skyward, I just wanted to add to the 'been there' chorus. My 3.5 year old is just like that. He is so high energy, and willful, and determined and independent and good at motor things...putting things out of his reach puts him in MORE danger b/c he gets up in the dark of night while we're all sleeping and stacks things. Last spring, at 2.5, I was woken around quarter of six by the sound of our door...sprang out of bed thinking he'd gone out. Well, he was coming IN. He'd gotten up, unlocked the door, walked down to the road to the mailbox to pick some flowers, and was coming in to bring me flowers in bed. At least people don't drive way too fast at 5.30 am! He's so sweet, but he so cannot understand why he cannot do things like run off in crowds. HE always knows where he is, after all. He exhausts us all. And he's been this way from babyhood. The nurses in the hospital avoided us b/c he screamed so horribly. He climbed ladders before he could walk. I once left him at about 1.5 sitting on the floor for less than 30 seconds, truly, running to get something from another room, and came back to find him naked, sitting on top of a bookcase, eating a bagel. and now he's got baby brother issues, too...it's sooooooo tiring!! and anger is his negative emotion, and it's not one I deal with well naturally. He just wears me OUT. I second kids, parents, and power struggles, too. I haven't had time to read far into it, but it has really helped our morning getting dressed fight. like, solved it.
