Leo's Decisions for Selective Hearing: Daddy Always Win
My two-year-old has selective hearing.
Basically, he selects to listen to my husband and selects to disregard everything I say.
I am writing this piece with the assumption that I am not the only parent that has dealt with this problem.
Our little bundle is the most adorable child you’ll ever meet. He has these amazing curls that remind you of Shirly Temple and a mouth that reminds you of a pterodactyl.
When he is upset, he wants mommy. When he is tired, he wants daddy.
He is very selective on the times he needs us for something.
When he is yelling and screaming… it doesn’t matter what I say or do, he’ll continue. Yet, my husband can say one word in the stern fatherly voice we all know and love, and the child will instantly stop making a fuss.
It’s like he has some kind of magic speech that waved bye bye to me long ago.
What’s funny is — this is not the first time I’ve dealt with this problem. All of my older children had similar selective hearing. However, it was never this noticeable.
I could be rocking Leo, offering him a bottle, singing his favorite song and begging him to stop crying, and he would just cry louder. With the older kids, those things usually did the trick.
The only thing that works is super dad voice. Derrek doesn’t even need to be in the same room as us. If Leo hears him, he calms right down.
When this first started, I felt like I was doing something wrong. I would ask myself questions that made no sense:
Why does he hate me!? I make him food in my chest.
What am I doing wrong?
Am I the one making him cry?
I’m aware that I’m a good mother and that my son loves me very much… but when you are stressed and struggling, you ask yourself all of the worst possible questions like a crazy person.
Today, it doesn’t bother me so much. In fact, when Leo starts to throw fits now…. I just carry him to wherever his father is in the house and sit them next to one another.
I get quiet, Leo gets daddy and daddy gets bonding time with the baby.
Everybody wins.
So, I suppose the selective hearing isn’t all bad.
🧡Shine Bright, Kayla