The Stop, Drop, and Pout & Captain Noodlelegs

My favorite unnecessary behavior from my two year old boy is what I like to call The Stop, Drop, and Pout...or the variation, Captain Noodlelegs. These separate actions are very similar and perhaps identical to the untrained eye. Although they both fall into the category "Silent Tantrum", they are different.

The Stop, Drop, and Pout
This is most often performed by the child immediately following the parent's commands of "no", "don't do that", or "don't hit/throw". The toddler drops to his knees, smashes his forehead into the floor, and wraps his arms over his head...akin to the "duck and cover" position that was popular during the Cold War.

Captain Noodlelegs
This behavior is commonly observed when the child is being confronted with a person, place, or thing that they are uncomfortable with. Though this type of situation is not pleasant for the child, it does not call for a full-on tantrum or even crying, and so the child's natural defense mechanism is to instantly (though temporarily) become paralyzed from the waist down. Often, once the child has fallen to the floor he or she will then assume the final position explained in Stop, Drop, and Pout.

Conditions must be just right for Stop, Drop and Pout or Captain Noodlelegs to happen. One or more (sometimes all) of the following is necessary:

- Parent is with child in a very public place (mainly grocery store, doctor's office).
- Parent has both arms full with other, especially heavy things and is unable to carry the child.
- Parent is already running late to an appointment and is trying to get child ready to go.