Tantrums and cranky toddlers

The past two weeks have brought with then the joy of tantrums. Not the long, drawn out ones yet (although I am sure they will come in time) but the short lived, loud, screeching ‘you should let me do that’/’no you can’t make me do that!’ kind. At first I thought it was a couple nights poor sleep. Then I began to hope it was the next set of molars. It is now clear that it is neither, and rather her own independence asserting itself in the form of flailing, slapping, wailing, arching, and pulling. Mostly away, although she’s yet to commit to running away from us.
In the moment it is frustrating, but I’ve watched and lived through many a toddler tantrum of the true ‘I’m going to scream for an hour until I finally pass out’ kind that so far this feels manageable. Most of the time.
Current things that set her in the path from happy to angry include getting in her car seat, changing a diaper, putting on her pajamas, taking off any clothes unless for a bath, not going outside, getting into her high chair for food, not being picked up right now, anyone leaving, not having a book read for the millionth time, and not being allowed to play with electrical plugs (plugs, at least she still leaves outlets alone!)
This is not an exhaustive list, although it is exhausting sometimes. I’m really glad that she’s assertive. And frankly, if my parent’s accounts are accurate, she comes by it honestly.
Some photos from our childcare swapper, who took the kids out for a walk in the sunshine to dispel a cloud of crankiness shows just how much the outside thing matters for Darwin’s mood.