Hi all. I’ll start by saying I absolutely lovely the bones of my 2 and a half year old ds but he is bringing me to my knees.
He is a very emotional child. He can be super happy and funny and entertaining when things are going well and I do enjoy his company.
However, days like today are now becoming more the norm and I’m at the end of my rope. If something doesn’t go his way, he flips. He is SO angry and SO aggressive. He shakes and screams at the top of his lungs with this horrible shrill sound and this look of sheer fury in his eyes, he kicks and bites and scratches me sometimes until I’m bruised or bleeding.
I try to avoid confrontation and saying no but sometimes it just isn’t possible. Today I bought him an ice cream and then he decided he wanted a different one. I explained he’d chosen that one and he couldn’t. He lost it. I know it’s hard for him to understand but I really can’t just buy him something else (and even if I wanted to I had no more cash on me).
He hates when things come to an end (such as time at the park) so I try to count down and give him a chance to choose one last thing etc but he won’t leave and runs away, flips out and hits me. I got so many awful looks today at the park as I had to carry him out screaming as my parking ticket was almost running out (and this was with me allowing extra time to get him out).
He throws his food at me and refuses to eat. I’ve tried giving a simple choice (eg carrots or peas?) but whichever choice I offer, as soon as I put it down, he wants the other and he loses it again. I’ve tried not offering a choice and just putting food down but that doesn’t work.
We’ll get ready to go to the park and then he’ll refuse to leave the house. This would be fine if I didn’t also have my dd who needs to have a life.
I try so hard to be a mixture between setting boundaries and also understanding that he’s two and irrational.
I can handle the fact that he finds these things difficult but it’s the extremity of the reaction that bothers me. He can’t just say ‘no’ if you offer him something he doesn’t want- hell hit or scream at you.
He had t witnessed this behaviour that I’m aware of and doesn’t go to nursery with other children etc as he’s with grandparents or me.
What do I do? Do I get firmer with him? Do I ride it out as a phase? How do I help him with his emotions whilst getting him to realise his actions are unacceptable? How do you stop a toddler being aggressive?
My dd was nothing like this. She was a complete breeze in comparison and is a total joy.
Help!