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?

No judgement smells I'm with you all the way

And cheese spread make such good finger food - infact, anything that he gets to dunk in the cheese spread usually gets pushed to one side and DS will suck the cheese spread off his fingers and then eat all the dunking bits when there's no cheese spread left!!

Well Smells I packed my 2 off to Granny's for lunch to avoid having to feed them at all! I'm supposed to be packing boxes for our house move in a few weeks but haven't got off the sofa yet!

Well the weetabix finger food breakfast was followed by spaghetti Bol for lunch which - blow me down with a feather - also turns out to be a finger food ! Ds also agrees that all food types should be ground into the table ...... Haven't tried dairy lea yet but I would imagine that it would make a simply yummy hair conditioner

MrsP with you on the ball thing - argh! DS will announce "ball", raise whatever he has in his hand above his head, and chuck it. Forks, spoons, stones, cars, puzzle pieces....all balls, apparently. arrgghhhrrrr!

As for finger foods, DS recently has decided that yoghurt is a finger food, will discard the spoon and dunk his finger in. I sit there like this as he gets very little off it...mealtimes take forEVer at the moment.

Yogurt is drunk round here. Probably for the best. Spaghetti & meatballs was finger food though, which caused some friction with 3,5 yo DD1 who wanted to do the same!!!

After getting ridiculously filthy at the table DD2 will suddenly get all fussy and demand kitchen paper to clean herself up with. Before she starts making even more of a mess

Can't tell you how handy our dog has become for cleaning up food mess!

Mealtimes currently taking approx. 1 hour. Can't wait til DS starts nursery in August and he has lunch there.

DD2 is starting on Monday. Eeek!

Laughed out loud at ball although won't be laughing when dd picks this up!

I have found my spiritual home on MN!

DD 18mths, and swinging from being adorable and funny to a Tasmanian Devil in the beat of a heart.

Has just learnt to gargle & spit. Great fun...not! She lulls you into a false sense of security, not doing it for a day or so... then BANG! Fountains of water/milk/ juice everywhere accomapnied by giggles of laughter! (should be grateful she hasn't learnt that it can work with food too!)

She has a built in radar for the most inappropriate item in the room wherever we go! She even managed to find my dads lost scissors in a room that had been "vetted" before letting her loose!

Any tips on defiance? For example visting the in-laws in Holland, she was told no, and moved away from the oranamental fire stones when she tried to grab em. My sil commented that if looks could kill I'd be dead. Half an hour later, she grabs fists full of them and belted it out the room shouting "NO!"

Same thing happened when she discovered the sky card could be removed!

Not pregnant, and my tipple is a large G&T the moment she has gone down!

Ah welcome andie! No tips from me I'm afraid, just solidarity. Know exactly what you mean about false sense of security.

Yesterday, DD - angel child. Today, total hysterics and lunch refusal so we ignored her and after five minutes the little meat refused scoffed all the ham off my plate and loads of sundried tomatoes. Obviously, the offer of grapes was met with wailing whereas yesterday they were the best thing ever

Hoping for a return of sunny child this afternoon but who knows?

*meat refuser.

me: opens fridge door holding DD 'what shall we have for lunch?'
DD: spies the eggs 'ball!'
me: 'egg'
DD: 'ball!' said as she swift as lightning grabs the 'ball' and hurls it...
me: scrambled then...

Ha ha MrsP, love it!

I am regularly returning to this thread for comfort that my two are in no way unique!

DS had us in hysterics earlier, running up to DD's rows of neatly lined up Happyland people, grabbing one, while scattering the rest, then legging it to me or DH for protection from a very angry sister!

So so happy to have found this thread as was starting to think there was something seriously wrong with 19mth old DS who has turned from gorgeous, sweet, funny boy to absolute horror, great timing as am 37 wks pregnant too!

