Terrible Twos trauma group....

[CountessDracula]

Anyone else suffering at the moment? Honestly I have just been hanging out for bedtime all day....

You wont believe how FAST his time at nursery goes.

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Id like to recommend the boots photographic service, they airbrushed out Ds's "horns, hooves and pitchfork" on his latest photos wonderfully!!!!

I was at our large local supermarket the other day with DD1 (2 and 8 months). She is generally lovely, a dainty sweetie. But mid shop decided to perform the longest loudest strop I have witnessed so far. As we passed the book aisle I threw 'Toddler Taming' in the basket (DD1 still screaming) and avoided every other shoppers eyes all the way to, then through the checkout (DD1 of course, still screaming) .

Have to say, though not all of the advice in the book complements my parenting(?!) style(?!), it has been good to refresh myself on tips and tricks and we've only had one tantrum all weekend (albeit a fort minute long one .)

can I join? Love my DS (just 2) to bits and he's fine until he sees a train. My life is ruled by trains/ avoiding trains/having long garbly chats about trains on pictures, in books, on kitchen roll, on pants......... It's usually OK ( we live a fair way from a station) but every so often DP likes to take him on the nearest steam train "to see his little face", and we went today. My little face froze, it was at least minus 50 at the station, and there was no way we would be allowed to get a cup of tea, we had to stand gazing adoringly at the engine while it hissed and spat and took AGES to do what it needed to do. Needless to say, when we got back, I tried all the "say bye-bye, train is going to bed now, see him soon" but we had to drag a rigid, screaming child off the platform and all the way back to the car (felt like 50 miles). Heartbreaking sobbing carried on for about 40 minutes and I'm quite sure if he had his way, we'd still be on the platform, iced over.

CD, thank you for starting this and letting me rant and by the way PMSL at the toothbrushes.

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A new thing for us. Dd, 2.3 is literally dreadful whenever I have to make a phone call. She can be happily playing, have had a lovely hour or so with all my attention and then I tell her 'I have to make a very quick call now' and I do make only quick calls, essential type calls, when she's around at the moment. Within a minute of me speaking she's causing horrible chaos in the kitchen, ordering me to 'sit properly' so she can 'sit on my knee and do lovely things' (dread to think ...) and then another minute later is in floods of tears as though someone had cut Noddy's head off. The minute I'm off the phone she switches straight back to 'I'm an angel' mode.

Any ideas how to avoid this pleasant little phase?

edie, my son has the same unhealthy obsession with dogs. He Has to carry colars and leads around with him wherever he goes and ties them to things and then forgets them and freaks out when he realises. If they are picked up and hung up he goes all the way up to his sister;s bedroom to get a little wicker chair to carry downstairs to stand on and reach the collar and lead. He is 3 in April and in my experience (he is #3) 2.5-3.5 is the worst. He is so truly awful that I sometimes wonder how I can actually get away from him. We have the phone thing, the tipping toys upside down thing, he hides under the bed in the morning so I can't dress him, andt he others have to get to school. He won't poo on the loo unless you actually hold him there and he smacks me in the face (and specs) while I'm doing so. He throws his siblings toys in the bath, he yells and thumps. I just want to cry most of the time.

bellababe and myermay, shall we start an obsessive's support group?! Just watched Thomas Tank for the 80,000,000th time. Don't cry bellababe, bring the dogs on our trains for a day out x

Listen you lot! This is why we invented playgroups & pre schools. It's not to send your darlings to be social and educated in a stimulating environment....IT'S TO KEEP THEM ALIVE!!!

Collision - yes I am soft and I do feed him. Yesterday we went to a friends house for tea. My friends ds (18 months) fed himself perfectly - it was shep pie and veg. My ds (2.9) had to be fed by me, both his main meal and his yoghurt. Bet my friend thinks I'm mad!

But yes, ds can manage sweets and crisps by himself. Funnt that

Northener, Im glad I am not the only one but it does bug me a lot. I just do not have the time to sit and watch him not eat IYSWIM! It is much easier to feed him and get it over and done with in 10 mins. Will try harder to get him to eat by himself when I go to my Mums next week.

Also my ds goes to nursery 2 days a week and I know that he miraculasly (sp?) is able to feed himself there.

I'm sure they'll grow out of this little phase soon. Wonder what the next one will be

My dd, 2.3, is about half and half re. feeding herself. Finger-type foods like bananas and chunks of fruit she's fine with. Things like cereal with milk she can do but doesn't, spaghetti hoops she does but it takes a lifetime and I 'help'. Generally I get her to try to do it as much as possible and when she starts getting bored / making a mess I 'help' and then give up! Can you give your Ds things that it's really easy to feed himself like sandwiches?

Oh and I'm still waiting for someone to give me a magical solution to my dd's phone-a-phobia ...

Interesting about the playgroups thing... he does 3 mornings playgroup and it is great, but I have a problem in that he has a tendency to get aggressive, particularly if understimulated, so I worry that another group on the other two mornings would bring out the worst in him. Would love to do s'thing different on those days but not sure what.

my 'terrible' 2 year old is 3 TODAY!!!

here's hoping for a phase of sanity - for me and ds!! ha ha ha

Happy Britday to little unicorn!
Let us know if 3 is an improvement!

I just have to write it down... we spent the morning making rice-crispie chocolate cakes. Then when we had finished and cleared up, dd said, "I don't like crispie cakes mummy, they are disgusting."

So I had to eat SIXTEEN of them myself.

hard luck

This happened to me recently too. DD got all excited about making muffins and stirring in the fruit etc. She then went for her nap while they cooked. When she woke up I told her that her cakes were all ready to eat and she said 'Yuk, I don't like cakes' and refused to eat them Felt like crying cos she had been so sweet while we were making the bloody things! DH was eating them for days (I couldn't cos I can'd to wheat!)

That is so funny! At least crispy cakes are yummy! I might try that with butterfly cakes and lovely buttercream and then eat them myself.

It isnt that Ds CAN'T feed himself, it is that he WON'T. Banana, cereal, sandwiches.....he is just too lazy and it drives me bonkers!

I think it is partly to do with 11 week ds as well (tho I am not making excuses) Today he shouted that he needed to wee. I told him to come down and I would help him. He shouted 'NO! COME AND GET ME!' I told him to come down again and he replied that he couldnt as he was too 'wetty'! He hadnt moved or even tried to get down but weed all over the sofa! GRRRRRR. We are BIL's house as well ATM and I have to tell him. It is pure laziness.

Can my 19 month old join as well. He can be quite happily playing but as soon as I enter the kitchen he turns into this screaming wailing monster clutching at my legs, opening draws and throwing the contents around. Strangely enough as soon as I pick him up he is all sweetness and light.

Can't put him in a highchair, we disposed of it at about 12 months as he refused to be strapped in and if you did he screamed himself into a blue fit and then wriggled all the way down so his legs were daggling out the bottom. Tried no straps but then of course he just stood up and stamped his feet.

Now he eats at a little table with his big brother, so absolutely no chance of controlling him.