She's Beauty and She's Grace, She's BEAST United States

Allow me to introduce you to "the child".

Every once in a while I refer to my beautiful, graceful daughter as "the child". 

Only because it's silly. So don't freak out. I never call her "the child" to her face.

The child has a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde dual personality.

It's really quite marvelous.

Sometimes she is beauty and she is grace.

Other times she is straight beast.

There is nothing quite like "the beast child" when it surfaces.

Nothing at all.

This morning we woke up early for gymnastics.

The child loves gymnastics...

We were in a hurry...

The child NEEDED to be the one to turn off her sound device and put it away.

This is not unusual.  That's how it is every morning. It was fine.

I turned on her bedroom light and left the room so that I could quickly get dressed for gymnastics.

Beast awoke.

Beast didn't want her bedroom light on.

Beast didn't want mommy to get dressed.

Beast wanted mommy to sit there and watch her mess with her sound device.

Beast proceeded to hit and slap and slam her sound device until mommy decided 

beast shouldn't handle breakable objects at the moment, and calmly took it away.

Yes I was calm.

Beast had a melt down.

Mommy left the room to get dressed.

Beast followed mommy and continued to lose her mind as mommy got dressed.

Mommy left Beast to sort it out and went upstairs to get food and a sippy ready for both mommy

and beast so that everyone could be properly nourished for gymnastics.

Beast followed.

Beast took off her Jamma's in order to put on her leotard.

But refused to put on her leotard.

Mommy was still calm. Mommy went about her business waiting for Beast to run out of steam.

Beast wanted Mommy and our neighbors (we live in a condo) to know that beast would conquer all.

So she went to the door to the hallway and slammed it shut.

It was very, very loud. And I feel bad for my poor neighbors that had to wake up to beasts tantrum.

Beast then opened the door and slammed it again. 

Then beast laid down on the floor on the opposite side of the door and proceeded to lose it whilst kicking the door repeatedly. 

When Mommy could hear the beast's crying slow down, Mommy knelt on the

other side of the door and said in a sweet voice.

"Milani. Do you want to go to gymnastics? And if you are really good we can go get a kiddie cone

afterwards?"

Beast replied "Kiddie cone?"

Mommy slowly opened the door and the child ran into Mommy's arms.

Then beast needed to go pee.

Mommy turned on the bathroom light.

Beast wanted to go pee in her toddler potty. NOT use the stairs for the big girl potty.

Mommy said that's ok.

Beast demanded that mommy move the stairs so that she could get to her toddler potty.

Mommy respectfully complied.

Beast peed in the toddler potty.

Beast then cried because mommy said we need to dump the pee in the toilet.

Beast refused to dump the pee in the toilet.

Mommy asked beast if she wanted mommy to do it and beast said yes.

So mommy dumped the pee into the toilet and made the mistake of flushing.

Beast wanted to flush.

Beast lost it again.

Mommy went into the kitchen.

Beast followed.

Beast demanded her sippy.

Mommy gave beast her sippy and held beast in her arms in an attempt to put beast to rest.

Beast threw her sippy onto the kitchen floor causing it to spill.

Mommy was still calm.

Beast cried because her sippy was now on the floor.

Mommy then made an attempt to get beast to laugh.

Get this- it WORKED!

All mommy did was walk her little fingers like a spider up Beasts legs and up her tummy and said

"Do you want to go to gymnastics?" In a silly voice.

Beast laughed.

Finally beast was running out of steam.

So Mommy started calling beast "baby Mila" and started talking to her like she was a little baby.

Baby Mila liked this.

Mommy laid her on the ground and playfully put on Baby Mila's leotard for gymnastics.

Baby Mila laughed the whole time!

Finally Beast went to sleep and beautiful, gracious Milani woke up.

I know that many of you will read this story and laugh and just totally "get it".

Others will read this and be utterly aghast that I could just "let my child get away with that sort of behavior".

I know my child.

We have a VERY HEALTHY discipline structure that works every day.

I have learned that Beast (which is a whole new world) needs to run out of steam before I can effectively parent her.

It's just how it is.

Most parents would have probably lost it on their child. Told them that they aren't going to gymnastics. They are going to time out. Or spank them. Or whatever method works for them and their child.

This method works for mine.

Beast needs to have her moment of fame, and then be humored out of her rampage.

It's just what works here.

Luckily Beast only surfaces every once in a blue moon.

There is a distinct difference between ornery, typical threenager Milani, and Beast.

If Milani had been in her ornery, threenager mode- this story would have gone down very differently.

But here you have it.

Beast mode at it's finest!

To those of you who get it, and have your own beast- I feel you sister!

Beast is an ugly, unforgiving creature!

Luckily for me, I have learned how to drown the beast out.

It just requires a little time and a lot of patience.

This whole beast mode morning only lasted about half an hour!

It's short lived.

And with the proper care and attention, Mom and child can be at harmony once again.

With beast safely buried back down deep inside.

Now typically after Beast has been sedated, I will begin my "parenting"mode.
I will remind my daughter that she broke some of our rules and was acting inappropriately.
If she hit me, I will remind her that we don't hit people, etc.
I am very proud to say that my daughter is very good at apologizing on her own.
Then I will tell her that because she broke the rules she doesn't get to play with playdough for the rest of the day.
This is a very important part of "Beast Management 101"

So if you are struggling to understand Beast.

Struggling to cope with Beast.

Maybe this could give you a few ideas.

If you have found methods that have EFFECTIVELY worked for beast,

please do share!

Until next time friends!