised ways to cope with this madness coz it's either this...or I start chomping down on little arms and legs..
1. When dressing them in the morning, only give 2 choices... they want to be independent at this age, and I can be ashamed to admit it but yes it's kinda suckering her into thinking that yeah..she's the boss...not hehe. So it's either the shirt that I really want her to wear, or something that she will never wear. And she always makes the right choice. I mean it's a pink shirt!
2.There are moments that we encounter what we call "temper tantrums" actually it sounds more like a Mt Vesuvius erupting and earthquake scale on a 9. And don't you notice that these breakdowns usually occur in the most inconvenient of places..like hmmm the middle of the supermarket. And all because you won't buy her the tummy gummy whatchamathingy which wrecks havoc on teeth, after all, you just want the little buggers teeth so survive till adulthood and not have to hock the house and car to pay for dental work. Anyway, these eruptions can be avoided most of the time...ummm half of the time..ok sometimes. All that is needed is a little prepwork. Schedule the errand when the child is not hungry, not sleepy and basically in a good mood. (I told you rarely right) Before you leave the house, tell her what is expected. From the moment she gets out of the car, to what kind of cart she can push and what you expect her to do. Also explain consequences, you hear a peep from her, don't be afraid to drop it and go home. It maybe inconvenient but she will learn.
3. Hold your ground. If it is something that you really want to teach her, like no putting plastic bags over her hear or her baby sister's head, you have to be stern and firm. Just like tofu. There maybe times that you can let her get away with little things, but when it comes to safety. NO compromise. Hold hands while crossing the street. Look both ways when crossing the street. No chewing on the electrical cords. ANd No picking up the baby and trying to give her a bath in the toilet bowl!
4. Let's face it, being a parent is very hard, most of the times we feel like we don't know what we are doing, seeing our baby cry makes us want to cry too. But you just have to harden your heart a little, coz if we will not set the limit..no one will. It's actually easier to let them do whatever they want and give them whatever they desire, but when they are all grown up and are on reality tv blaming their parents for not disciplining them, self-explanatory.
5. You are a parent, you are not a friend, you are not their peer. A lot of parents lose track of this sometimes trying to be cool and allowing their kids to do the hell the want. Whenever my mom or grandmother scold me and they go like "Papunta ka pa lang, pabalik nako". (Your journey just started and Im already returning from the journey". I never quite understood where they are coming from. But now as a mother of two and 30+ years of experience under my belt, I can definitely comprehend what they were telling me. As I just roll my eyes when my 3 yr old tries to pull off something that will definitely earn a scolding.
6. And lastly, enjoy this time, coz it really goes very fast. Last time I looked my Kaykay was just a giggling baby with chubby cheeks and chubby legs. Now she likes to wear dresses, she loves dancing and swimming and painting her toenails. I dread her being a teenager, fending off boyfriends and I am mentally and emotionally preparing myself for what lies ahead. Although I cannot protect her from all the hurts and disappointment she is gonna encounter, I can only hope and pray that whatever values and teachings I instilled in her, it will be enough. That I would be enough. Even when Kaykay is grown with kids and going through the same things I went through, in my eyes she will always be a baby, my baby.