Any advice for coping with constantly stropping toddler?

[constancereader]

We have just had to leave the carol service due to 23 month ds continuous and loud tantrum. It just seems that he is only not in a furious rage when watching tv. So guess what he is doing too much of atm . I feel like a complete failure as a parent.

He had a christmas present early today (in the hope it would distract him) for five minutes and he threw it across the room in a hissy fit

short bursts of "quality time" seem to buy us grace with 21mo DD.

eg after 30mins intensive and enthusiastic playdough/stories/tower building with mum, she will then play calmly independently for decent stretch. But I only have one so that's easy for me to do .

Also, I wonder if this is the age when they realise all those naughty step/ignoring type sanctions are less effective in public? DD seems to have cottoned on to this, and uses her new knowledge to great effect in the shops.

I play with him all the time. Nothing is good enough .

Someone tell me it is just a phase

yes it's a phase, a horrendous one.

Thanks for your kind words ladies.

It is so hard, we have tried to do so many fun things lately that have been abandoned.

I actually cried as we left the service today .

It is awful but will get better.

Just to make you smile (hopefully) I took DD to church in the summer we haven't been back since as she tried to light every single candle available and also tried to replace the statue of the Virgin Mary with Bob the Builder (we didn' last long)

i must have the skin of a rhino cos i've done timeout in the middle of sainsbury. took ds out of the trolley seat and sat him in the aisle.

do you use timeout etc constance? if you do don't be put off using it in public. DS now knows that i really mean business when he gets told that he will do timeout.

it is a phase though. DS is 2.8 now and far less stroppy and nicer to be with.

It is a phase and they test the boundaries constantly! Don't get upset by it-you can be guaranteed that all the other parents at the Carol Service have been through the same at some point or other.

You could have been talking bout my DS who was exactly like that at that age. He was a lot better from 2 and a half onwards. It is so frustrating as a parent, i cried many tears,tho not in front of LO. IMO the best thing to do is try and ignore bad behaviour(hard i know) and praise praise praise good behaviour.