18mo temper tantrums & personality transplant

[GuineaPigMum]

Please please please can anyone offer advice? 18mo DS was ill recently and recovered a week ago. Since then he's been extra clingy and his temper tantrums are something else.

He used to nap well without any fuss, now we have an hour's battle to get him to go down. The slightest thing can lead to a meltdown. This week we've had a tantrum due to:
Mummy stirring the porridge
Getting nappy changed
Getting in the bath
Getting out the bath
Brushing teeth
...all the daily activities that used to be fun are now a huge battle. It's really stressful and DH and I are struggling.

His talking isn't great, so I wondered if its because he's frustrated with not being able to communicate. But it happened so quickly, it was like someone flicking a switch. Could it be a hangover from his illness? Or is he just testing the boundaries?

I really hope someone will tell me that it won't last long. Any advice on how to deal with the aggression that we're experiencing during these tantrums would be welcome too. Today he's banged his forehead repeatedly on the carpet and now had a huge red mark and bump. He also head bangs in the cot, hits, scratches and goes limp/rigid (delete as appropriate) to avoid doing something he doesn't want to do. Help!!!!

[naturalbaby]

I have a 22month old and he has been like this for a while. He is very strong willed and wants to do everything himself so that leads to a lot of frustration and then tantrums.
His big brother was just the same and and still very emotional, determined and independent at 3 so I'm not expecting this phase to pass any time soon!

The only thing that helps at the moment is lots of cuddles, lots of time to get stuff done his way, lots of singing and being silly. If I say no or try to stop him it just makes him very upset so I just have to try and turn everything I need him to do into a very exciting, fun activity. I also ask him all the time before I do something - which beaker, which juice, which trousers, which bath toys.....