2 year old temper/frustration

[Windthebloodybobbinupp]

Hi all,

I have a just turned two year old who is testing me with his behaviour at the moment. He is very quick to turn frustrated/angry if he can’t do something, or something doesn’t go the way he wants it to. For example we were playing with his trains this evening and he kept knocking the bridge over with his heavy-handedness and every time he did it he would get so angry and throw the trains etc. Or if he can’t fit a puzzle piece in fast enough he will throw the piece and mess up the puzzle and storm away.

If he gets told no, or if I stop him from doing something he wants to do, then he will hit out and/or throw the nearest thing he can get his hands on. He is definitely behind with his speech so I imagine a lot of this is frustration, he has a hearing test booked soon as he has suspected glue ear/ENT issues.

Aside from this behaviour and his speech, he is meeting other milestones and has great understanding of what is being said to him. But it’s using all my own patience to try and model calm behaviour and stop these outbursts - he almost does it then looks at my face for a reaction as he knows he shouldn’t be doing it. I’m just concerned that his behaviour goes beyond the ‘norm’ and whether I should get some help from my HV?

Thank you!

Anyone 😭🤣

Have they had a 2 year check yet? I d be pushing for a speech and language referral from the health visitor at least as it does sound like partial frustration from that and also ask to do an ASQ-SE questionaire to consider if there is more going on. Beyond referrals I can't say I ve found HVs much help as all they can advise is what you d find online anyway.

Thanks for your reply! No 2 year check yet, I think they are more around the 2.5 year age in my area. I have done an ASQ for his age that I found online and he is fine in all areas apart from communication where he is around the cut-off. I have contacted a private speech and language therapist as I’m aware the NHS waiting lists are long, but was waiting to see the outcome on his hearing test first.

My area was the same for the 2 year check, so I just kept calling them until they gave in and did it earlier. The ASQ-SE is a different version of the questionaire it covers emotional and social skills so that would possibly tell you whether to be concerned it's more than a speech delay. Hopefully the private speech therapists slot you in quite quickly. We went private as the NHS wait is 18 months and it was a great starting point.

Ahh thank you! I just found an ASQ-SE questionnaire online and did it and it came out with no concerns. Hopefully his frustrations/temper are just around his communication issues, possibly related to his hearing. I will push forward with the private therapist and hopefully get some tools to get him communicating better! Thank you 💐