Frost finds this infuriating and amusing in turn and spends ages alternatively cajoling and pestering Wren with his "idea" to "help" Wren feel better.
The issue early on was the Playmobil Fire truck. Wren was very frustrated because in this model the playmobil figures can only be inserted by removing the roof. This is not right and Wren wants them to go in the small window which he views as the proper door. Today he could not be persuaded that taking off the roof was how to insert them and started screaming and pushing the truck off the table in frustration.
Frost leant close to repeat my failed attempt to help and was promptly head butted by Wren, with some ferocity. He began complaining.
Wren shouted NO in a fierce tone (reminiscent of my final straw voice) and I 'suggested' Frost retreat to the other side of the table to give Wren room then brokered a 'tell each other how you feel' episode in which Wren asked Frost not to touch his fire truck and Frost told Wren how he felt sad and hurt when Wren hit him. I told Frost to stick to the facts of how he felt but it was very hard for him.... he kept veering off into lectures "so you must not hit people because it is very bad to hit people." or "please don't hit me or I will be mad." I think Frost would prefer to be Wren's parent than his brother. He is not sure what brothers mean with someone much younger. Its an interesting dynamic.
After this truce, instead of figuring out that it was time to move on and have his own breakfast, Frost then hovered at safe distance, again suggesting that Wren let him help and that he "SHOW you how to put it in." Wren was maddened again. This little scenario continued a few times, repeating in a way that had me wanting to bang my head against a wall (Frost would tap the feet of his playmobil guy on the table so Wren was always aware of the Threat of Assistance being offered [in Wren's mind, crazy frustrating people telling him about his dumb toy].
Eventually, after telling Frost to stop speaking with Wren and trying to help him and being ignored, I snapped and yelled "Frost just butt out of it." I plonked cereal and a spoon in front of him and told Wren that if he was upset with the truck because they made it wrong he could write a letter to the factory and tell the man there because I did not make it.
He thought about that seriously and was satisfied.
Even then, Frost could not shut up! "Yes, Wren." He says. " That is called a Letter of Complaint. You can write one of those to Playmobil. Do you want to do that?" At times like this Wren is just so reactive that any word from Frost is like a personal assault so he yells NOOOOOO.
The unfolding crisis is averted by Wren running from the room to play somewhere else for all of 5 minutes.
After breakfast the boys fought about who could use the Puppet Theatre first but eventually settled into taking turns.
Sigh.
I feel hoarse.
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