To feel guilty and upset about screaming at toddler

[Chattycat78]

Just that really. I have a just 2 year old and a baby. Got 4 hours sleep last night due to being up with first the baby and then the toddler. Could have cried when I had to get up.

Toddler was shirty all morning. Everything is a fight. Won't eat, won't sit in pram, won't put shoes on. You get the idea. Baby screams a lot too and doesn't like to be put down.

Tried to take toddler to park. He had a meltdown and was asking for cake instead of playing in park. When I tried to put him back in buggy he went crazy kicking, wriggling, refusing. Put up with this for a while but eventually lost it a bit and I hate to say I screamed at him and pinned him to the buggy to put him back.

I felt bad, although my temper is shorter due to lack of sleep I know. Then I thought should I be worried in case someone saw me screaming at him and reports me to social services or something!

I need to make sure I keep my temper with him I know, but I'm finding some days so hard with toddler and baby and no help. Especially on no sleep.

Does anyone Have anything reassuring to say or am I awful?

I'm putting my hand up. I have done this too!
Don't punish yourself, you are human, you feel bad about it.
I'm sure you will be thinking about how you'll do it differently next time.
Ask for a bit of help, get a break x

I was once so upset with DS2 I told him I thought he was horrible. He looked at me and said mum "I am not 'orrible I am 'dorable"

Well I laughed until I cried. He wound me up then totally disarmed me. You know OP there will always be days like you describe but everything will pass and they will still love you.

Poor you. A baby and toddler are serious hard work. I second the cbeebies and cake advice.

Sympathies op, and many of them!
When I had #2, my eldest was 3 and he was a total threenager. Awkward about absolutely every little damn thing. It was like someone tipped a bucket of cold water over me, he had been an adorable 2 year old and then the moment he turned three - hell.
Didn't help that #2 could not be put down without screaming and puking. We needed to get out more, but it was too stressful.
I have been that mum that everyone judges, unwashed, messy, badly behaved three year old, screaming toddler and bellowing at them because asking nicely was as good as shouting at a wall.
They're 6 and nearly 3 now. We still have bad days. School has really helped my eldest, he's a creature of routine and having a younger sibling rather ruined his routine for a while.
I have one suggestion - given it's winter, put the toddler in wellies that are a bit too big. This means that they're much slower to run away! This means I have half a chance of catching up with my toddler when he makes a break for it!

yanbu