Hello!

Hell hath no fury like a pissed off toddler. More specifically, like my toddler.

I’m a redhead. This means, generally speaking, like other redheads, I have a very short fuse.*

My parents have told me stories about my temper when I was a toddler. Think of the phrase, “hell hath no fury like a pissed off toddler.” Now factor in the redhead element into the equation, and it starts to paint a pretty scary picture of some epic toddler tantrums. Now times that by five, and according to my parents, this is what my toddler is like.

Oh, joy.

My parents recently visited us from interstate and observed the toddler’s behaviour first-hand. When I had previously mentioned examples of his tantrums to them on the phone, I think they thought I was bullshitting exaggerating. Now they know I wasn’t…

My parents think it is hilarious. Kind of like karma for those days when I would flip my lid over not much at all.

Seriously, like flipping a switch.

I thought karma was supposed to be about balancing things out. If my toddler’s attitude is supposed to be some sort of karma for what I was like as a toddler myself, what else have I done to piss off the universe to get an extra serving of crazy thrown in the mix?!

The thing is, he isn’t even a redhead. He’s blonde like his older, placid brother. It throws people off when they witness his full-blown tantrums.

“But he was so happy a minute ago”, they say.

“I know”, I reply.

“Well, what happened?”, they ask.

“I have no effing idea”, I tell them.

We now just tell people that he should be a redhead so everyone at least gets a visual warning of the possible tempest that is brewing just below the surface.

Don’t be fooled by the innocent looking toddler. He may be blonde, but there’s a storm coming… Batten down the hatches, it ain’t going to be pretty.

I get the whole toddler behaviour, they’re learning to express themselves, still learning how to communicate, etc. etc. Got it. Roger that. Acknowledged.

I survived the toddler years with our eldest, relatively unscathed. I didn’t eat my body weight’s worth of chocolate. Didn’t buy out all the stock from our local wineries.

This time around though, well…

*Now before anyone gets offended about my sweeping generalisation about redheads, I get it. It’s ok. It is a generalisation. I’m sure there are plenty of placid, docile and completely calm redheads out there. I’m just yet to meet a single one of them. All the redheads in our family and my redhead friends all have short fuses. Coincidence? I’m not so sure…

What are your toddler’s tantrums like? Are you a calm redhead?

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  • Im not a redhead but my brother was. He didnt throw a single tantrum. He is no longer with us.

    Reply

  • I am not a redhead, my little one isn’t too bad, but when she has her tanties she doesn’t take too long to calm down thankfully.

    Reply

  • Our toddler’s tantrums are epic. He’s physically strong too, so strong that he knows I can’t wrestle him into a car seat, stroller or shopping cart unless he is a willing participant and not planking or bending like a banana. I have to stand next to him and sing to myself to cope sometimes. Sometimes, if it’s a really epic tantrum I will chuck in a little dance too. For some reason, my singing and dancing is offensive to him at the highest level and after a while we’ll strike a deal – I’ll stop singing and he’ll sit where he’s supposed to be sitting. It’s the only balance we can strike sometimes!

    Reply

  • I didn’t know that about red heads!

    Reply

  • Hahaha this is hilarious. My eldest 2.5 is so dramatic but my one year old if even more dramatic lately. So fun when they both go off together

    Reply

  • I don’t think it is just a redhead thing! This was hilarious mostly because I think, to some degree, every single parent can relate to this.
    Like my husband storming into the bathroom like a demented cyclone asking me what I have done to our son (master 5) as he can hear the screams from out in his shed. And me calmly replying, I put him under the water, and he decided he wanted to shower, but didnt want to get wet.
    I love these memories being made…
    Don’t let this face fool you….like was said in the article….he is perfect, and cute, and blonde and EVIL.

    Reply

  • We’ve started to experience really big emotions from my not yet 2 year old. It’s so hard being one and not able to put on your own shoes! (Even though he’s never been able to) or not being allowed outside in a drastic storm. I imagine it’s like someone telling me I can’t have coffee…

    Reply

  • My boy (not red) started a bit late with having tantrums, but at age 3-4 years he could absolutely explode (still can at age 10). My 2,5 year old has Down syndrome with a hearing and vision impairement, she cannot talk yet, so she can get really frustrated and throws a good tantrum as well.

    Reply

  • The meltdowns have just started in our house… master 2 will get annoyed about something, we can’t also understand what, and then just loses his you know what until he snaps out of it. Grrrr. Hopefully he’ll grow out of it soon,

    Reply

  • Don’t have a red head but have a amazing tantrum throwing child that almost send me broke with the amount of chocolate I buy to help me get though

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  • My son’s not a redhead but his tantrums were fairly spectacular. I now know they were meltdowns, not usual toddler tantrums, and part of his Aspergers Syndrome. That certainly explains the extreme nature of them from someone usually so cute and nice.

    Reply

  • My 2 year old isn’t a redhead but she is very hot tempered! After a meltdown I can usually turn her around and persuade her against her wishes/wants

    Reply

  • He will probably grow out of it – you just have to hang in there till he does. Good luck.
    PS It’s amazing how often this happens after you already have a placid child.

    Reply

  • I dyed my hair red to match my temper

    Reply

  • I thought I was lucky with my first, bragging to everyone how he completely missed the terrible 2s toddler tantrum period. Then he hit school age and oh my gosh, it was the terrible 2s toddler tantrum period times 10! My 2nd was a girl and she started tantrums before age 2 and is still really good at them age 22 lol

    Reply

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