To be struggling with baby DD a little bit?

[TallTilly]

I feel bad writing this. I love her to pieces obviously. She’s so sweet and funny. but OMG she’s doing my head in at the moment

She’s 13 months. She’s going through a phase right now where she is incredibly moany and miserable and just generally discontented (is that a word?).

She has always been a bundle of energy and doesn’t sit still. She is nearly walking. Cruising confidently round the furniture but hasn’t taken independent steps yet. Crawls at the speed of light.

I think she’s frustrated because she wants to do what her older sister (she’s 3) does. They are chalk and cheese. DD1 is quiet, laid back, likes to draw and read and play with her toys.

DD2 however is a million miles an hour. She won’t sit nicely on your knee, she wants to get down and explore (trash things). Toys don’t interest or entertain her. This makes life quite difficult.

She cannot stand being confined to her buggy or the car seat so every outing is a nightmare. She just moans and cries the whole time. She’s also a tired mess because she hates sleep.

Does anyone have any tips?? I’m going out of my mind slightly.

I should expand slightly. It’s difficult to take them places because she wants to explore but she’s too little to be crawling off along the floor in the supermarket, park etc. I just don’t know what to do with her.

I find 1-2 the hardest bit ds2 is nearly 2 and finally we can get out a little more easily and explain things to him better.

My ds was the same at 11 months, wanted to explore etc we got a big playpen, one of those 6 sided ones not the cot sized, and put him in there with a selection of toys, he loves it enough space to crawl, sides to cruise round and walking space when he started at 12 months, freedom from seats, high chairs etc but in a safe space. He’s now 18 months and still happily goes into it all the time.
I know not everyone likes play pens but I’ve found them a godsend with all 5 of my ds’s especially when they hit that independent stage around 18-24 months but you can’t yet reason with them lol the trick is to start them early if you’re going to as a young toddler often refuses to go in one if they’re used to the run of the place before they get into that ‘oh what’s in that cupboard/drawer/anything not nailed down’ stage.
Also maybe a jumperoo? I hate walkers so had one of these instead.
She’ll become more interested in toys as she gets a little bit older, at 13months ds loved chucking things so we gave him soft cubes for him to fling without risk of damage.

Oh shes already ransacking cupboards and drawers. She’s also obsessed with the toilet (??)

I realise this is another phase and I’m just going to have to wait it out. It’s just so oppressive just now.

We don’t have space for a large playpen. She wouldn’t entertain a small playpen

She has a jumperoo which she likes but screams bloody murder if I disappear from her line of sight.

It’s ok to be frustrated! Kids can be really tricky and we all have our limits, and there are good and bad patches

DD is very similar. She started walking fairly recently at 15 months and the time between her starting crawl and walk was really challenging. She is really high energy and hates being confined anywhere, but we couldn't just let her crawl around in cafes, shops etc. It's getting a lot easier in some ways now (although her increasing speed on two feet is a whole new problem ...).

No real advice, but good luck with this stage, just hang in there.

I know what you mean about space, our pen pretty much takes up all the lounge lol
Sorry I don’t really have any other advice I’ve been very lucky with ds5 (and I know it!). My eldest was a err challenging toddler but he has ASD and is now a couple of months off 18 so I can’t really remember what solutions I used if any!
It’s hard but it is just a phase and hopefully will only really last another couple of months

Awww hang in there. And certainly don't feel bad. Absolute nightmare sometimes aren't they?! Sympathies. Mine is a bundle of energy too, won't be confined, has to be moving constantly. Is a year older than your DD though, and believe me, it does get easier. Just repeat: This Too Shall Pass

I’ve got the male version of this! As returning him for a refund is out of the question I’m giving myself daily rewards of or and generous helpings of . I’m also not worrying about the calories these things contain because when he starts walking in the next few weeks he’ll help me run it off in no time!

Ah thank you all. ‘Tis good to know I’m not alone in this.

I feel bad. She’s such an affectionate wee soul. Climbs up on me every time I sit down on the floor. Not for a cuddle. Just using me as a climbing frame. I’m choosing to believe it’s affection