Just want to vent about the horrible morning I had with my ds (2 1/2 yrs). A couple of other women from my playgroup asked if I wanted to go with them and their toddlers to a local swimming pool complex (it's summer here). The complex is outdoors and has a small, shallow pool for little kids, a bigger pool with water slides etc, and then a big pool for adults. Anyway I met them there and all was fine for about half an hour, then ds proceeded to run from one pool to the other, and a couple of times I found him trying to follow a group of teenagers down a big waterslide. I kept trying to 'round him up' and told him endless times to stay with me at the little pool, but within minutes he was gone again. I barely got time to talk to the other women and a couple of times they said things like "Are all boys this bad?" (they both have girls) and "He seems like hard work". I was starting to feel really angry with ds and wishing that he would just sit there like the other two kids. I finally decided to leave when ds found a toy in the pool (belonging to another child) and when he started playing with it, the other child came and took it from him and he proceeded to have a tantrum in the pool. I just went and grabbed him and told the other two women that I was going (while trying to hold on to a crying, wriggling toddler) and I felt so embarrassed about his behaviour. Nine out of ten times I don't have much trouble with him, but after this morning, I don't think they'll ever invite us out again. One of the women is pregnant and she's hoping it's a girl, from the look on her face this morning I think ds has made her frightened of having a son.
I feel as though I'm the only one who has a child like this and I feel really apprehensive about having any similar experiences in the future. While he's good natured, he's also active and almost fearless, and doesn't listen to anything I say when he wants to do something. Is it just me? I never seem to see other kids doing the same thing.