Thursday afternoon David learned to read.

Thursday evening David had a huge temper tantrum leaving a party. I did not put the two together. I just figured I had tried to get him to leave too abruptly or something.

Friday afternoon David had a huge temper tantrum. I had to drag him out of the park and down the street in front of all the people enjoying the beautiful summer day as he screamed, don't do that, stop that, you're hurting me. I thought it was sugar low from the ice cream.

Friday night David had a huge temper tantrum. Saturday night David had a huge temper tantrum. I finally realized something bigger was wrong then not wanting to go to bed.

David cannot tell us what's wrong. But, I've heard that right before or while kids hit a developmental stage, they freak. I know David was really scared to try to learn to read, so it shouldn't be surprising that there is a lot going on now that he has. I don't know what he's upset about--that I'll abandon him and no longer read to him, that he'll be required to struggle away at hard words all the time, that he won't be able to maintain the new skill. . .

After he had had a snack, and we had played a game together, I told him I would always read to him. He said, even when I'm a grown-up? I said, yes. How could I forget? David does not want to grow up. Reading is a major stage on the way to growing up. Some definite stress there.

I told him he didn't have to read if he didn't want to. John said, maybe he was excited and it was coming out in other ways. We did not read today. He only had one minor temper tantrum. If I stop crowing about his reading, maybe he will have integrated this and calmed down before the grandparents arrive in four days.