My Fierce Tiger

The 'Tiresome Two' has started! (not too terrible yet)

His sister was watching over him one day and I overheard her asking him: "Why are you so......difficult?"

How difficult is this 16 months old?

- Whenever he's restricted or not allowed to do something (walk in the busy carpark, play on escalators etc), his body stiffens up and he throws a fit.

- He is rejecting food and hardly accepts milk. I wish I don't know how much or little he eats because the worry accumulates with each meal rejected. This is my greatest challenge among all other 'difficult' behaviours my toddler is outgrowing.

- He's waving things around and making sounds with them. One will think he's using things to beat everything in sight but he's really learning what sounds they make. We encourage him to 'yang yang' (gently stroke) anyone he 'attacked' either with hand or 'weapon' instead and he's starting to get it.

One day, he had a stick in one hand and tapped it on AN's head like a drum. AN shouted out in pain and he immediately used the other hand to stroke her while bending over to baby talk her. He realised too late that his sister's head is NOT a drum or table. Too cute. Lol! AN forgave him and quickly reminded me: "Mummy don't scold him. He doesn't know."

- He pulls everything out of the cabinets and drawers when I have no time to stop him. Tonnes of repacking to do after that.

- He wants to pole dance on the shaky standing fan, climbs HIGH up the gate, window grilles, coffee table, dining table and even the kitchen table top!

- He turns off the tap with one hand as I wash the other, and tips toes to turn the water off the mixer when I shower him.

- The list continues, but let's move on to the good and lovable part of my little darling.

Developments (Speech)

He says these:
- Mama (me)
- Baba (Mr Liow)
- Jie jie (AN)
- Popo (mum)
- Nene (we assume it's nai nai - mil)
- Mum mum (food but most times he wants water with 'mum mum')
- Mem mem (he wants to nurse)
- Duging (Duckling)
- Wog wog (Walk walk)
- Dog
- Ball
- Bao bao and sometimes hug hug (when he wants to he carried)
- Airborle (Apple)
- Baby
- Barborle (Bubble)
- Sit
- Upoon (Open)

Behaviors

He does these:
- obeys simple instructions (keep the toys, pick that up, get me tissue or whatever I point to)

- randomly kisses us when he feels like it or imitates us (Mr Liow kissed 3 of us goodnight last night and left the room. ER looked up at me and went "mmmmmah....", repeating till I kissed him and he returned me his cheeky grin

- laughs because we laugh, even though he most likely has no idea what we are laughing at. Funny boy goes: "HAHA!" and slaps his laps.

- hides things. He likes to take things out, just so that he can put it back. He occasionally decides to change where they go back to.

- shakes his head to indicate a 'no'

- has a fetish for shoes and loves to keep stray shoes in the shoe drawer.

- knows how to protect his little fingers by SLOWLY pushing drawers in and STICKING HIS FINGERS UP IN THE AIR so that they don't get crushed.

- asks to go for a walk by putting on ANYONE'S shoes and says: "walk" as he points to the door.

- goes "uh-oh" and "eeeeee" when he sneezes food out, then goes looking for tissue or cloths.

- puts index to mouth and blows when we tell him to "shh".

- does the actions for "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "If u are happy, clap", "I'm a little teapot" where he falls to his side at "tip me over and pour me out"

-Shakes to music oh-so-cutely

- loves peekaboo

- runs away laughing whenever i tell him "I'm coming to get you!"

- takes very mildly spicy stuff. Mum made fried rice for the adults. He wants some -_____-". And he didn't seem to realise it was spicy, had a few more spoonfuls before he had enough and walked away.


I find him very alike AN at this age in many ways but more expressive in his body language (except when he's in a tantrum fit). AN was more verbally expressive.

In being a mum to a second child, AN played a big part as an excellent helper. It helps relief some built up tension. She offers to feed him when she sees me go quiet in exasperation and sometimes gives him her food from her spoon (even though she still gags if she sees him eating. He used to be a messy eater when on semi solids).

She firmly tells ER 'no' when hw 'beats' me, but then turns to remind me that he doesn't know better and is still young.

It is no wonder how the little one follows her around like a little ducking behind its mum sometimes. And he goes to hug her. I like to watch that happen.

MIL asked if I feel safe allowing AN to watch over him for that short 5 mins while I go get stuff. I do because I have no choice to begin with, but also because she is worthy of that trust. She says she will watch him, she does. She can't stop him from falling but she tries. Under the care of an experienced granny, the boy has fallen countless times. Therefore, it's not important how old the guardian is, but how responsible and responsive she is.

I can't say enough how much I appreciate the way she is behaving as an elder sister. She reminds me of Baileys...