forget terrible two, I cant deal with my one year old!

[mamaesi]

My 12 almost 13 month old is driving me bananas! She literally cries all the time and i cannot keep her happy. She has become very clingy to me and screams every time I go out of sight. She just is not happy ever! She wants food, then doesnt, wants to be held then doesnt, cries getting into buggy, cries while in buggy unless sleeping or eating, cries when dad leaves in the morning, cries every time I say no, cries if she wants something and cant reach it/have it.... I cannot occupy her for more than two minutes with any toy, game, activity without her getting upset. She is a total diva.

I am starting to hate her and despise being an at home mother for the first time... as she is just too difficult for me. I count down until he goes to bed and dread her waking!

Has anyone else had a difficult child? How do you cope? What should I do?

no advice sorry but i'm hoping someone else will have some as my 8 month old is exactly the same recently! It is SO exhausting!

If it's recent behaviour, which it sounds like it is, she's probably working on the 55 week developmental spurt, which makes babies become 'clingy, cranky & crying'. There is a great book explaining it called The Wonder Weeks by two scientists who researched all the developmental spurts up to 13 months.

Basically their nervous system & brain is changing hugely, and to them it seems like they've woken up on a different planet and everything is different and confusing for them.

In the short term, she needs lots of attention and reassurance, but it should pass once she hits the developmental leap.

HTH

Oh, and there's a spurt at around 8/9 months too - 37 weeks, then another at 46 weeks. The fussy period before the leap usually lasts between about 1 and 6 weeks. The dates are from the LO's due date, so if they were born early or late you need to adjust accordingly.

6 weeks?? bloody hell we're 2 days in and i'm already going insane!! someone pass me a pint of wine!!

I second AngelDog's suggestion about the Wonder Weeks. (I use the app) I noticed last week that DD had started getting really clingy, fussy and not settling well. Lo and behold, when I checked she's just started the next Spurt.

Now I know we just have to hang in there and there will be new exciting things she can do that will delight both her and me!

yes i know about the wonder weeks as many people have referred to it in the sleep forum where I checked everyday when she was not sleeping at all from 7-9 months...

ok so the answer is just be patient, its a phase...

but I have no more patience left. finally got the nights sorted only for the days to drive me mad. Its all just too hard for me right now...I just hate seeing her so miserable all the time and me as a mean mummy with a headache.

I find it's worst for the first fussy week, then gradually calms down until DS hits the developmental spurt, when he's completely happy again. So hopefully it won't be this bad right up to the spurt.

OTOH, I find that sleep isn't too badly affected at the start of the fussy period, but is worst in the couple of weeks before the spurt. But all babies are different on things like that of course.

My baby has been grumpy since 2 weeks old, improved slightly at 4 months then got worse again at 8 months due to frustration I think, now 10 months still grumpy compared to friends babies but now I don't get as stressed about it, he's hard work, daughter was an angel in comparison, but he's really bright and so funny, and I know in a few months time he will be a lot happier (and easier), some babies are just spirited/high maintenance/grumpy! :-)

my husband tries to call me high maintenance..wow my daughter takes the cake now!

angeldog: you are right her sleep was disrupted about 2/3 weeks ago,(not too bad just a couple of wakes in the night) just before she started being the nightmare in the day...very interesting.