Parenting Manual

Every parent knows that their child doesn't come with a manual in hand. So there are like a million and more books written by various "experts" on how to raise that kid of yours with no issues what so ever. I did read 2 of the million books when I was pregnant. Then when V came along, I realized it's not the books on child rearing that help you but what you figure out about your kid and by observing what/how other parents do. At times, even after all the reading, observing and analyzing you just throw in the towel and say, I give up.

Now that V is 2 years and 5 months (tomorrow is his 29th month... on PI day;)) we have slowly started few tantrums here and there. He still is a good kid but likes to see how far he can push our buttons :). We have been going through one of those phases for the last week. Every morning and evening he cries for an hour for no reason. Anything and everything ticks him off. It's like a circle with no opening. He cries because he is hungry and refuses to eat. He doesn't eat because his teeth hurt, throat hurts..... and I probably didn't play the right song on the radio....don't ask.

There are four of us in the house and we still cannot help him at times. I am hoping this too shall pass. We had a similar episode in October of last year that lasted 3 days. I thought he will be over it in three days this time around too but looks like he wants to extend it. Today was total crazy day. I had to work till 4.30am last night and got up at 8.30 again and have been working non-stop(Dang that cobra stimulus), and then took dad for his doctor's appointment(routine check up) where they made us wait for 3 hours to tell us that his blood test results are good. Couldn't you just call me to tell me that instead of making me drive down and wait.

And then started evening drama from V. Laughing and happy for one minute and crying like anything the other minute. I wonder what kind of demons/aliens possess this otherwise fun kid. I tried food, drinks, entertainment, distractions, time-outs, toys and finally threw the "parenting manual" out the window and did something for which I will probably get the "bad mother of the year" award(not that I wasn't nominated before). I took him out for a drive and made him eat some food finally. And guess what he ate. Fries and strawberry Ice-cream. So do I get that award now?