At the 15 month mark, Suzianne bestowed upon us the blessed gift of toddler drama:
Fortunately, Suzianne and I were flying cross-country during her first real inconsolable tantrum. That’s right, just a momma, her demon spawn and 130 strangers. And a Bloody Mary in a kids cup with a bendy straw.
For 4.5 hours, we wrestled on and off the seats, up and down the aisle. At one point I Momma Mean Whispered, “you are the reason adults cry when they see babies on a plane.” The woman beside me said, “So true, but I do love her hair.”
Then, as the freakin landing gear lowered, so did her eyelids. I was left with this in my lap for the last 15 minutes of the flight:
As the evidence actual sleep became clear, a chorus of “You’ve got to be kidding me”‘s echoed throughout the cabin. Yeah, people, tell me about it.
Then, of course, nothing could wake her:
Woe unto you, parents of 12 – 14 month olds. One day, you’ll wake up to find your 15 month old, formerly happy-go-lucky baby looking at you like a Walking Dead cast member:
This is the toddler warning shot.
I have no advice for you.
Just be sure you’ve got a fully stocked bar. You’ll also need a flask because most of the tantrums happen in public.
Suzianne is especially prone to playground scream fests. The hallmark these is a Boneless Meltdown, followed by Flailing About In Momma’s Arms, and topped off by the Unbendable Toddler Plank, which prohibits stroller insertion. I don’t have any of that on video because I need every available appendage to keep her from falling and busting her head open.
The good news: this phase only lasted about four weeks. She’s about 16.5 months old now and only really goes boneless when I retrieve her in the mornings. She wants her Daddy, not me. But that’s another post…
This child is perfect. There must be something
wrong with you.
Oh, come on, Momma! You HAVE to admit, she was cranky pants that whole week!
Oh, bless your heart. I always feel so bad for the parents of youngsters on planes. I know from working with toddlers, there is nothing (NOTHING) you can do.
I appreciate the sympathy! It’s such a helpless feeling — and you know everyone is looking at you like you’re nuts.
Oh man. That’s brutal. I’ve only flown twice with my kids — once, they were awesome. Another time, not so much. On that flight, a random stranger bought me a drink because he felt so bad for me. I agree — drinking is the only solution.
Totes.