Finding it flipping hard to keep patient and calm when he screams NO at very opportunity, throws everything he can get hold of, refuses to eat, is waking in the night, shouts 'poo, willy etc' at random people in street and laughs when I tell him not to, throws everything in bath/sink/loo, climbs up cupboards and shrlves in fridge whilst emptying them at same time and generally leaves destruction in his wake. I know that 'this too shall pass' but I am shattered. Met up with other NCT mums at the weekend, havent seen them for months, all 6 other children sat calmly eating their snack/playing with toys whilst DS upended a whole box of bricks, grabbed a music shaker and threw it at window, refused his snack instead shouting coffee, chocolate whilst trying to tran all the hot drinks/knives/cakes on table, made an unfeasible amount of noise for one so small and ran out of cafe 4times in 15mins, with me trying to catch him whilst avoiding going into early labour! HELP!!!!

Sorry mrsamos but did have a slight chuckle! You do wonder if it is just yours but looks like you're in good company

Text from my mum: DD had good breakfast and lunch. Now fast asleep.

Why, DD, will you not behave this well for me? You random little beast.

Love 'em!

DD2 started preschool today and did us proud. She is now having an extended nap from the effort of being on her best behaviour all morning

mrsamos and lots of and sympathy

Our latest "thing" - anyone got any tips for a small boy who likes to stick his finger so far up his nose he makes it bleed?? It doesn't seem to hurt but he's walking around with plugs of blood in his nostrils at the moment. Not the best look

What does everyone think the best strategy for deliberately throwing food is? Ignoring or "no"? The trouble is, I say no, but what can I actually do about it? The other trouble is, now I've started saying no, do I need to be consistent?! Wah...

Dame when my DS starts throwing food I don't say anything but take away his plate or whatever for a minute then let him have it back. If he starts throwing again I tell him no or I will take it away again. Usually have to do all this more than once but then he does get the message and stops. The fact that I've already taken it away once makes him realise that it's not just an empty threat!

How do I know dd has finished eating, yes she may say "sheshwa" her version of finished... or pick the bowl up, turn it upside down and empty on the floor. Nice.

Mrsamos - am 32 weeks with an 18mo... also a struggle!

DD's new words (picked up from DH when he drops something) "oh shit"... currently repeats EVERYTHING!

and loves saying "flag" which comes out as "f*ck!"

When DD was younger 'elephant' came out as 'elecnt' or more often just 'cnt'. Raised a few eyebrows at nursery!!

laulu just told DH that and he thinks it's brilliant. I have a feeling our next trip to the zoo is going to be interesting...

My 16 MO Dd seems to have given up on sleep. I can probably count on one hand the number of times she's gone to sleep before 10pm in the last few weeks. She's not always crying or screaming but often sits in her cot babbling away. It usually works it's way up to a crescendo though and it can make for a stressful evening.

Evening ladies, just found this thread but I'm coming onboard. Ds2 is 18 mo and a horror/sweetest thing ever.

He adores throwing something, cars, trains, iPhones, food, and then declaring "uh oh" whilst making his little mouth into a big round O! It is vair funny and makes us all roar.

He also adores shouting for the dogs singe can throw his food to them. Usually they are all crowded under his highchair anyway just waiting for the first morsel to drop.

He's such a funny, loving little dude, but so independent. Everything is "neh (no) mine" which translates as mother/father/elder brother do not patronise me, i am not a baby and can do it for myself.

I am not pregnant yet do am indulging in wine. It is my reward.

Just thought I'd share the 'lovely' morning that DS and I had yesterday.... Having been up since 5 with DS-DH away on work-I decided to waddle up the road to nearby cafe at 8.30 as thought we could share a juice and croissant and have a treat. I should have learnt by now really that nothing is going to go to plan with DS's current behaviour! He refused highchair, leant on wobbly table and spilt my much anticipated fresh juice everywhere, wiped jam from croissant on me, threw croissant, salt and pepper on floor, then banged head on window whilst (sweetly) trying to smell flowers in window box-which were obviously outside but he hadn't quite grasped that concept....cue major meltdown-and that was just me not him! We were there less than 15mins! This morning he was up at 5 again and I have resorted to back to back episodes of Peppa Pig to get through the morning......bad mother!

I love this thread!