Grumpy 1 year old

[Glimmerberry]

My one year old boy is our first and so far an only child. I work FT, DH works 3 days a week.

DS is a pretty easy boy, sleeps through 8pm until 7am, will usually have one or two naps per day. Likes his childminder (3 days) particularly the company of other children. Eats well and is healthy. So not much to worry or complain about.

But...

The past month he has seemed pretty grumpy for most of his awake time. Whatever he's doing he seems to only be interested for about 2 mins before pulling a proper grumpy frown, and crying out loudly and angrily (but tearlessly). This means he flits from thing to thing (with our help) from moment to moment.

I think he's just one and this is just how he's going to express boredom and frustration. He seems to be on the cusp of so many things -walking, talking, I think he's a little impatient.

But I'm also a bit concerned that we might be doing him a disservice by continually helping him move on from one thing to the next, perhaps preventing him developing patience and attention (but then he's only one!). He can sit and enjoy a book with either of us for 20 mins or so a few times a day.

Does anyone with more parenting experience recognise the phase we're having here? Any tips?

We don't have much more experience as DD is 14mo, but she was hard work while learning to walk and talk. She wasn't grumpy in the day though, but difficult to get to sleep and say asleep. but now, having cracked walking, and saying a few words, she's much happier and more relaxed. We've also had a bout of teething, so it could be that too?

Even so, a 20 min spell of concentration sounds good to me! I can't normally get DD to sit still for much more than 20 seconds!

Oh yeah, that sounds pretty normal. I have twins that turned one a week back. They have had a very cheery day today (but we were at my parents' house.) One entertains herself more than the other, but during a recent bout of teething they pretty much wanted me all the time. I have a DD1, who was similar at one too.
Any tips? Hmmm. The flitting thing is tricky. You can produce a new toy and they show little interest in it for more than 5 seconds, but sometimes something cheap or something that is not a toy is fascinating. You've probably used saucepans and wooden spoons as a drum kit before. Mine like that. Some of the toys we have around because of my older one are hits too. Like Happyland people and the set of pretend icecreams that come with Velcro.
I agree 20 mins reading a book is good going.

Thanks for the reassurance, good to know this is relatively normal. We've read to him every day since he was born really so I'm used to him sitting still for that, but it seems to be the only time now he'll sit with his attention on one thing, I was feeling a bit exasperated -not to mention losing my voice.

I'm sure teething is part of it too, along with resenting needing a pair of willing hands for support walking (and really tearing around the house).