Ever since Alex Drummond gave birth to her baby girl, Sofia, nearly 18 months ago, she’s been taking her Instagram followers along for the ride, sharing all the everyday moments and major milestones that’ve made motherhood so rewarding. Alex loves capturing all the cute things her daughter says and does, whether it’s taking her first steps or something as simple as giving her golden retriever brother, George, a big hug. When Alex posts photos or videos of Sofia, you might marvel at her daughter’s even-keeled, mild-mannered demeanor—a rarity for a toddler!
But, every now and then, Alex drops in to remind folks that Instagram is a highlight reel, and while Sofia is definitely well-behaved and happy-go-lucky most of the time, she certainly has her moments (she is a toddler, after all!). During a recent Instagram Q&A, when a follower asked whether the toddler tantrums have started, Alex didn’t beat around the bush. “Oh yes 😂😂😂😂,” Alex candidly replied. For visual proof, she uploaded a photo of Sofia pursing her lips and squinting her eyes in visible frustration, which Alex called, “her new pouty face she’s unlocked 😂😂.”
Although the tantrums have begun, they’ve got nothing on Alex! Whenever Sofia starts to get fussy, Alex has a simple method for diffusing the outburst. And her approach is both refreshingly real and highly effective. “I’m not a parenting expert by any means, but we’ve found that ignoring works best for us,” Alex revealed. “I will usually try to walk away and do something else, and once she realizes she isn’t getting a reaction from us, she usually moves on pretty quickly!”
In fact, Alex makes it pretty clear that parenting includes a good amount of trial and error to see which strategies stick. For example, when Sofia popped a twig in her mouth a few months ago, instead of yanking the stick from her grasp, Alex decided to let Sofia find out the hard way. “I’ve learned that sometimes I just gotta let her taste test the elements to prove to herself that she doesn’t actually want to eat them,” Alex shared in her caption. And it worked! With just one lick, Sofia went from mildly curious about the piece of bark to entirely turned off by it. That settles that!
Parenting a toddler is no easy feat (especially when pregnant!), but Alex's honest perspective is a reminder that the best response is often giving yourself—and your little one—a little grace.
