Weird tantrum..

[Smee]

DS is 21 months. Had a few standard tantrums, but mostly he's sunny and sweet natured. A bit shy maybe, but sociable and happy. Yesterday we had a big old morning at a soft play centre and though he was exhausted, he slept for just half an hour. Then he had one almighty explosion of tears, scream and bashing himself off walls. Tbh I was a bit scared - not that I showed him that. Most upsetting was that he was holding his arms out to me for help, but as soon as I went near he'd go ballistic and start screaming more and pushing me away.

He was completely and utterly out of control, poor thing and hugely upset by it all. The thing I'm curious about is that it seemed completely without reason. I calmed him after a while, but then ten minutes later it started again with even greater force. Lasted for over twenty minutes the second time and still for no reason - one minute he was on my lap having a cuddle, next he was sceaming.

Anyone else had such irrational tantrums? I (probably naively!) thought they were always for a reason..

Could teeth be involved? Tooth pain can be sudden, jabbing...out of the blue. When dd was a bit younger, and not talking yet, she would get sudden bolts of pain which sent her up the wall...not as intense, perhaps, but still sudden and startling.
Poor little DS - and poor you.

Maybe teeth - he's drooling lots. Or might be an ear infection - am taking him to the Doctor tomorrow. I think he's prone to overload though too - he's had tantrums before that were similar. Not so bad, and much more obviously motivated, but so amazingly extreme. I suppose they're just taking so much in that it's all too much. So hard to watch though.

Yep, overload/tiredness plus teeth or ears would do it. Ears and teeth both cause sudden, jabbing, intense pain - its just the way you describe his sudden kicking off, plus the wanting comfort/pushing you away do remind me of DD when she's in physical pain. Made me feel so helpless! Drooling makes sense too...
Good luck at doctor's!

oh yes....

sounds like your "terrible twos" are starting!

all VERY normal!

Dr said ears are clear. Guess it's just the teeth then. Sounds like I just have to get used to it. Suppose we can't always fix things for them.

Smee, I don't know if it was the 'right' thing to do, but...I got to know when dd's moods indicated tooth pain (that sudden, out of the blue shrieking for example!) and did give her baby nurofen. She's 2.2 now, and still has moods (and very occasional tantrums) but its SO different. I can see that now its testing, or frustration, but before...I still think it was very much pain-induced.
Hard not to be able to fix things for them, when they're so little, I know.
xx

Thanks Elibean - I think Nurofen is definitely a good idea. And it is his teeth - we had a nightmare night..! I think the main problem though is that plus when he's overtired - seems to be a lethal combination. He just had a major meltdown over leaving the swings. Not nearly as out of control as before, but very similar. I suppose I just have to try and anticipate like you say.
Gotta say though - motherhood's not easy is it - just when I think I've got him sussed, he's onto something else