Monday, March 29, 2010

sustained tantrum

On Sunday the sea scouts had a raft race, followed by prize-giving. When we arrived CofU and I saw that his friend was in the water, fully clothed. The friend's homesay mother ahd given him permission to go in, as she had towels and change of clothes for him. Thinking to forstall trouble, I forbade CofU from going swimming. The prize-giving was out-doors near the beach and many of the speakers were inaudible. The ceremony went on for 3/4 of an hour so I wasn't surprised that CofU had drifted away from it. I would have done the same but htought that it would be rude. Having found my family I then found CofU chest deep in the sea! He claimed that his friend had splashed him! Once out I told him that he was walking home, and so was I. We had walked a 200 metres before it dawned on him that he was going to be walking 2 km uphill in wet clothes. Such a tantrum! So unfair! Unbearable! He shouted, he stamped his feet, he threw himself to the ground, he lurched out onto the road. D and J had gone to get the car (they agreed that a wet and salty person was not an acceptable passenger) J found us, making very slow progress up the road and CofU changed his wet shirt for a dry one. J and D went home and got a plastic coat to use to protect the car seat and came back to pick CofU and me up. I was torn between leaving him to his own devices and keeping him safe. Horrible afternoon, nearly an hour of rage and protest. Scary to see bad toddler behaviour in someone slightly larger than me.

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