Toddlers can be horrific, can't they?

[MulesToJules]

Argh! This is the worst possible stage.

Newborn was amazing. Small baby amazing. Sitting up and early Walker baby also amazing.

Now he's a toddler and good Christ, this is hard.

Biting. Scratching. Tantrums. Never ever happy.

He also seems behind to some toddlers, although he started walking at 8.5 months. He still very much looks like a baby, and doesn't really speak apart from Mummy and No.

"Mummy no" being the ultimate combo of choice.

And the escaping! He escapes all cots, so can't have a cot now. He escapes car seats, had to find one that he can't actually escape from. We have 3 kinds of pushchair and he can escape both.

Escapes high chair and seats. Can't turn my eyes for a single second or he will climb out and potentially kill himself.

It's so frustrating. So either let him on the floor to cause havoc 24/7 or keep telling him to stop and keep putting him back wherever he's strapped into.

Also refusing to sleep until a ridiculous time in the evening, meaning no time for me or DH. Just constant screaming if he isn't allowed up. I tried seeing how it played out, he kept on for 2 whole hours before.

Someone send help in the form of alcohol

Hearing this. Mine are 4 and almost 3 and I’m shattered. are the only solutions!

I feel you op. Mine are 3 and 9! Luckily it's the holidays, so my 9 year old is currently tiring her out on the trampoline as we speak. I'd recommend buying one, breaks the most ferral of children- I have one, I should know.

Mine is in his high chair watching mr tumble not my finest parenting moment. He also thought that I'd give him an ice lolly whilst marching him in from the garden for being a brat erm no!

Everyone said that babyhood is brutal but then it gets better. Nope like the OP I loved the baby days but am finding having a toddler impossible! Bed time is ok here though, he goes down late but with zero fuss so late bedtime it is!

Part of the problem is his communication, it's non existent. He has loads of words but they are all nouns. He can name loads of things and point to them but can't make his wants and needs understood, gah!

Totally reverse experience here. Frigging hated the newborn and baby stage (like... really hated) and absolutely ADORE toddlerhood! I think it all depends on the kind of kid you get - some get great babies, some get babies who are bloody hard work! Some get great toddlers, some get difficult toddlers.

I will say the awful baby thing made any toddler tantrum seem like no big deal tbh! Particularly because they can communicate a little more and are more open to distraction (or bribes!)!

Yes mine has been a horror today. Throwing stuff at me and my older daughter. Has thrown her dinner on the floor so made her some toast, that ended up on the floor too so have given up and put her to bed!

She doesn't talk either so every day is just her constantly screaming and screeching at me while I try to figure out what she wants.

Mine is exactly the same. She's currently 19 months and is an absolute nightmare. Tantrums, biting, slapping, screaming non stop and refuses to sleep until at least ten and even then it's only if one of us is laid with her in our bed.
No advice yet but you're not alone x

Mine were a dream as toddlers, but Jesus Christ when they hit three...

Hopefully those of you with toddlers going through it will be over soon!!

Ive a 3 year old and 1 year old.. now the 1 year old is walking i swear they both purposefully go in opposite directions. They also fight... the 1 year old will now bite his brother...

Ive a bottle of wine waiting for after bedtime...

I have a three year old and I'm honestly hating the toddler stage.

He doesn't listen. He's deviant. He's currently crying because I've told him off for getting out of his chair.

Please tell me it'll get better!

Biting. Scratching. Tantrums. Never ever happy

Initially read the first word as bitching!

Evil little sociopaths, with fucking sharp nails! No? Just mine then?
Terrible twos and threes, fucking awful fours... Well, you see where this is going!
Yep, toddler hood is merely to be endured, and that's why they're so damn cute! So we don't drown them in a pond.
They're OK when they're asleep. Mostly...

Have you tried makaton if his speech is limited? That improved things hell of a lot for us!

