Working It Out

Sometimes we have to just let them cry and tantrum.  J is in the midst of being two and asserting her independence.  Her new thing is "I want to walk" and by walk she means run like a crazy person down the street.  There's a street by my house that literally has the nickname "The Boulevard of Death" and has traffic signs like this by the crosswalks:

So needless to say, the other day, after an unusually rough night's sleep, this is the street that J wanted to walk aka run down.  Normally, I let her walk/run a little ahead of me...but only when it's safe.  This street is obviously not the place for that.  I chased her down...I spoke to her sternly...and then she dropped to the floor in a tantrum.  Awesome. Yup, I was that mom, letting her kid "work it out" on the busy sidewalk.  And after 3 minutes (even though it felt like a lifetime), J calmed herself down, stood up and when I said "Are you ready to walk with mommy?" She said yes and held my hand.
Sometimes, they have to work it out for themselves.