Hiya. I've had PND for 18 months. My 20 month old DD is utterly adorable and we couldn't be luckier. However, when it's just me and her she is moody, bossy and demanding. I try my best to give her all my attention, try to play fun games and keep her entertained but it's like I irritate her!! Constantly I get NO MUMMY, NAUGHTY MUMMY followed by a frustrated meltdown.
Why only with me?!
My PND was improving but I'm finding this recent behaviour really difficult. Somehow it's worse hearing how lovely and angelic she is with her grandparents. The days I'm at home with her drag terribly and i think I've played a game for an hour only to realise only 5 mins has past and still the whole day ahead. Frankly, I'm totally bored.
If I could take her out to groups etc I would, but we live quite remotely and she's really very travel sick. And she has her nap 12pm in the dot and ONLY in her cot which although great is quite restricting.
Any ideas/tips on entertaining a toddler whilst simultaneously stimulating MY brain somehow
(Ps PND is getting treated)
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How to get through the day?
Bellyrub1980 · 03/08/2016 22:06
I have a 2.2yo who is also a little angel for everyone except me and DH. I console myself with the belief they only act out with those they feel most comfortable with 
It's not that you've done anything wrong, actually quite the opposite, she trusts you with her feelings.
As for how to deal with it I try to get us out of the house for at least a few hours a day. It wears her out, and even if she's still difficult her screams are drowned out by other children or open spaces.
You say she must nap at 12 in her cot: what happens if she doesn't? Will she eventually give in and sleep in the car/buggy? As for the travel sickness, I'd maybe give those pressure point wrist bands a go (not sure if they're hippy crap, but worth a go). Failing that I'd be tempted to try a forward facing car seat if you haven't already. It's not ideal, but nether is a vomiting toddler and I know it helps me if I can stare out of the front windscreen when I'm feeling sicky.
Alternatively if you live remotely, can you go out for walks to avoid the car? Get her a puddle suit and let her go ker-azy in the muddy puddles. A well-exercised toddler is a docile toddler IME.
In terms of brain stimulation, I've found DD1 has made a huge leap in comprehension and spoken language in the last few months, and her attention span has improved which has made reading, watching films etc easier and more enjoyable. We can chat a bit together (no longer completely one sided!) and she's really eager to show off her new knowledge. Not much help to you right now I know, but hopefully you'll find things improve really soon too.
Do you like arty stuff? You could paint/colour together to allow you to do something that will challenge you whilst she's happily entertained.
Maybe also introduce a bit of daily TV time each day if you don't already too. DD1 will happily let me waste time on mn read if I'm sitting next to her whilst she's watching Peppa. She wants the company, so won't stay in front of the telly if I go off to do jobs, but will stay put if I sit having cuddles.
After all that we've had a right old afternoon! But it was general naughtiness, disobeying everything, rather than meltdown and definitely down to tiredness. 75% of naughtiness in our house is due to tiredness or hunger.
I also break the day down into 1/2 hour slots in my head. With food and a nap factored in, it seems more manageable, never more than about 1 1/2 hours in one go. We sit down for snacks and drag them out as long as possible. It is quite boring, but it's more interesting as he learns new words, and not as bad as those early baby days! At least they like actually doing things rather than just crawling around eating dirt.
Last resort is just to bundle him into the pram and go for a walk.
Love those unexpected cuddles from a non-cuddly child
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