Oh my D

D is a total Gemini.

Dual personalities that he can switch at the drop of the hat. One second we could be happily playing with McQueen and Doc (characters from Cars for those who don't know) and the next he could be in a complete break down mode because C is playing with Buzz Lightyear in the corner of the room that he all of a sudden realized he wanted to play with. Or I could leave the room for two minutes and I'll come back to him laying on the floor, crying (and I use that term loosely), and reaching for anything he could get his hands on so he could toss it at the nearest wall.

 His new favorite sayings include "I'm going to bite my toe", "I'm going to put you in jail Mommy", and "I'm just going away". After growling said favorite saying, he'll then stomp down the hall with Ducky and shut himself in his bed room. I guess putting himself in a timeout isn't a horrible thing. It's actually... dare I say cute? Of course I don't tell him this but it gives him a few moments to calm down and me a few moments to restore my patience.

However, the frequencies of his "meltdowns" have been increasing lately. Almost every transition into a new activity is bringing about an outburst of some sort. And playing on his own is no longer an option. He needs someone to play with, and usually C doesn't quite cut the team. So it falls on to me or Daddy. Which, to be honest, isn't always possible. Queue in another tantrum.

 

  

I love my D. Of course I love my D. When I'm on good terms with him I am considered his Best Buddy. But I'm at my whits end on how to help him. I know he's bored with the day to day schedule at home but trying to get him to deviate from it is next to impossible. He finds comfort in the familiar and throwing in an extra ten minutes of playing cars indoors with brother so that I can finish cleaning the kitchen instead of letting them both roam in the backyard is like asking him to clean is room. Lots of whining, lots of "MMMMMooooommmmmmmyyyy"-ing, lots of fake tears, and if I'm not quick enough to prevent it, lots of picking up random toys to carelessly throw them around.

Any tips, suggestions, and/or advice on how to help D get over his daily meltdowns would be more than appreciated.