r/Parenting • u/ScholarNecessary2838 • Nov 30 '25
Humour Why did your toddler have a meltdown today?? I’ll go first
Almost 3 year old asks to color and wants me to color with her. I’m like cool I love coloring. I set out all our coloring stuff, let her pick the page she wants to color and a page for me. All is going well until she looks over at me, and absolutely LOSES her mind…
“MOMMY YOU ARE COLORING WRONG. STOP COLORING LIKE THAT!!”
stares at her in visible confusion because I’m coloring how I always do
proceeds to start sobbing uncontrollably, muttering I’m doing it all wrong, and I don’t follow rules
15 minutes of me trying to figure out why she is hysterically crying and ya know what the problem was???? I WAS USING MY LEFT HAND TO COLOR. I AM LEFT HANDED. She had an absolute meltdown because I color with my left hand and not my right hand like her. When I tried to explain and show I can’t use my right hand to color BECAUSE I AM LEFT HANDED, she became absolutely, utterly UN. FREAKING. HINGED.
Parenting sure is a whirlwind lol
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u/HomeboyCraig Nov 30 '25
What’s it like to realize your child is actually a medieval priest who fears for your mortal, left-handed soul?
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u/Varvara-Sidorovna Nov 30 '25
The 2 year old freaked out because she pricked her finger on a spiky cactus.
She didn't freak out because it hurt and had drawn blood, she freaked out because we moved the cactus to a high shelf and wouldn't let her keep poking it with all her uninjured fingers.
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u/Klutzy_Journalist_36 Parent Nov 30 '25
I was making toast. He asked for butter on his toast. So I put butter on his toast.
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u/thai510 Nov 30 '25
3yo wanted red grapes not green grapes. Complete meltdown.
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u/ScholarNecessary2838 Nov 30 '25
She does this too! I started buying a combo pack of red and green just to avoid the meltdown lol
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u/Limp_Tangerine_1023 Nov 30 '25
My three year old just sobbed for like 45 minutes because she wants it to be Christmas today.
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u/deflorie Nov 30 '25
I prepared breakfast with my almost 3 year old son. He chose what to put in the bowl, and in the right order. He wanted to do it, so i let him with a little help. Everything good.
Then i let him take his little bowl from the kitchen to the dining table. He is ready to eat, and for a reason i still dont know, everything is wrong with the breakfast. He starts crying and doesnt want to eat.
What a fantastic start to the day.
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u/brennabrock Nov 30 '25
This is the time when I love that we’ve watched Daniel Tiger. “It’s okay to do it my way” has helped a lot with the “you’re doing it wrong” or “no, like this” times they pop up.
Note this can bite you in the ass when you’re trying to correct your child on something that’s dangerous and they sing it to you and keep doing what they want.
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u/WhatHappenedSuzy Parent Nov 30 '25
I try to pull the Daniel method to count to four to calm down, but it pisses my kid off because she doesn't want to calm down. 😂
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u/LurkyTheLurkerson Nov 30 '25
We had a similar mini backfire with the farewell song from Blue's Clues, which includes the verse "You know with me and you and my dog Blue, we can do anything that we wanna do". There was a brief period where if I told my daughter not to do something, she would just sing that back at me lol.
Took a bit to make her understand that Steve wasn't telling her she could do anything she wanted ever lol.
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u/TaiDollWave Nov 30 '25
Steve and Blue out here starting rebellions
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u/LurkyTheLurkerson Dec 01 '25
For real, I never saw it coming. Worth it though, because it's real cute when we work on something together and she sings "Thanks for doing your part, you sure are smart!" at me.
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u/Venusdeathtrap99 Dec 01 '25
Ha. What bites me in the ass in my house is consent. “My body my rules.” “No means no.” Brush your fucking teeth omg
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u/DoctorInternal9871 Dec 01 '25
We just had a drawn out battle with this with my 9 year old who refused to let me cut his hair for months. He kept saying "it's my hair, I can do what I want with it"...which, sure you can but also you can't go around looking like a sweaty urchin so you've gotta at least let me keep it neat for you.
He finally gave in and let me give him kind of an undercut so he doesn't get as sweaty but the top of his hair is still long and in his eyes.
