Example essay

     Three years ago, my life took an interesting turn. I was no longer the only "child" in the house. I had to share my parents and my space with a tiny little boy who stole my heart the first moment I saw him. Watching Gabriel grow up and helping to raise him has not been easy, especially now, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. He often throws tantrums over little things and drives me batty with his high-pitched screaming and non-stop hitting and pinching. Gabe has no respect for his toys or objects around him, not matter how many times we correct him or place him in time out when he destroys something. And yet, he has the ability to be so sweet when he suddenly wants to cuddle or sit in my lap so that I can read him a book.
     Whenever one of his tantrums begin, I immediately steel myself for the squealing and physical attacks. They can be triggered by something as small as a tower of blocks falling over. They usually start with him yelling 'No, no, no, no, no' which is quickly followed by kicking out at whatever made him mad and throwing whatever his little hands can get a hold of. If it happens to be one of us that made him mad, he tries to hit and pinch us until we have to leave the room until he calms down. No matter the reason for the tantrum, something usually is damaged or broken.
     In one of his more recent tantrums, he got a hold of my dad's precious tablet (which my dad had left within reach when he went to get a drink) and threw it onto the floor. The tablet still works but the case is chipped and doesn't fit right anymore. The screen has a few scratches and can be a bit jittery if you use it for a long period of time. There was one tantrum, about 4 months ago, where he snatched my phone out of my hand while I was talking and chucked it across the room. The screen cracked into pieces and the sliding portion of the phone was so bent that it wouldn't open any longer. After both of these incidents, he knew he was in trouble and started crying because he that.
     He turns into a sweet little prince and wants to be held after a tantrum. No amount of consoling will work until he is sitting in someones lap and hugging them. If he is put into time out, he especially wants to be held after. I normally cave to his demands, as I can't bear the sound of him crying for long. Once he is finally calm, he loves to tuck his head under my chin and have me tell him a story or read him a book. Most of the time, I am never able to get through the story before he is off and playing again.
     While dealing with these tantrums is difficult and often times makes me want to throw one, I love this little boy dearly. He may scream, hit, kick, destroy objects, and demand everything including the sun but his laughter and the good times make it all worth it. I like to imagine how he will be when he is older. Will he still be this difficult or is this just a phase?