Hi. *speaks nervously*

I'm Gemma, and I'm a bad parent.

"Hi Gemma" *spoken by a group of supportive parents*

I've failed in parenting because....

I am NOT a mind reader.

I don't know what he wants.

He can't tell me...yet. his vocabulary is currently limited to dog, miaow, yesssss, cheese, mama and dada so unless he wants a dog or cheese he can't tell me.

He points at things - I think he wants a drink (or is that just me), a toy, a brush, a book, but every time I offer him what I think he wants he shakes his head at me as if to say 'honestly mummy'

Sometimes he doesn't point or gesture at things he just looks at me as if I should just know what he wants.

And then when he doesn't get what he wants he pouts, his bottom lip trembles and I have less than 5 seconds to avoid a nuclear meltdown before we go into full tantrum mode with screaming, crying, tugging and the bit I hate the most the arching of his back and going stiff as a board.

I rarely get there in time and then once he starts there is no turning back - he started this and he is going all the way. So I do what I can - hold him, console him, sing to him, play with him - anything that works and if I'm very lucky he'll stop.

But I still haven't worked out what he wants.


Anyone got a crystal ball?