How to Throw a Tantrum

Teddy is a champion tantrum thrower. He has been known to scream and cry for hours straight, uninterrupted. Since turning 3 those marathon  tantrums have mostly disappeared. Still, he can pitch a fit like no one else. Josie has a very different temperament, but will not be outdone by her brother. She has been practicing her tantrums.

The practice is partially my fault. One evening I caught her fake crying and sarcastically told her that the cries were obviously fake and she should go sit in front of the mirror and practice. To my chagrin she stopped crying, walked over to the mirror, sat down and started practicing. Spencer and Teddy watched and thought it was hysterical, I knew better and uttered the word Teddy can not repeat, "Shit."

Now we can't tell the difference between real cries and fake. They can go for hours. When she wakes up in the middle of the night and wants something she will go all in. Many nights that is "malk" sometimes it is "keys." What keys can she possibly want in the middle of the night? And why should I give her any? That crying jag lasted about 2 hours. Good thing I taught her how to practice.