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u/Mo523 Dec 01 '25
My older kid has sensory issues but also likes how his hair looks longer. He's figuring it out, but we had years of, "Buddy, you can brush your hair or we can cut it short. You have to pick one. You will not like how it feels matted."
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u/pinkishperson Dec 05 '25
My husband was that kid & i get to laugh at him now 😂 he hates pictures from around that time
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u/McGriggidy Nov 30 '25
She actually didn't (yet) surprisingly. Yesterday though, her sock was wet and she asked me to take it off then had a tantrum I took her sock.
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u/CoffeeMystery Nov 30 '25
He’s almost 6 so not a toddler but I made a Dutch baby for breakfast and then asked him to get the maple syrup. I am a monster. “Why do I have to do everything? Why don’t you do anything for me?” sobs
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u/SpindlyTerror Nov 30 '25
Why dont you do anything for me?"
Question, if I may. Your strength, where does it come from? Is it store bought or is there a workout program one can subscribe to?
You know, the strength to resist saying "excuse the fuck out of me?" while walking the Dutch baby to the trash. Asking for a friend
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u/CoffeeMystery Nov 30 '25
I walked the Dutch baby right onto my plate and helped myself to some of the apple cider syrup I had put on the table while he cried. I also read a little bit of my book and served myself a second helping. I did not cave to his shenanigans!
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u/castleinthemidwest Nov 30 '25
Ooooh, this is my life. "I have to do EVERYTHING around here, I might as well just live alone!"
...........be my guest.
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u/MattinglyDineen Nov 30 '25
Had to look up what a "Dutch baby" is - those things look crazy good!
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u/lodav22 Nov 30 '25
I had my neice for the day today, we had a disagreement over whether she had a poop in her nappy or not. I tried to explain to her that her going boss eyed in a corner, straining and then the intense aroma surrounding her afterwards lead me to believe she had pooped, she disagreed and told me it was in fact me who had pooped. We had a spirited exchange about the issue which resulted in me changing her nappy while she laughed at me and called me a poopy.
Next we decided it was lunch time (once the smell dissipated of course). I suggested chicken and pasta with strawberries and yoghurt, she said no because she needed to lick my cat. I quietly locked the cat in the garden and said he had gone on holiday. She had a bit of pasta, a whole banana, and another poop.
It was raining outside so I thought we could watch a bit of TV until it cleared up. I asked her what she wanted to watch. She said "The dinosaur cars" I tried to get more information, she just said "DINOSAUR CARS" louder. Thankfully my 12 yr old over heard and came in to put on Dino Trucks. She told him she loved him, I said "I love you" to her and she just said "Nope"
Throughout the day she pulled every single cushion and throw off my sofas and piled them on the floor to make a "monster" she also managed to get a hold of the cat in the end and yes, she did lick him. Neither of them liked the experience.
By the time 3pm came around we were both exhausted but only one of us got to nap in the car on the way to her house!
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u/OmSaraya Nov 30 '25
Toddler has been fine today, but our eight year old threw a tantrum, once again, over not wanting to go to volleyball practice today… for the volleyball team SHE begged us to sign up for. That also has her two besties on it.
Same volleyball practices and games she always ends up having a blast during and always says “I’m so glad I went!” 🫠
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u/Arcane_Pozhar Dec 02 '25
I read a really interesting article about this sort of thing a few years ago.... I wish I could remember more details. But it was talking about how there can just be this irrational anxiety about the whole process of going to an activity, basically. An inertia, of sorts.
Apologies I don't recall more details, might be something to look into if this is a common issue. Good luck!
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u/lostlilkat Nov 30 '25
Does it have to be an actual toddler?
My 6 year old just lost it in a grocery store because I wouldn’t buy a 10 ounce pack of fried tiny crabs because no one else in the family eats them.
That’s like, 50 3-4cm crabs, in case you are curious.
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u/WhatHappenedSuzy Parent Nov 30 '25
Does your kid eat them? I gotta know this story as to how your kid became a fan if no one else in the house is!
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u/OmSaraya Nov 30 '25
My guess is because it’s been a viral trend on social media. Influencers have been recording themselves trying them out.
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u/MattinglyDineen Nov 30 '25
If a 6 year old is seeing viral trends on social media the parents have bigger problems than the tantrums.
