Is this extreme behaviour or is it normal to live under the tyranny of a 1 year old?

[artichokes]

DD is just one. She was an easy little baby but now she has an incredibly strong will. If she does not want to do something she screams and screams. She currently hates being restrained (e.g. car seat or pushchair) and as soon as she is strapped in she throws a tantrum. Sometimes she can be distracted with food but sometimes she just screams and if ignored this can go on for 20 minutes. Sometimes she kicks and hits me when I try to calm her.

She might be in a fab mood, e.g. playing with her dad on the floor, then he stands up and she screams 'til he returns to her level. She was BLW but occassionally when out and about I try to feed her and she goes ballistic and it is almost impossible to calm her. During nappy changes she screams, goes rigid, flips over... anything to stop the change happening.

Most of the time she is gorgeous, smiley, engaging, social and happy. But when she is bad she is very, very bad.

She is just one, what will she be like when she hits the terrible twos????

Thanks for all your advice. Today I started to give her less attention when she screamed and whined. Because she is just one and not yet walking some of your suggestions will be hard to action at the mo. I can't ask tell her to follow me if she wants or ask her to get her change mat or anything. But I will bank those ideas for later.

It is so hard. For the first months you just want to shower them in love. They are so tiny and helpless and disciplining is so far from your mind. Then suddenly you realise that they need boundaries but their communications skills are still so basic.

I know some mothers who have got into a battle of wills with their kids at a very early age and never called a truce. I really do not want to be that kind of Mum so will have to find a way around the fact that DD and I both have incredibly strong wills.

Good for you!

Don't stop showering her with love. Discipline comes out of love and does not have to be nasty.

Just know what you want to achieve (eg she will go in her pushchair - you can use whatever tactics you want but she WILL do it), be prepared that she won't always be happy, and 'pick your battles'.

IMO you need to be talking to your one year old as if she understands what you say - eg 'mummy is just going to the kitchen, dont worry sweetheart, i will be back in a minute'. Because a) she will be understanding more than you think and b) they learn very very quickly.

Good luck and enjoy it!