Got an 18mo (or thereabouts) and want to swap war stories

[smellsofsick]

What an interesting age! DD is either really sunny, eating like a horse being hilarious or refusing food and clinging like a limpit. I can see why there are so many toddler taming books out there now.

Today, I think we're back in the teething phase and I can't put her down to make a cup of tea. Not complaining mind, just be reassuring to hear any similar stories and any top tips. I'd hit the gin but I'm also 11wks pregnant with DC2. Why, I ask myself, why?

20 mo DD will nap at the childminder but not for me. #2 on the way and dreading not having the nap time break!

Ohhh what a great thread! I have a 19mo DD and 4 weeks away from no2. I'm completely exhausted by pregnancy and her at times crazy ways. Glad to know that others are going thru the same... I just have to get on with it but it's sooo hard at times that I want to cry.

Evening all, I feel your pain and I am drinking for all the pregnant ones!

DD in the last week has gone from... Eating everything, sitting at the table, using cutlery, sleeping through in her own bed, getting herself into the car, walking miles, wearing what I select including shoes
To...
None of the above! The only bright light is that she is dry, day and night, even getting up to use the potty in the night

And yes, she is currently asleep, but in the spare bed, spread out like a little starfish!

DD is a bull in a china shop, obsessed with anything she can move. Just so happens we decided to visit MIL who was house sitting at a friends house nearby recently, turns out she was house sitting for the world's biggest collector of ornaments and toys.

Most stressful visit I've ever made to anyone, ever. DD thought she was in heaven with all of those things to move around and bash. And so I spent the entire day calling out "No!" as she charged towards the brand new shiny TV with a few clay ornaments at the speed of light. Pulling things down from shelves, knocking things over, trying to steal fridge magnets, etc.

Reminds me why I don't have any ornaments in toddler reach.

Last 2 mornings DS (19 months) has had a major upset because he couldn't wear his sandles and not wear them at the same time. This particularly troubling law of physics was clearly my fault as his fixed me with a deep scowl before bursting into tears of frustration. The pesky sandles have now been hidden away - I dread the weather cheering up enough to have to get them out again.

ican I've had a good moan too about the insanely clingy, food refusing, wailing DD but turned out she's got some kind of virus, so I share your . In mitigation though she is nuts and really difficult to tell what's a tantrum, what's teeth and what's illness.

Anyway it's my birthday today and if I wasn't pregnant i'd be happily joining the rest of you on the wine !

Roll on school...

Happy Birthday smells I felt awful when I realised! She's been dosed up on calpol and not eaten much all day. Asleep now but after a very late night. Hope your little one is on the mend soon.

Hope that you had a good birthday Smells I had a drink for you

Hope that the poorly DD's are feeling better today.

Now, has anyone else got a door obsessed toddler? Please say that it's not just mine...he just wants to stand there opening and closing the door (any door!), which can be problematic when you're out and about and have to take him away from the door. But at least most people look at you with sympathy as you manhandle your screaming toddler into the pram.

hi wheresmycow my 20 mth DS has been obsessed with doors for months (currently opening and closing bedroom door as I type!), all and every type of door; cupboard doors, fridge door, windows that open like doors, car doors, shed door. Except the garage door that opens differently, that freaks him out! Every cupboard door in the house has a childlock on it because they were about to fall off from too much opening and closing and at playgroup he spends 1/2 hour just opening and closing the door to the playhouse. I joke that he's got OCD and thankfully he doesn't tantrum over it. I decided to channel it and got him toys with doors, e.g farms with stable doors... but best to date has been the mini set of plastic drawers from the £1 shop which I guess for him are in the same category (opening and closing) as he adores them!

Oooooh...like that idea jujumum as he is obsessed with drawers too (and boxes, and frankly anything that will open and close!!!)

wheresmycow Yep to boxes too. His dad is the same, obsessed with filing everything into clear stackable plastic boxes of all sizes. Maybe it's hereditary. Uh oh!

