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Behaviour/development

DD's driving me mad and I feel horrible

3 replies

LeoTheLateBloomer · 06/08/2011 07:09

Sad (Although having said that, she's pottering about happily for the moment)

She's had a rough few weeks with not being well followed rapidly by a bad bout of teething, but I feel like I'm on the receiving end of a constant stream of whining.

One night a couple of weeks ago I tried to get her to chew on a dummy to help her teething pain (as recommended by a friend) and rather than chewing she just started sucking madly. Since then I've started down the slippery slope of giving her the bloody thing when she starts getting grizzly and there's clearly nothing else wrong. (I hate dummies btw and she hasn't had one at all up until now)

The only break I get from her is at night and her one daytime nap, but recently that hasn't been guaranteed at all. I feel like I can't do anything without having her hanging on to my leg and whingeing.

She likes being out and about, but rarely leaves my side when we go to toddler groups or friends' houses. When we walk the dog she often walks but bellows when she has to go in the pushchair.

Please tell me this won't last long. If I let her have the dummy now will it be impossible to stop it once this episode of teething is over?

I hate how impatient I'm getting with her but it's exhausting.

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howabout · 06/08/2011 07:18

Is she a terrible 18month - 3ish? If so just hang on in there because she sounds entirely normal to me as does your reaction to her misery. I once had an hour long battle with DD2 over a 10 minute walk to the shops which seemed v upsetting at the time but was highly amusing to all my friends who kept going past. The memory of it probably helps them keep perspective when dealing with their stroppy toddlers now. I would recommend long walks and going to the park to get out the house but sounds like you are doing that already. Have you considered just not taking the pushchair as there came a point when I decided it was easier than dealing with it and toddler and not having it sort of gave us one less thing to disagree on.

No idea about dummy use but much easier to withdraw than cutting off my DD's thumb!!

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FlubbaBubba · 06/08/2011 07:19

You poor thing. How old is your DD? Sounds like she's not quite two? With molars coming through? If so, this teething phase didn't last long with our DDs, and we used calpol to help stop the pain.

Don't give her the dummy for other times of just grizzly as it is quite a slippery slope if she is the age I think she is.

Not leaving your side is quite normal at this age too - but try to make sure you praise her every time she does good things, or does play independently.

Does she need to go in the pushchair at all? (obviously I don't know what kind of trips you're making/what kind of roads you're walking on) - but if she doesn't like it and it isn't necessary, let her walk. She'll also gain more confidence and independence walking.

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LeoTheLateBloomer · 06/08/2011 07:42

Thank you for your replies. She's only 15 months. We still need the pushchair for walks both because she's not yet able to walk a full dog walk and due to the nature of where we live (controlling a small toddler and a strapping labrador when crossing roads isn't ideal!)

I'm really trying not to give in to the dummy (resorted to it at about 4:30 last night when I was getting her supper ready!) and I'm using nurofen and calpol.

I thought it probably was normal. I just find myself having to take lots of deep breaths. Our house is open plan so when she doea play on her own I can still see her and talk to her about what she's doing.

Thank you again Smile

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