Toddler Flu

The Toddler has been suffering from the Toddler Flu for months now it seems.  I am at the end of my tether.  And I used to think that Man Flu was bad.  Well, The Ex used to sit around feeling sorry for himself, declaring that he was dying while expecting me to play nursemaid.  Well, The Toddler throws tantrums over anything and everything, wipes snot everywhere, uses up all the tissues so there are none left for me, tantrums some more, refuses to get dressed, refuses to eat, refuses to go out, throws a tantrum some more, livens up a bit after forgetting that she’s ill, and then the world falls apart once more.  I am exhausted.  Nothing pleases her.  Nothing is good enough.  And boy does she want me to know that something is not quite right.  Of course, I would get the message without the tantrums.  The snotty nose is clue enough.  But I suppose she has yet to learn a more effective way of making her feelings known.  But she is three years old, and I do wonder if she should be telling me what’s wrong by now.  Of course, her response to this is, “I can’t.”  Not exactly helpful.  Grrr.

This is where I really could use a nice network of mummy friends.  But I tend not to have much in common with other mothers, given that I’m so rubbish with kids.  My own included I often think, though with her I do not have The Fear.  I am also rubbish at making new friends, what with having no social skills whatsoever.  It’s possibly something of a miracle that I’ve retained any friends at all, especially after everything with The Ex, and how pathetic I was back then.  Hmm.  Maybe I’m just being hard on myself again.  But in any case, it would be useful to know what other parents are going through.  Though people do tend to make out that everything is wonderful.  Who wants to admit that they think they are doing a rubbish job after all?  I don’t exactly tell the other mums at nursery how I’m feeling.  I don’t even feel able to confide in my own parents really.  But it’s not all bad.  In fact, when she’s not suffering from yet another cold, The Toddler can be so unbelievably charming, that I feel like the luckiest person ever.  And I know that I am lucky that she sleeps through the night without disturbing me.  She never leaves her room after I’ve put her to bed either.  Not yet anyway.  There is plenty of time for that to change of course.