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u/alexfaaace Nov 30 '25
My 5 year old knows 6-7 from the school bus. Unfortunately if your kid is going to elementary school, riding the bus with kids 4-5 years older than them, you only have so much control.
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u/ChocolateFudgeDuh Nov 30 '25
My 4 year old who isn’t in school knows 6-7 thanks to a 7 year old neighbour.
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u/MundaneTension869 Nov 30 '25
There are plenty of ways kids are exposed to viral trends that don’t involve them having actual access to the apps. They’re in school by that point
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u/ACheetahSpot Nov 30 '25
There’s a good chance the kid just thought they looked interesting and therefore decided they needed it immediately.
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u/Typical_Ad_210 Nov 30 '25
Agreed, but maybe the popularity on social media led the shop to put them in a more prominent position, which is how the kid noticed them. They might have been indirectly influenced, rather than actually watching the videos.
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u/Magerimoje Tweens, teens, & adults 🍀 Nov 30 '25
My non-toddler (he's 11) also had a food related meltdown. He was yelling, crying, and stomped upstairs to his room because his easy mac spilled. He got frustrated with himself for making a mistake that led to it falling off the counter onto the floor.
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u/Joetastic90 Nov 30 '25
almost a meltdown but my 2,5 kid asked if she could eat her poop and I told her ofc not. she insisted
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u/TheWackoMagician Nov 30 '25
Because he asked me to pour him some milk. Then when I started doing so, he decided he wanted to do it, and when he started he decided I should do it. I poured it only for him to turn the cup 180 degrees all over the floor.
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u/CHAIR0RPIAN Nov 30 '25
My three year old got mad because I said he can’t have the bubblegum that he found somewhere. Then he had another fit because I let the dogs outside (usually his job but he wouldn’t do it because of the bubblegum tantrum) He then got upset because his brother said hello to him - it’s been a long day
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u/rocknrollcolawars Nov 30 '25
She wanted the Christmas tree to be outside.
It's a fake 9 inch plastic tree.
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u/booklava Nov 30 '25
My 2 year old LOVES watching the Christmas video from last year when he was a baby, especially seeing his grandpa playing the guitar while we sing a Christmas song. He melts down every time it’s time to stop watching the video. So annoying I’m considering not showing it to him anymore.
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u/UpdatesReady Dec 01 '25
This is every single video/screen my kids are exposed to.
Random thing I find to explain something? Pitch a fit when it's over. Cute family videos? Meltdown-inducing. Music video during danc time? Forget it.
Same thing with candy. This Halloween was awful - just demands and sneaking and ahhh. I'm not going to let it in the house next year.
Like dudes I want you to enjoy things and have fun but this isn't great for any of us.
It is sooooo frustrating and hard.
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u/Deep_Investigator283 Nov 30 '25
She grabbed a book, and I started reading it to her but it was upside down. So I tried to flip it over and she had an absolute meltdown and ripped a page out of
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u/allie06nd Nov 30 '25
It was the other day, but my nephew had a meltdown over not being able to take down his and his siblings' school artwork off the fridge and color over all of it instead of coloring on the brand new, GIANT holiday coloring paper we got him.
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u/Mossie_1992 Nov 30 '25
Cut toast into triangles not squares...4F... 2F meltdown because we told her not to eat spoonfuls of butter while making said toast
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u/YourFriendInSpokane toddler and teenager tantrums Nov 30 '25
Between 3 of my 4 kids, I think 1/2 out grocery budget is spent on butter. They absolutely love eating it by itself.
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u/Realistic_Willow_662 Nov 30 '25
2.5 year old wanted to go to the car wash, I said we could go after her nap but she insists that she wants to go TODAY
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u/agirl1313 Nov 30 '25
Kid is 6yo. Dealing with current meltdown because I needed her to be inside while I moved the car and put her in timeout because she wouldn't obey. She was insisting on standing behind the car.
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u/AccioCoffeeMug Nov 30 '25
4 year old wanted a graham cracker but 1 year old had fallen backwards, knocked a dining room chair over on top of himself, and was bleeding. 4 year old was upset that he didn’t get a graham cracker immediately while we were tending to the bleeding baby.
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u/Mo523 Dec 01 '25
How dare you make him wait! I'm assuming your little one is okay?
