We are nearing the terrible 2′s stage and I think with Arianna, it’s come a little early – just like her. Perhaps this was triggered when she fell ill with the cough the day after Mum left. While at the airport, Arianna was like this mad child, all over the place – running and playing. She was ok then but perhaps the cold night air/wind gave her the cough and it’s about 99% ok today.

Since then, she has been whinging and whinning and omg, being quite a brat sometimes. In general, she is a great kid and I really have no worries about her but when any child is sick, they tend to get that way and we as parents give in. Problem is when they are well, how do we reverse that giving-in?

This is what I am facing now. I have to admit that even times when she is well, she watches lots of tv – I know that is my bad and I take full blame for that. But when she was ill, she watched even more and needless to say, she hardly ate anything and even that, I understand. Who would have any appetite when they are ill right? Plus she may have had a sorethroat for all I know hence, didn’t want to swallow anything. Funnily enough, she’s gladly eat all those wafers and snacks instead. But she wasn’t wasting to an elephant [as my MIL always says], she still had her bottle and fruits instead of really hearty meals like rice, which is her normal meal.

Now since that time, she has been very demanding when she wants sometimes and she must have it her way. It’s a ‘my way or no way’ mentality with Arianna. If she ain’t happy that you told her not to do something, she does it even more – typical child. But some children learn that if you do it often enough, you get scolding and punished but even though we do *sometimes* punish her by putting her in her cot if she’s naughty, I swear that girl has no fear. She still does it and does it even more.

Sometimes I get SO mad and SO angry, I really feel like whacking the crap out of her. And in Malaysia that would be kind of acceptable, sadly, I could get arrested and thrown into jail for trying to discipline my own child so, here we use positive and encouraging but stern words. I don’t know if its working or not but what else can I do kan? When in Rome, do as the Romans. I know corporal punishment is shunned here and is treated as something so bad I think it’s not even mentioned here – no one dares to mention it either but honestly, I think a spank here and there when necessary would not hurt and if at all it did something, it would, in my opinion, drive a more serious message into a boiterous child’s mind.

Sis and I got caned when we were young and if at all it did anything, it definitely taught us a lesson and I don’t think we ever did whatever we did to deserve that caning again. It worked…but now, I dunno la. What I know is, everyday my blood pressure is going up and one day, I’ll definitely burst a vein.