Mine got on a bus without me and for a split second the only thing I felt was relief. And then, 8 months pregnant, I chased the bus down the road and got my toddler back. You're right. It's awful. It stayed exhausting until he learnt to read, and now, BLISS. The future will come.

Solidarity here.

My 22 month old nearly ended up on eBay today.

I have a 2.3 year old and a 3.6 year old. Most days are hellish, if I'd have known how much hardwork it would be I'd have definitely had a bigger age gap. People keep saying it gets easier but I think it's all a lie

What is it with the nipple twisting? My nearly 2 year old loves to do this and as soon as I try and cuddle her, the arm shoots down my top and she tries to flip them out of my bra!

It gets better though. Well, no, that's a lie. It gets... Hmm... Different?
Teens bring their own issues, such as your once sweet smelling, tiny boy becoming this enormous man type creature, who tries to shove his mother's face in his armpit after football don't worry, he may be bigger than me, but he can still get a skelp round the lug!
Or your once sweet daughter storming off to her room having been mortally offended at me suggesting I might know something. Of course, I should know, I know nothing just call me Jon Snow and should merely furnish them with cash, then sit quietly out of sight until they need a lift somewhere!
Kids are pretty cool, but my god they drive you to your limits at times!
I saw a quote on SM
'check on your mum friends who are raising strong daughters, we are not OK!!' it amused me because it's true!

Mine has refused all dinner today. Standard. His 'help' in the garden consisted of throwing stones,repeatedly despite being asked not to, and soaking himself with his watering can. Dad is bathing him now, but he has had 3 outfit changes today.

Most days I am on a countdown until bed time. I thought running around after a toddler would make me lose weight. NOPE. I just eat my pain away exhausted on the couch each night!

My DS has just turned 3. I used to teach 3/4 year olds. He is harder than a class full. I’m regularly broken by him and I’m resorting back to the super nanny techniques I absorbed as a teenager!

I have had the WORST day with my 3.5 year old and 19 month old and this thread has made me feel better. They have been fucking horrible today and DH is away all week and it's half bloody term so I don't even have the sweet relief of preschool to look forward to tomorrow for a bit of a breather.

I'm not sure what came over me but I decided to take them both shoe shopping earlier, on my own, on a bank holiday. We left without shoes and with both of them tantrumming and when I got them outside I burst into tears because I felt like such a shit mum.

Solidarity!

I think most people either get a nightmare baby or a nightmare toddler. Some lucky bastards get wonderful both. Some poor sods get nightmare both.

My dd was an absolute fucker of a baby. Screamed 24/7 and wouldn't be put down. Nearly broke me. She's nearly 3 now and on the whole 'not bad' and very cute except for the poo on the carpet yesterday. I do think toddlers get less stroppy once they can chat a little to express themselves better. It will get better. Have some

Mine pinched me so hard earlier this week that she actually drew blood. She's a total dictator, stubborn as a mule and so independent. She is so ridiculously challenging, but incredibly interesting to be around too - you take the rough with the smooth! Just as you begin to completely lose your mind, they do something funny/ cute/ interesting and you feel like the luckiest person alive. Crazy little people aren't they?

Oh yes, to add to the anecdata, DS was an amazing baby - had his own routine, slept for 12-14 hours every night from 6 weeks to 5 months —when it all went a bit wrong— and was pretty bloody happy.

Now he’s cough a handful cough and I’ve introduced a star chart to try and tempt him into staying in his own bed all night...

DD, around the age of 18m - 2 yrs ish, used to bite me. Only me. Never DH. Never anyone else. It fucking hurt! I forget how we sorted it, but I didn't like it!!
Now she's a teenager she's absolutely mortified when I remind her of this! Remember, all stories of toddler hood are fodder for future bf/gf/wedding speeches. Play the long game!

Mine is 16 months and I can't have a bath with her because all she wants to do is twist my nipples really hard and loses the plot when I won't let her 

Mine does this too! But luckily he does stop when he's told to otherwise he knows I'll take away his boob for a while