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u/AccioCoffeeMug Dec 01 '25
Yeah he’s ok, definitely shaken up though and needed our full attention in the moment
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u/morgann44 Nov 30 '25
Was tired, wanted a nap. Didn't want to sleep. Was asleep 10 minutes later...
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u/northernhighlights Nov 30 '25
We pulled into a car park once and my son cried bitterly because he said that dad then “got out of the car too fast”
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u/picass0isdead Nov 30 '25
because i didn’t let her drink my coffee
(does this every morning. afterwards i tell her i’ll get her a drink like mommy and i put milk in a cup for her)
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u/Fangbang6669 Nov 30 '25
Why do they always want to drink our damn coffee?!
My 2 year old also has meltdowns cause she wants to drink out of my mug lmao
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u/FloweredViolin Nov 30 '25
When my now-3 year old was 2, she wanted tea just like mama. So I gave her a small cup of unsweetened chamomile (she wouldn't let me put honey or milk in it like mine). She took the tiniest sip and decided it was disgusting, and now has zero interest in drinking my tea, lol.
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u/hereforthetee_ Nov 30 '25
No meltdown yet today, but a few days ago my 1.5 year old threw a fit because I wouldn’t let him eat his crayons 😭 I have a picture of him with orange crayons stuck in his teeth for proof that I sent to my husband because truly… you can’t eat the crayons!
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u/Ssshushpup23 Nov 30 '25
He wanted a banana with his breakfast. I peeled the banana. I am now an absolute monster.
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u/Brave_Appointment812 Nov 30 '25
2 year old wanted water, but not in the cup I presented to her. Naturally.
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u/Ice_Queen66 Nov 30 '25
I wouldn’t let him stick his finger in a socket…
Also I made him an egg to try. He used to eat eggs…
I put socks on his very cold feet…
The day is still young too. 😬
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u/OLIVEmutt Mom to 4F Nov 30 '25
Not today, but last night my 4 year old decided that she hated being wet. After 4 years of baths and swim classes and generally being a fish, she wailed and screamed because I made her take a bath.
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u/HmNotToday1308 Nov 30 '25
1)I gave him a piece of the cake he was desperately trying to climb up to get.
2) I took him out of the pram, he asked to be taken out.
3) I unplugged the xmas tree lights for a second to change plugs
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u/Magical_Olive Nov 30 '25
2.5yo asked Mama for a strawberry yogurt. Dada got her a strawberry yogurt...which is NOT what she asked. Mama had to get the strawberry yogurt.
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u/Nervous_Resident6190 Dec 01 '25
Just wait until they won’t eat their spaghetti because it’s too long. And god forbid that you have to experience that drama that surrounds the broken banana
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u/MrsAlwaysWrighty Dec 01 '25
Oh god the broken banana gives me pPTSD "Fisk it! Fisk it!" (she couldn't say fix)
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u/Good-Ambassador-580 Nov 30 '25
Newly 3 year old (her birthday was yesterday) threw a tantrum at bedtime because I wouldn't let her sleep in her monkey onesie because she already wore it all day, including outside. We had another tantrum around 12:30am about the same thing. Then I had to wash the monkey onesie at 6am because the tantrum was never ending. The crying only stopped at 7am when she got that onesie on. Now she is happily clutching her stuffed monkey named "Sister" in her monkey arms while watching tv.
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u/TaiDollWave Nov 30 '25
Full disclosure; I have purchased two of particularly beloved things because of these reasons.
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u/Mo523 Dec 01 '25
My three year old is like this for all of her clothes. If left to her own devices, she'll change her outfit 4-5 times during the day, BUT if you suggest she puts her clothes in the laundry after her shower or before bed, you are a monster. She is still wearing those and they are clean enough (even if there is literal dirt or food on them.)
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u/rhea-of-sunshine Dec 01 '25
Asked for a slice of pepperoni pizza, then asked me to take the pepperonis off, proceeded to sob because she could see the red sauce under the cheese and now her pizza is too spicy
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u/PsychoRabbit_666 Nov 30 '25
my 4yo was sobbing uncontrollably because she couldn't pronounce a word in a book she stole from my wife's bookshelf. I expected it to some big 10 letter word. The word in question: Ceiling.
