Is this normal?

[HaleMarys]

So my 20 month old has become the devil! He has the loudest, ear piercing scream ever (he has had this from being a new born)….recently I cannot please him, everything is a battle, shoes, nappies, nursery drop offs, food, I am completely drained by the end of each day and have started to feel relief when I drop him off at nursery (I actually don’t miss him whilst he is there)…he can be the sweetest little boy and is very cuddly, is this just a phase or is my child an actual demon?

A loud, ear piercing scream can be a sign of autism. As is sensory overload which could be why everything is a battle. I'd ask the preschool for their thoughts but be aware they can't diagnose so will hint towards an answer rather than give you a clear yes/no.

I don’t think it is autism as development wise he is perfect, counts to 10, asks for things, knows various animals and manners.

little brother & pfb are autistic and the concept of a 20m baby counting to 10 is mind blowing to me so I suspect you're right. It sounds like your lovely precocious child is entering the terrible twos a midge ahead of schedule.

How long it been going on for? It could be a phase or he could be in pain/discomfort such as a low level infection or stomach ache. Does he nap during the day?

Yes, I'm sure it is just a phase
I have experienced exactly the same with one of mine
Also seen exactly the same with other people's children
In all instances the boys and girls stopped screaming after a time
Shoes were eventually worn without fuss, not sure about the nappy though!
Roll on toilet training!
It seems like it's never going to end, but it does, it's hard when you're in the thick of it
Everyone needs a little break from their beloved little one, so don't feel guilty because you feel relieved when he isn't in your company
You need that free time to recoup
Good luck OP, things will be ok

@DockOTheBay yes he has an hour nap in the morning and sleeps through at night. It’s just if things aren’t going his way he screams so loud I think he has actually damaged my ears as they keep popping!

Welcome to the terrible 2s, brace yourself though as the person who coined that phrase obviously hadn't met a 3yr old yet!

Thankfully it gets less frequent as they learn to cope and/or vocalise their needs.

@nokidshere I have considered terrible two’s but I never experienced anything like this with my eldest who is 5, maybe just got lucky.

Terrible 2s are technically in their second year, so he's bang on.

There's a revisit in the 4's except they think they can reason more. We had it from 3.5-4

Yes this sounds a normal phase toddlers go through.