Is this normal or am I just a shit mum? :(

[FreudianSlippery]

I have no idea, DS is my PLB aged 19m.

Basically you know the phrase "he's into everything" - DS just takes it to an extreme. We go to a baby group (baby signing which I know some people are about but it's really helping his speech catch up) and he's always the only one who doesn't sit still contentedly with mummy. He's always opening the door and escaping into other rooms, exploring everything (he's like it at home too) and screams if I stop him.

I don't know it sounds really daft written down but it's getting to me (if it weren't for the usefulness of the signing I would've given up the class by now) - from the reactions of all the other mums with their perfect sedate babies/toddlers, my DS is misbehaving :(

Which is ridiculous thing to think of a 19mo isn't it - babies can't be 'naughty'! but that's the reaction I get.

My DD was quite a curious girl but she always got the "ooh she's into everything isn't she!" - as a compliment rather than an insult

I don't get it. Am I doing something wrong? :(

You know, without reading the OP and just seeing the title, I thought "I bet she's got a toddler".

Toddlers. Can't live with 'em, can't shut 'em in a cupboard with some stale bread.

Tortoise, your last sentence made me choke on my tesco imitation coco pops!

my gs is like this,his poor mum is so patient but i can see she gets disheartened at groups etc.has anyone tried to use any behaviour management at all?He is 18mos and when he is here he bangs my tv screen and also throws food all over the place,i take the food away so now he doesnt do it and also move him repeatedly from the tv to the other side of the room in a sort of vague time out,he will return as many times as you can manage to remove him,cracking up to himself as he does

DS2 is 16 months and his favourite game is build a ladder. He dragged two small chairs up to the window, climbed up them and was standing on the windowsill cackling. I had turned round long enough to put the stack of puzzle boxes back on a high shelf after he had just got them down and emptied them. AFter rescuing him he ran straight to the hoover (Is a dyson upright) and took the cylinder thing off the front of it. I am terrified the whole time.

he also walked early,its as if they have the skill but no common sense to use it haha

A CM here, I have had both genders like it.

The most challenging, was a second DD of a family, elder DD, was (and still is) a angel. Younger one!!!! I had to put window locks on after we moved house and she climbed out the window the second day. She was 13 months. Walked att 10 months.

I have a 8 month now, who crawled at 4 months, walked around the furniture at 6 months and is now threatening to walk! God help me!

I had strong-willed babies and toddlers. They are now courteous, engaged, and clever teenagers. Don't worry, OP. He sounds lovely.

I can echo Abr1de- my Dh was exactly the same as my ds (thank goodness, as I learn so much from him and the empathy he has for Ds, as I was the quiet well behaves little girl reading books and find my whirlwind Ds alien to me)

... He got through that uncontrollable energy an it now an intelligent diligent sensitive man but still has a temper!

19mo DS can be like this. He's quite calm at home but is suddenly full of beans as soon as he's out the front door. I combat it by only taking him to the playgroups with very little structured play. He prefers to just wander about willy nilly, than sit in a circle and sing/paint/eat etc.

It's good for me too, because I get a rest while he burns off some energy. It's just a million times more stressful chasing him about while everyone else is sat nicely in a circle.

Another one here, 2.4 never sits still, into or climbing on everything, very curious, very determined (stubborn), and very very exhausting - made worse by looks of horror from other mums. Still, like Mrs Chemist, half an hour every day bouncing with him on the trampoline keeps me slim.

I know though that he has inherited many of these traits from me - my mum takes great delight in reminding me that I was just the same as a child

DS also thinks he is capable of going downstairs stood up. Cue him just stepping off the bottom step of my parents stairs, and predictably, falling over and crying. He isn't allowed anywhere near the stairs in my house. He can't be trusted.

-nnnnnnnnnnoooooooo

5mo ds is going to be one of these boys. I can just tell in my bones.

The other day at baby club he had no interest in me singing (well, mumbling) and was hell bent on pulling the long blonde hair of the mummy next to me with the angelic baby girl.

I have two of these horrors, one male and one female. I'ts a bit easier now they are four and five. Really, don't think it's down to gender

I've been reading Jo Brand's autobiography. In it she comments that apart from the usual things of cleaning, feeding, dressing and entertaining a toddler the biggest part of a toddler-carer's life is stopping them from killing themselves. Rings true for me!

I am so glad I found this thread! I've an almost 18 month ds who is exactly like this. Hilariously funny, curious and spirited energiser bunny. I've felt like a rubbish mum for not sticking with the groups (and socialising him as my mother-in-law keeps on about) but he just wants to tear about the place. The only really regular sit down group we went to was toddler circle/singing time. Now abandoned after last week, when he walked up to the stereo in the middle of everyone singing " Ten little monkeys," switched it off saying "No, home" then ran round like a loon while I tried to catch him .

I'm lucky enough to live v close to a park and we go every day, it is my lifesaver. At 4pm it is full of other mothers with young boys trying to wear them out! No sympathy from my mum - I was a bolter, wouldn't sleep, wanted to climb and climb and dive off. Ds is exactly like me so there's karma for you!

I'm so glad I'm not the only one! I have twins of nearly three - DD can be a minx but she's not much trouble and I can have a sensible discussion with her, but DS is exactly as everyone is describing here! He always wants to be outside, has the attention span of a gnat, and can't sit still for two minutes. Playgroup etc is ok but he never sits down for the singing or Jo Jingles visits, and haircuts, church etc are my ongoing nightmares!

Added to that I have 2 big problems with him - one is that if his interest is elsewhere he just totally blanks me and anything I'm saying - I can wave my hand in front of his eyes and he still ignores me. He won't reply if I can't find him in the garden and am calling his name, and I frequently find myself speaking to a brick wall when asking him to come and have his nappy changed, or whatever. (If it's something he likes there's no problem, so he's not deaf!) The other is that he can have such massive tantrums when he doesn't get his own way. if we try to hold him on our lap at the doctors, for example, or don't let him have a ride on a machine at the shops, he can just flip and scream for 20 mins. he repeats over and over what he wants and doesn't take in any feedback like he can't have chocolate bcause there isn't any! He doesn't even know why he's crying after a bit, I think, and will come for a cuddle as though it was the end of the world, but he won't stop. Then eventually he forgets about it and is instantly happy again (we just ignore him throughout). Aargh - so agree with all of you who wouldn;t take them on holiday - I mean why on earth would we??? (I'd take DD like a shot if she was a singleton - and she does miss out on loads of stuff because of DS but luckily she's very tolerant - bless).

Anyway - it sounds as though he's not the only one - and should outgrow it all - so fingers crossed!

P.S. Can't complain - despite all the above, DS has slept through from v early and never woken me in the night, goes down no problem or stays up if we take him to a late do - and always sleeps for at least 12 hours a night! Every cloud.........??