Toddler's infernal whining GAAAAH

[ShushBaby]

My lovely dd is 16mo and has always been Little Miss Sunshine, very jolly and happy playing on her own.

Over the last few days she has adopted an anguished shout/whine which she lets out every few minutes, sometimes apparently for no reason at all. It's like a fake cry- 'EH EH EHHHH'/ Often it's when she can't do something or lift something, or gets her sock trapped somewhere or whatever. I'm unsure about whether to go and help her figure things out (obv I go if she's physically stuck or hurt), or whether that's just reinforcing the whine. Sometimes she just walks along singing happily, then will suddenly whine.

It's trying my patience, frankly. Is this just toddlerhood, or her true whiney colours shining through? Either way, how do I deal with this? My bright call of' that's a silly noise darling, what's the matter?' is starting to sound a little strangled...

[pallymama]

No advice I'm afraid, but my DD(18mo) is like this at home too. I worry that perhaps it's when she's bored, but then I think, well we do do quite a lot of "fun stuff" and she has to have some time to entertain herself or she will become totally reliant on me for that. However, I could be way off the mark and it's nothing to do with boredom (however temporary).

I too used to do the "bright call" bit, but it has since progressed to "no silly noises, thank you" then muttering to myself "it's just a phase, it's just a phase..."

I will be watching this thread with hope interest. :)

[ShushBaby]

I'm afraid I did snap at her earlier which only made her snarl back at me. Ah, toddlers. Just when I thought I had this parenting gig figured out

I'm clinging to the vain hope that she's cutting her back teeth and this is the cause of the EH EH EHEHEHEHEH.

[libbyssister]

Any chance your DD might be experiencing teething pain/have a sore throat/ear ache? I know I often think 'why do you keep WHINING?' when my DSs have been getting frustrated with things really quickly and it turns out that they're not very well. Depends on how long it continues, I guess?

[libbyssister]

Cross threads :)

You could always give her a spoonful of Calpol to see if her mood improves?

[ShushBaby]

I think it's quite possible libbysister. Have given her some homeopathic teething witchery but might have to crack out the hard stuff. I know what I'm doing here- I'm doing what I've done ever since she was born and flying into a mad panic at a tricky new phase without giving it time to pan out and see what the problem is. Unless she really is turning into a Grumpy Old Baby for good

What I'm really struggling with is how to respond to her grating cries? Any tips... Anybody? [desperate emoticon]

[Ballyxxx]

My 17 mnth old is the same. He whines randomly throughout the day and if he falls, its the end of the world! He only does it with me and dp. His childminder says he never cries when he falls with her, just gets on with it! Ill be watching this thread for some advice. Its hard to know whether to ignore it or what..Dp and i are trying to just say 'your all right noe, up you get' rather then picking him upb (unless its a bad one of course)

[ShushBaby]

Glad we're not alone!

Bless her, she is now playing happily by herself while I fart around on mumsnet. Though she did just say to herself in a sad little voice 'tired' so I wonder if that's the problem. She has always been a cat-napper but maybe 50 minutes just isn't cutting it now she can walk.