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Toddler misbehaving - what to do?

4 replies

eyesbiggerthanstomach · 23/08/2020 18:22

My 2.5 year old is often difficult in my company.

He is an only child.

At nursery he is very well behaved and there are no complaints. When he is away from me for a few hours with grandparents he is also well behaved.

He is gentle in the sense that if we are at a park or with friends he would never hurt another child. He shares, takes turns, knows how to queue. I think going to nursery has helped with this.

He never hits or bites etc.

Examples of what he does:

  • Wants to put his wellies on himself. If he can't then he starts screaming etc.
  • If I am on the phone or distracted he throws things to get my attention.
  • If we go to a shop and he wants to go round a different way to the way I am going he will scream and shout and can get hysterical. This was today and I only went in to collect his prescription so I do try to limit the times I go out with him.
  • he wants to go on a big slide but can't climb up the stairs as it's for older children and then becomes hysterical when I remove him. Kicking and screaming etc.
  • if he drops his banana, he will scream and shout until I get him another one. I am doing it as quickly as I can but it's not fast enough for him.
  • yesterday he kept playing with the toilet roll holder attached to the wall. It was close to breaking. I couldn't remove him from the loo as he was mid poo but I told him to stop several times . He was staring me dead in the eyes still doing it. I ended up grabbing his hand firmly after a minute or so of him ignoring me and pinching him. I felt awful but it was a tough day.
  • today I pinched him again and I feel awful. He goes to a Sunday morning football class. It was an indoors class but now is outdoors and is near the blimming playground! The past few weeks he would just run off to the playground when all the other little boys and girls are listening and doing the little activities. I'm the one that has to manhandle him and lift him back. So I decided after last week that I would spend the whole week explaining to him that we played football first and then go to the park. He seemed to understand and repeated it back to me. We got there today and as soon as we arrived he started. Every time I brought him back to the group circle kicking screaming hysterically he would run off again. I was getting frustrated and grabbed him again and pinched him telling him he wasn't going to the park now and it was after football etc.

So I feel very bad about the pinching and grabbing but he is just uncontrollable. The number of times I have had to grab him from running into the road etc or cut outings short and it's all just taking its toll. I have recently separated from DH who doesn't really see DS and am potty training so it's all just getting on top of me.

He is gentle and I am worried that by grabbing him etc he will copy that behaviour.

Any tips on how to deal with this? The examples above are just examples from this weekend but there are plenty more many worse. He is basically the child having a tantrum and going hysterical when he doesn't get what he wants or is frustrated.

I have always been a very chilled mum and thought he was too young for disciplining when younger but I think I missed a trick and should have been firm with him from an earlier age. I just don't know.

Please don't roast me for the pinching and the grabbing. I know it's not on and I feel bad enough.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
eyesbiggerthanstomach · 23/08/2020 21:22

Bump!

OP posts:
corythatwas · 25/08/2020 17:44

okay, first of all, I'd say none of the scenarios you have described sound particularly bad by 2yo standards.

In fact, the first one with the wellies doesn't seem like misbehaving at all: he wants to be a big clever boy and do the work himself (surely a good thing) but can't quite manage his frustration so screams. Here I would try to help him tactfully while voicing his frustration for him "Yes, I can see that you get angry when you want to put your boots on but you nearly did it, just let's turn them round a little together, there we are- well done!"

If I am on the phone or distracted he throws things to get my attention. Annoying, but not terribly bad, I don't think: their ability to wait is still limited. I'd just remove breakables and accept that you may need to pay him some attention too.

shop scenario again sounds normal. I used to strap dd in the buggy before we got to the shop at that age, and then just let her scream if she wanted. Nothing to feel embarrassed about. In fact, I got quite good at working out where I would need to get her into the buggy so that her screaming fit would be receding by the time we got to the shop. (Good tip for getting screaming child into buggy: when they draw breath their stomach muscle relax- that's when you gently and quickly push their tummy so you can do the strap up).

- he wants to go on a big slide but can't climb up the stairs as it's for older children and then becomes hysterical when I remove him. Kicking and screaming etc.

could you help him up the steps? Or alternatively steer him away from the big slide in the first place if you don't want him going up it. Talk to him, distract him seem very excited about the fun he's going to have on the other slide.

Either way, sometimes kicking and screaming tantrums are going to happen.

if he drops his banana, he will scream and shout until I get him another one. I am doing it as quickly as I can but it's not fast enough for him.

Reminds me of a story dh tells about how he was on the train with our eldest when she burst into howls of despair. An older lady turned round and enquired in a stern fashion what the matter was, evidently thinking he was hurting her in some way. Dh explained patiently that "she's eaten her banana". Cue: sniggers from the lady sat next to her, who was clearly versed in the ways of 2yos. Try not to let this situation stress you out.

Toilet roll holder incident- first of all, I wouldn't go down the route of repeatedly telling a 2yo to do something and then punishing him when he didn't. And you really don't want to encourage him to use pinching! Better procedure ime would be to say "no, ds, we don't play with the toilet roll holder" and then take hold of his hands so he can't. And distract him by talking about something else. He will still learn that when mummy says no, that means he doesn't get to do it.

road safety If he is a runner, then he is also to little to remember to control that instinct at all times. I'd get reins. Or one of those backpacks with reins.Job done, stress over. He will be safe and you won't be having the endless battles. Try to sell them to him as a new accessory.

It sounds like you are having a rough time anyway, and 2yos (at least the strong-willed ones) are exhausting, but I really can't see anything in what you have described that suggests either that there is anything wrong with him or that you haven't disciplined him enough. Parenting is work in progress; he is very much in progress. Just hang in there.

eyesbiggerthanstomach · 26/08/2020 21:11

@corythatwas thanks so much for the detailed reply. When I look back at it I guess individually they aren't issues for a 2 year old.

It was a particularly bad week and I scared myself by pinching him.

Thanks for taking the time to comment. It has reassured me.

OP posts:
LeGrandBleu · 27/08/2020 20:42

It is just frustration when things don't go his way or he can't get / manage he wants. It is a phase everyone has to go through, and it will pass.

I personally wouldn't run for a dropped banana to avoid a melt down. If he plays with the toilet roll o holder, remove toilet roll.
There should be a balance, if you want to go in an aisle at the shop, just go.

Pinching him will take you nowhere and you might actually teach him that physical harm is the way to go.
If he can't stay still at some activity, don't go to the activity.

You can be a chill mum and discipline at the same time. Kids needs a no when it is needed. And boundaries . If he runs on the road, you put reins or strapped in buggy.

So what to do. There isn't much when it comes to the frustration of not being able to put socks, shoes and the like on your own. Just reassure with a smile, one day you will be able to, but don't console him, because by doing so you are telling him it is something to be sad and sorry about.
When he starts throwing stuff at you, with a stern voice and face, you say " don't do that, it is wrong" and if he becomes hysterical, turn you back and continue your phone call, and to whoever talks or looks at you episodes, just say, he is learning boundaries.

Sometimes, you will have to leave parties, and restaurant, but discipline should be learned at home, not when you feel the judgement of others. Start at home by not running for a new banana. The banana is on the flood, say oopsie or silly banana, and take a new one. Minimise the dramas. Plenty of things will go against you in life, because you can't adapt life to your child, it goes the other way round.

Most of the time, indifference will work, just say, no big issue, no problem here, that's nothing. For the Sunday soccer, talk to him before, ask if he wants to do it, if not, drop it.

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