Doors are a thing of great fascination here too. Am petrified of her getting a finger squished though. Drawers are good for climbing into. Yesterday evening we put on a dvd for them so we could attempt to finish our meal and chat with ILs who were over. DD2 insisted on sitting in the tv cabinet drawer to watch and was raging when this was denied to her

door obsession here too. Whenever I open a cupboard DS squeals with delight and charges over to it, shoves past me and dives in. Broke 3 bowls yesterday using this technique.
(surrounded am enjoying the image of your DD in the drawer)

Not so much doors, but car obsessed toddler here. Had to go into town to pick
up some bits this afternoon and he saw one of those rides where you stick 50p in and a few lights flash

DH was off doing something else, so to kill a bit of time I stuck DS in it as he was yelling to get in (it was a weird car). He stayed in it for a good 20mins (no I didn't pay, he was literally just sitting in it!), and has stropped ever since we left about an hour ago. He obviously has no idea what he's stropping about any more but he's in the vilest mood. Combined with the weather we're having, I'm not in the best mood either now...

Yep DS is obsessed with doors and drawers too. Loves opening and closing the washing machine door and has started putting the clothes in too, a useful talent that I'm hoping will grow into a general love of doing housework in the years to come!

DS 17months is obsessed with cars too! He has a meltdown if we pass anything with an obvious stearing wheel (tractors, the electric buggies the park staff use etc) because he wants to sit and drive it. He too will happily sit in those outside the supermarket ones with no money in forever. The worst thing now is that we let him sit in the drivers seat of the car a few times (not when it was moving!) so now has a complete tantrum every time he has to go in his carseat instead. Ive always been a fan of pick your battles and allow extra time so he can do the things he want too... But I think he would happily sit and pretend to drive the car all day if we let him, it's never enough!

Re the eating thing though: he was completely off food for a couple of months. Only wanted fruit and breastfeeding. I was actually starting to worry he was losing weight, then he suddenly started eating again. I think it was a bunch of molars coming through.

Another transport mad toddler here. Favourite words are "car", "taxi" and "bus"

He will get every book off the bookshelf (ours, not his) trying to feed his car picture addiction. Imagine his delight, when on page 25 of "Unforgettable Places to see before you die" therehe found pictures of cars in Havana.

I guess the good thing is that toy cars are as cheap as chips

thumbs reading that bit about food and your toddler has reassured me. DD has been on and off (mainly off) hers for ages and I think it's the dreaded molars too. Twill pass etc etc

It's a tough one isn't it dame dd is in nursery 4 days per week as I was working but have stopped now. Ideally would have her in nursery 2-3 days per weeks just for the first few months so as not to mess up her routine but also have ti e to feed, change and cuddle (!) baby. It is noticeable his with pg1 we were much more excited etc but although we're v happy with this one too it's harder to devote the brain time to it when managing dd. No idea how she'll react to a baby, think she'll be excited but v sad at sharing attention too!

hello all great thread..DD (turned 2 last week) has turned into a limpit, hates her pushchair and will do the stiff back thing to avoid being fastened in...and is completely obsessed with balls!! even cabbages are balls, she sent mine rolling down the aisle in the supermarket last week shouting 'it's a ballll!!!'

Glad i found this, DS3 turns 18 months this weekend and although he has a few words too communicate with, his current favourite way to communicate is by screaming and screeching at the top of his voice, he is very high pitched!! I think this is because he has mansged to "train" Daddy to respond to the screamong method, it now takes me half the day of saying "no dont scream use your words" before he starts to remember he has a normal voice...also due ds4 in October, think we are insane!

Why is wheetabix now classed as a finger food by ds ?

I hear you Montypig! DS is perfectly capable of using a spoon or fork but has now decided that it's much better to eat cereal/mash/spaghetti/anything v messy with his fingers and just use the spoon to bash in the table!

*on the table - bloody iPhone!

Don't judge me - we had Dairylea Dunkers for lunch today after swimming.

I feel better for confessing.