Terrible twos at 6 months!!!

[daisydee43]

Hello

My dd 6 mths has had the worst week last week. She is acting like a stroppy toddler. She winges and whines all day, difficult to have a full meal as wants to move around, she doesn't like being put down and cries if left in room on own. What's more she is not going to bed at reasonable time and cries blue murder when put in cot even with tv on/night lights etc. she is teething bad but when I pick her up she goes quiet for while. Worried I'm getting her into bad habits for her toddler years. Any advice welcomed...

Teething. Give her calpol and see if she improves- if so it is almost certainly pain! Good luck with this phase!

Sounds like normal 6 month old behaviour with teething and separation anxiety thrown in. Comfort her as much as you can and try to see how things must be from her point of view, comforting her won't set up any bad habits, quite the reverse. And try calpol if she seems to be in pain. The days of whinging are hard, but you may find it continues in some form til she can crawl/ walk...!

Teething pain, possible ear infection.

Classic signs are being more comfortable upright and in severe pain when horizontal.

Please get her ears checked.

What are you giving her for the teething pain?

Make bed time BED time. Follow a routine every night and NO tv. Try bath, bottle, bed. Same time every night. A couple of nights of her kicking off I'd worth the years of ease agead

The only bad habit is the tv on while she's in her cot. She shouldn't be watching any tv at all at this age. Comforting her while she's going through teething pain and separation anxiety will stand you in good stead in the long run.

Every time I've had a week where DD's driven me to the end of my tether, she's had a tooth come through! 5 times now so I'm starting to recognise the pattern

Hope your LO's teeth break through soon. DD is like an angel once they're through - no lasting 'bad habits' or anything.

3littlefrogs- I'm giving her calpol, anbesol powders and cold teethers not all at once mind. She's also munching on cold melon. Will get ears checked, is this what happened to you?

I would always consider the possibility of an ear infection in a baby who is more comfortable upright and becomes very distressed when lying down. Especially if teething, because the swelling and congestion can increase the pressure inside the eustachian tube, which is horizontal in young children and therefore prone to blockage and infection. I would definitely get her ears checked, and raise the head of the cot as this can help to reduce the pressure.

Six months is very small. She is in pain, probably exhausted and overtired. She might sleep propped up on your chest and you might be able to get some rest.

Noise might be hurting her ears too.

6 months is also a big developmental leap - my two are having days where they refuse solid food, they're a bit whiny, want to come up on my lap and want to get back down immediately - but I've read that that's all normal at 6 months and goes away in a couple of weeks! Oh I can't wait!

I'd get the telly out of her bedroom though and second the suggestion of getting a bottle/bath/bed routine going on, with the lights dimmed a bit for the bath and bedtime bits, if you can. Make it all nice and calm for her.