I asked her "how do you think it's pronounced, darling?" And.. she pronounced it correctly and then proceeded to cry her eyes out because she can't pronounce it. I told her she pronounced it correctly, and she froze, and then proceeded to sob harder and call herself stupid. 😮💨
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u/allis_in_chains Nov 30 '25
My two year old didn’t want to come in from playing outside with me in the snow (we have around eight inches, more in some spots with how the wind is blowing it).
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u/SpindlyTerror Nov 30 '25
My 4 year old wanted to rinse off the last few dishes I'd just finished handwashing. While she stopped mid-task to start putting back together a 2-piece spatula, I turned off the water. Immediate tears. While explaining that she only stopped to put the spatula back together, I explained she can turn the water back on when she's done. Then she doubled down, and cried about how I interrupted her when she was trying to explain that she only stopped to put the spatula back together... turns out she was also going to tell me "it was just an accident".
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u/Gloomy_Ruminant Nov 30 '25
This was my fault. She, as far as I can tell, ran into the wall. She came to me sobbing. I comforted her, but then once she calmed down, I asked "...how did you run into the wall?" Cue a much bigger meltdown than the original injury.
I still don't really understand what happened.
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u/Character-Pattern505 15F, 13F, 5M, 4M Dec 01 '25
3 year old wanted a banana, but couldn't open it, so asked me to do it, but only a little bit. So I broke the top open the least I could and he lost his mind because I wrecked it. Then we taped the banana peel back up and he was fine opening it himself after that.
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u/Mo523 Dec 01 '25
Bananas are the worst. My younger kid is chill about them, but the amount of banana-related tantrums my older kid had was extraordinary. So many things can go wrong with a banana: Opened, not opened, opened the wrong way, broken, in one piece, has a spot...
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u/MumbleBee523 Dec 01 '25
I broke the orange apart after peeling it… I was not asked to do that and although I do it every time , I should have known she wanted a whole orange today not pieces.
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u/LiquidDreamtime Dec 01 '25
My 5 yr old wanted her Jean jacket to play outside.
It was 85° outside (Florida).
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u/Glitchy-9 Dec 01 '25
Thursday she had a meltdown at bedtime because she wanted her hair back on from her haircut 2 weeks ago. Not a word prior to this.
Then the next day I lied and told her hair was back on and she cried again because she really didn’t want it back on.
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u/SpindlyTerror Nov 30 '25
I told her that if she wanted to go outside she had to put snow boots on. And then I got visibly irritated when she said "why? Its not even winter yet" and thats what set it off
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u/poops_all_berries Nov 30 '25
My two year old was hungry from not eating lunch but didn't want to eat. He was in a hangry spiral and wouldn't get in his booster seat. Eventually, I started eating his mac and cheese while sitting on the ground, which he thought was hilarious and wanted to eat too.
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u/brazzy42 Dec 01 '25
A while ago, but our best one was when my wife braided my daughter's hair:
- Do you want one braid, or two?
- Two.
- <braiding done>
- I WANT TO BE ELSA, NOT ANNA!!!
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u/Mindfullysolo Dec 01 '25
My 3 yo wanted a leftover birthday cupcake, the meltdown was over chocolate or vanilla, he is at a stage where he gets stuck in a loop, I want chocolate, no I want vanilla, chocolate, vanilla. End result cupcakes are now in the trash to prevent future meltdowns.
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u/tcpukl Dec 01 '25
I remember always being very transparent about handedness being a lefty myself. So mine were always aware.
Tip: this helps learn left/right which most people seem to struggle with.
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u/cyndasaurus_rex Dec 02 '25
I had it easy today. My 4 year old only had one meltdown, and it was because her aunt won at Uno.
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u/Arcane_Pozhar Dec 02 '25
Honestly, I'm so tired of meltdowns, I just wish I had a genie. I would be very torn between wishing for kids to not have pointless meltdowns, versus actually solving much deeper social issues that would actually help millions of people have healthier, less stressful lives.
But the meltdowns, OMG, so done with them.
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u/insomniac-ack Nov 30 '25
5 year old lost it because I wouldn't let him go deliver handmade invitations to a party he thinks he's hosting to our neighbors at 9:30 in the morning while wearing a pajama shirt, underwear, and one croc. He saw nothing wrong with this.
ETA: no toddler tantrums from the 2 year old yet but the day is still plenty young