I need your best tip for tackling clinginess in toddler while I'm VERY pregnant <ugh>

[Sockspence]

...please? :)

I know it's what often happens, but my usually happy, independent 2.7yo has turned into a whingy, clingy tantrum-bag in the last month.

I'm 36 weeks and have horrendous SPD so I'm not Fun Mum at the moment, but we're having lots of cuddles and playtime and trying to talk in the simplest and most positive terms about the new baby.

He has two sessions of nursery a week and is fine there.

I don't feel like I'm dealing with him very well at the moment. It's making me really sad.

What worked best for you?

Lots of special mummy time cuddles on the sofa watching TV or reading a book worked for us, but DD1 was well over a year younger so don't know if that would work for an older one?

God, are you me? 36 weeks, shocking SPD, beyond tired and just being a terrible mum at the moment. My 22 month DS has always been really independent, but now wants me to do 'drawing' ALL the time. Any dissent and we have total melt down. He's always been a great eater as well, but meal times have become a complete battle ground with teatime being the absolute worse. It just seems that he's crying all the time and I can't do anything!

I know he just wants me attention and he is so adorable, but I have no patience and just can't wait until bath and bedtime. Poor little man.

Sorry, no help but you are really not alone!

I've just been there and now just on the other side (!) I will admit to more nursery ... Also bed - time. - 'us' not him!! Snuggling - talking - reading - hin even eating and sometimes DVDs all with me lying virtually comatose but he has me to himself... All worked really well!

So much easier out than in if it's any consolation!!

Similar here with ds 3.4, tho now baby is here it's actally better.
Lots of me sitting in bed to be read books, watching telly together and chatting and even if I delegated nursery pickup and evening routine I still did a story.

I think the vital bit was not expecting him to be glad about a new baby so explaining what the baby won't be able to do that he can (eat icecream, have chocolate, go to the duckpond with Grandpa, do cooking with mummy...) - he now frequently says "dd can't do X yet. She's too small. But I can.' [smug grin]

Though have to admit by week 37 when he wanted to be a spotty dinosaur I just gave him a marker pen and let him spend 2 hours colouring his hands, arms, and most of one leg so he looked like a giraffe...

Thanks folks. Am heartened by the 'better out than in' reports.

We've had a lot of "I don't want to be a big boy, I want to be a baby" today. It's textbook, isn't it? Poor little chap. Lots of attention and cuddles and cutting of slack, I think.

I have a bit of the opposite problem, DS will not fecking stop running away! I am 21 weeks, DS is 2.6, and my SPD has kicked in already, so tearing after him when he makes his sudden escape attempts is not doing me any favours.

Yesterday I told him 'don't jump on the baby in mummy's tummy please' (because tackling me unexpectedly is his favourite activity now), and he said 'NO baby come to my house!' and 'NO baby sleep in my bed!' So I have reassured him that the baby isn't coming for a while, and will most certainly not be sleeping in his bed, but I don't think he's convinced.

From the books we've been reading about new babies, he's gathered that babies cry like this: 'WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!' so is doing that several times a day in a completely fake (but embarrassing if we're in public) sort of way. I almost wish I'd not said/read anything about the baby yet!

Oh yes... DS is 2.5 and DD is 5 weeks. I had a difficult pregnancy and went overdue... I think they can sense that something's not right. Because of how clingy he was while I was pregnant, I was expecting DS to be REALLY difficult when the baby came... But apart from tantrums galore for the first 2-3 weeks (and suddenly deciding he needed a dummy despite never having had one before...) he's actually been really loving and patient with her! He's also started to take pride in being a big boy and doing everything himself - so there's light at the end of the tunnel! It's definitely easier having a toddler and a baby than being pregnant with a toddler! :)

...that didn't actually answer the question, did it?

DS is a very, very energetic child... Not the kind that does well with quiet activities all day long... So whenever possible, I got someone to take him to the park for a run around. DH endured endless wrestling matches. And, DS watched way too much tv. I think at this stage, when you know there's an end date (despite how you feel, you won't be pregnant forver!) just forgive yourself and let the tv do the entertaining. I also used to make a big deal about watching things together, and he still gets excited about weekend breakfasts in front of the tv :)

Maybe stop talking about the imminent arrival? We mentioned it once or twice then left it until DD arrived. When DD did arrive, gave ds attention, let DS show off the new baby to visitors etc.