miserable stoppy toddler starting to get me down

[ThatllDoPig]

My 22 month old wakes up grumpy, goes to bed grumpy and is grumpy all day. The slightest thing that doesn't go his way results in a full on strop. He just seems so miserable at the moment, and it is hard work. Why can't he be a cheerful little boy? We are a happy household and he gets plenty of loving attention and activity. Nothing seems to please him. People try their best to make him smile and get nothing back but scowls. sigh.

sorry bit of a moan. Just needed to get off my chest!

Just replying to sympathise really!

My 22 month old is not grumpy all the time - not yet anyway! - but I definitely understand how tiring it can feel when they are.

I hope it's just a phase for you, we do have 10 day periods when DS is very much like that, usually just before he comes down with something. Just when we think it'll never pass, it does so I've got my fingers crossed for you.

Thanks lurker.

this was my situation too but then i introduced time out for whinging and grumpy behaviour. starting with a warning then counting to three expecting behaviour to stop. calmly putting child on step for 2 mins after getting to number 3 and briefly explaining why. if they get off step, i move son to a boring room for a few more mins or until he calmed down. after we have a brief chat about what happened and then move on. this has really turned his attitude about as at one point he was always choosing to be grumpy/whinge when equally he could have chosen to be happy.

Tbh I don't think it's a great idea to lock a small child in a room- presumably you have to close the door or otherwise he wouldn't stay there?

I sympathise, OP, as DD (28mo) is a tantrummy demon several times a day. It'll pass, it'll pass...

Dopig im glad you posted this. i actually logged on to start a thread very similar to yours except my DS is 2.5 and things are getting worse. my dp thinks we should see a psychiatrist or something but im not too sure. he can be a real pain (like today) but some days he is an angel.

the thing that triggered his outburst today is that his little brother started in his nursery today, in the same room. i think that is the reason.
little brother is the opposite, always smiley and cheerful and playful so my advice to you Dopig is to have another one!!!

waiting for some uplifting advice.

tostaky- how bad is he exactly for your DP to be thinking of consulting a psychiatrist?

DD's tantrums can last good half an hour and be triggered by the fact that I helped her take the key out of the lock (as she wants to open the door all by herself ) or because I dared to undo the zip of her jacket as she wants to, again, do it by herself. Etc, etc.

Usually, I just ignore and soon (ish) she's back to her usual sweet self.

i had 2 hours non-stop of whinges/cries and un-cooperative behaviour tonight.
waaaahhh mummy/mummy/mummy/dummy/dummy/dummy waaaaahhhh (even though he has the bloody dummy in his mouth)
their nanny said he was absolutly fine before i came home....
he is usually just a bit grumpy and not too smiley and rather prone to tantrums but tonight was special and i honestly thinks that is bc his brother is starting in the same room at nursery. i know it is just a phase but my dp is convinced otherwise... ds1 is very challenging but i still think he is wihin the normal range albeit on the verge of it.

Could he just have been tired? That would explain grumpiness. But I think that generally age 2-3 are horrid- if that helps, DS was a very grumpy, demanding toddler and is now a lovely, chilled, sensible 9yo

There's no logic to toddler tantrums, really.