Please help me: terrible two's

[Longfufu]

Ok DS is 26 months and is starting to be a real horror. I'm a sahm 22 weeks pregnant with DS2. DH works long hours so I do all the childcare in the week and DH is great and very actively involved all weekend.

The problem is my DS is running rings round me, everything is a tantrum, he's cheeky eg. if I say don't touch that, he will stand by the object and pretend to touch. If we are in a car park and I say please hold mummies hand he shouts "get off me" and goes to hit me. There is much more but I think you get the gist.

I'm tired, this pregnancy is draining me bit time. I praise good behaviour, have tried ignoring bad, putting him on the naughty step (and explaining) but he really doesn't care...he started singing wheels on the bloody bus yesterday when I put I'm on it. He laughs at me when I tell him off.

I take him to plenty of toddler groups, we do arts and crafts/cooking when we are home. Because it's half term at the mo, we haven't been to any groups and I've noticed his behaviour is worse.

DH thinks DS has noticed a weakness (ie that I'm exhausted) and is playing on it, I tend to agree. I cried yesterday.

Please any advise would be greatly received, he's normally such a loving little boy.

I've just come through the same thing as you - DD was born just before DS's 2nd birthday. I was on modified bedrest too. Horrible memory. It's just a really hard time. I got through it by not taking DS out alone so there was always two of us at hand. At home, I allowed him to watch a lot of Youtube CBBies stuff. I've just discovered that when DS is tantruming I say firmly 'stop or go to your room till you've calmed down'. If he carries on, I take him to his room. I've stuck to this exact routine and, of course, as soon as he's out of eye-shot he stops. He now sometimes spontaneously takes himself after the warning. I leave the door open and 2 mins later he appears all smiles and can't wait for a cuddle.

Being pregnant with a toddler is awful, my dd was also born a few days before ds turned two. If it is any consolation i have found a new baby and toddler easier than being pregnant.

In the meantime i found lots of distraction, tons of praise, cbeebies and chocolate was my coping mechanism. I felt that my ds was too little for time out etc and a firm no was often met with giggles. So instead i remove him or the object and continue with the distraction and praise. Also getting out of the house, even just to the shops helped to break up the day. Lastly a really long bath in the afternoon saved me a few times.

Thanks for the advise, I'm glad I'm not the only one that uses cbeebies for a break! DH has been great and let me have a nice restful weekend so I'm feeling a bit more positive about the week ahead, he's also going to work shorter hours on a Friday so he will be home to do the last hour of play then bath and bed time...phew!

x