This layout is another for Veronica Hurly's CT and I've used a paper from her Such A Girl kit and the rest are from her Such A Boy kit available from Go Digital Scrapbooking.

Today, was one of those 'bad' days with Toby so I wanted to get some thoughts down in writing so I can keep track of what's going on as it's becoming a regular occurrence to see him get angry and fly off the handle.  This again is why I love scrapbooking as it allows me to share my thoughts and document my life through pictures and creativity, otherwise I probably wouldn't have documented it.

You may not be able to read the journalling so here it is:

Dear Toby,

Days like today make life very difficult to deal with. I know you mean well, but you’ve got to learn to control your raging moods. You go from hot to cold in a matter of seconds and it doesn’t have to be anything major to set you off. Today you got so angry because you frustrated yourself using Pa’s computer. There’s no excuse for the behaviour that followed. You scare everyone around you with your anger and abuse, especially your poor little brother Ryan who was shaken by your agression. We want to help you but you need to listen and be patient with everything you do. Life is a long road and you are only 5 so you have many years of trial and error ahead of you. If you can’t do something the first time, you try again and maybe again. You can’t go jumping off the deep end because of something you’re not good at when you’re just learning how to do it. So next time Toby, please take a deep breath and step back. Then when you’re ready, you can try again and we’ll be there to help you every step of the way.

Comments

[dragonflydreamer]

Sharon, I wish I had been able to do the same when my boys were little. It's sort of an inside joke now, but it wasn't when my oldest was young and had such a low threshold for frustration. I have a great book I want to send you. He would be playing a board game and soon as he saw he wasn't going to win he would upset the board and all the pieces would go flying. When he was older and idolized Cal Ripken and Orioles Baseball Player he read his biography and learned that his idol had once had a short fuse and he really began working on it with us. You'd never know it today. I know it is really hard during these young ages to believe it will all work out fine and we feel so helpless and inadequate at times, but you are such a loving Mom and in the end it will all pay off.

[Beate]

What a wonderful page!