can babies have tantrums?

[dolster]

My six month old DD is normally very sweet and cheerful but I've noticed recently that when something isn't going her way (especially when a toy frustrates her or I have to take something away from her), she goes completely crazy. She goes bright red, screams, and has tears streaming down her little face. It doesn't take too long to console her, but the outbursts are so sudden and severe - they do feel like tantrums. Anyone else experienced this? Any tips on how to deal with it?

My DD, now 14 mo, definitely started 'tantrums' at 6 months. The first one was over a toy another child had that she wanted. She was EBF but had EBM from bottles sometimes. If she saw another baby being given a bottle she would scream so much I had to take her away! It was a bit embarrassing, but I didn't really 'deal' with it apart from removing her to distract her. I did (still do) a lot of signing with her (not classes, just key words) and she can sign very well. This removes some of the frustration as at least I know what it is she's cross about.

Oh yes, describes my now 16 month old to a T when he was about 6 months and frustrated.

About all you can do is distract and move away. Hard sometimes to tell what he was reacting too, so sometimes just scooped him up and moved him to a different room all together!

My daughter started at about seven or eight months! She slammed her little heels into the mattress and went red, banging her wrists against the sides of the cot. She was just livid that I'd had the temerity to put her to bed. I didn't know that babies that age could have tantrums. I'm afraid I was so surprised at this small thing pretending to be a two-year-old that I...laughed. She was so surprised that I was laughing that she blinked and stopped the hee- slamming and yelling. For a few moments.

Both mine started theirs at 8 months. As others have said, distraction, ignoring are the best ploy.

Mine started early, but they never had the awful unmanageable ones you hear about, so let's hope that's your silver lining too. :-)

oh yes my dds ds1 is the best at them

DD is doing this at the moment.

If i walk past her, she might start whining because she wants me to pick her up. If I don't pick her up, sometimes, she goes rigid, presses her chin down to her chest, goes bright red and goes off on one. I know it is a tantrum as she goes so rigid, like a little wooden soldier.

So they do have tantrums this young?! Oh boy, I really wasn't expecting to have to cross that bridge for quite a while....

My friens christened the going rigid 'planking' which I love. DD2 (alomost 7 mths) did it for 20 mins today when I suggested she have a nap at lunchtime!

Oh God yes can they. DS has been throwing full out tantrums from about five months... He's going to be a delight at two...