DD5 is
such a tantrum thrower these days. Not sure if it's a gifted issue at all, but I think it may be related to some budding perfectionism.
Her latest drama involved a supposedly fun "family" homework project. (And what is the deal with "family" projects anyway? We've had several sent home so far and I have no desire to help my kid glue noodles to a paper plate to make her face for an assigned school project... and she has no desire to
let me help her.)
This time they brought home a photocopy of a drawing of a turkey and the family is supposed to work together to give the turkey a disguise to wear. (Why? No idea. Maybe they read a book in class to go along with this? No clue, no explanation given.) So DD decided she'd dress up her turkey as a sheep, and started gluing crunched-up tissues all over him. She finished, found the end result wanting, and a full-blown kicking, screaming, falling-on-the-floor tantrum ensued. And continued. And lasted probably almost an hour before she was totally done.
I try not to give her much reaction at all when she acts like this. I told her I'd give her help if she wanted it, but that she'd have to calm down because I don't like to listen to screaming. Then I left the room but she continued her tantrum for so much longer than usual.
Usually she'll only have a fit for 5 minutes, tops, but it's been getting worse. She'll also now do this in front of anyone, including her friends and their parents (who are visibly taken aback, but she doesn't care). She tantrums at music class if she can't play her piano piece perfectly the first time she looks at it. She tantrums at home if she's trying to write something and the spelling looks wrong. She's never been one to want to try something she might not be good at. I remember when she was a toddler, certainly not 2 yet, she would insist that we draw things for her but would refuse to even scribble herself. She had an obsession with owls and asked us to draw owls for her many times a day, but would get despondent if we suggested she draw one herself. ("I CAN'T! It won't LOOK like an owl!")
But she wouldn't throw tantrums at that age, and now it's a several-times-a-day occurrence. I'm getting to the end of my patience here, the high-pitched angry squealing at every little challenge just sets my teeth on edge and a full day of listening to that leaves me wiped out.
Thanks for letting me vent.
