Collective Wisdom

Thanks, everyone, for such insightful comments and sage advice! Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but yesterday was actually one of our better days. I even rescued Sean from a major bathtime meltdown by pretending that he was Thomas the Tank Engine, covered with coal dust and in need of a "washdown." (I'm kind of proud of myself for that uncharacteristically creative response -- the situation was giving off all the signs of a protracted tantrum.)

I had hesitated to post the preceding entry because I was a little embarrassed to admit how frustrated I get. It's comforting to hear that others also get pushed against a wall sometimes. I agree with several commenters that modeling appropriate responses to anger is very important (it's one of the big reasons we don't use spanking as a disciplinary measure). And I have also found that Purple Kangaroo's discovery -- that spending more time interacting with her kids when they're acting up (rather than trying to disengage from them) -- eliminates a lot of the tension.

You all are fabulous! Thanks again.