19 mth DS driving me mad...tempers/crying......help!

[Angiebabes]

My DS, an only child is driving me mad right now, throwing things, anything on coffee table gets chucked, he throws tantrums when things don't go his own way, is now able to slide out of his straps in highchair and tries to climb out! But the main thing that causes me stress on a daily basis is him throwing a berky if i so much as pick up laptop, run mater in kitchen, when he is in lounge, or if I hoover or switch on hairdryer!!!! It's got so bad I have to make sure I only use hairdryer if he is sleeping, he is fine when DH is home, but takes great delight in winding me up. He is not like this when he is at his Gran's which upsets me more. Can anyone help????

Poor you. How do you react when he throws a wobbly? Have you tried actively ignoring the tantrum? ie. he pulls himself out of straps, you put them back on calmly but assertively saying "you need to have the straps to be safe" which I would then follow up with "if you don't wear the straps you can't have your lunch" - and follow through. With things like hoovering and jobs in the kitchen have you tried involving him, so it's a game?

You have my fullest sympathies. I was going to start a near identical thread!

My ds is driving me loopy at the moment. He has been in such a bad mood for what feels like forever, and I am at my wits end. This morning (a typical day here at the moment), he has been up snce 5.30, screaming and tantrumming pretty much non-stop. He has flushed duplo down the loo in rage, then got even more angry that I couldn't get it back for him, and has thrown flour and 100s and 1000s all over the carpet. I got dh to tkae him out in the car for a drive before I lose the plot!

He is constantly demanding biscuits and cbeebies, and all hell breaks loose when I don't comply. He won't let me use the laptop or phone, and keeps fiddling with the oven, dishwasher and washing machine. He has managed to break a phone and a printer this week, amongst other things.

My neighbour is off work this week, and I feel dreadful about the noise that we must be making.

I cannot cope with just one, so am quite worriedabout how I am going to manage when number 2 arrives.

I really am at my wits end with him, he takes great delight in doing things he has been told not to, like switching the sky plus off....constanly! The hairdryer issue drives me mad, as today he never batted an eyelid, as DH here, but when I am home alone he kicks off big time if I switch it on. He also kicks off if the phone goes and he hears that I am conversing with someone else other than him, its like he has to have my FULL attention, all day, it really is dragging me down, and the laptop is another issue, I get the chance to look at emails IF he has a sleep, but thats an IF! When he is at my Mums he NEVER behaves like this and it makes me wonder if its all my fault, he has reduced me to tears some days, and as a 36 year old I feel silly that he is controlling me, but I really am at my wits end with him....

Sorry Weegle, meant to say, that when he throws a tantrum I act calm and controlled and tell him No, but he either screams louder till he is purple or he laughs at me, which makes me so mad!

You have my sympathy. Dd is ok on the whole still, but certainly has her moments, like today when I refused to go into ELC she lay on the floor of the shoppping centre, wailing at my evil cruelty, and when I wouldn't carry her (I hadn't taken the buggy out, which I much regretted) to the bus stop, she clung to my leg shouting cuddle mummy, and screaming in horror when I managed to dislodge her.

My best advice is try to get out and about as much as possible - or do you do this already? We go to toddler groups most days, and the park, weather permitting, or take rides in the lifts and visit the aquarium shop at the shopping centre if it's wet. We do aquadraw, playdough, drawing etc when we're in, and then I let her watch cbeebies while I do things, or let her help.

She's 22 months - I can see worse tantrums coming though... good luck - must go, she's waking up

Good to see that I'm not alone! My Ds is 18 months and into everything. He won't play with any toys just wants to drag chairs around until he can find something dangerous to climb on to - kitchen worksurfaces are his favourite. I put him in the corner and as soon as he comes out he finds something else to climb. How am I supposed to make the childrens tea when he's trying to climb into the oven!

But he is cute sometimes....

I think part of our problem this week may have been a lack of child-based events. We normally go to 2 toddler groups, an art class, and swimming with cousins, but missed all this week for various reasons. Perhaps he is bored? Got a busy week next week, so that might make a difference.

Hiya, my Ds goes to nursery 2 half days a week, we decided to pay for it so he could mix with other kids, he is the only small child in the family, and the 1st grandchild, so he really needed to interact with other his own age, I try to go out and about as much as possible, but it's often not practical to go out every day......he is a different boy when out in his buggy, he loves seeing what is going on around him, it's when we are home he is Damien child!!
Best go...he has spotted I'm on laptop and is trying to climb out highchair!