Can any kind soul please do me a quick "Idiot's Guide" to tantrums?

[IAteMakkaPakka]

DS is 18 months and prone to the odd strop, nothing major, just hurling himself on the floor and shrieking for an unspecified period of time.

I tend to act like nothing's happened really, jolly him with something distracting maybe (or just give him whatever he wants in the hope of 5 minutes peace ). However, the last few days have seen a marked increase in frequency and severity of these world-ending hysterical fits. This comes at the same time as he's teething his canines, for some reason has horrendous wind again, is having totally crap night-time sleep, and he also wants to be carried everywhere and held all the time.

So when he's obviously feeling rotten, what do you do? Because mostly he just wants to breastfeed, but if allowed he would actually feed perpetually. He was latched on and sucking in his sleep all night last night. He squeals and shrieks and writhes if he's unlatched. Then we get more of the tantrums. What do we do - give him whatever he wants while he's feeling crap then get tough with him when he's feeling better? And what's the general idea with tantrums - ignore them or reassure them?

Spot the PFB

If your partner has had shingles then it's the same varicella virus that causes the pox, so he should be covered. I had shingles when I was six, but never the pox (as yet)!

Mind you, I know two people who've had chicken pox twice so goes to show ya never now...

my dd is 18months and has bad tantrums, I stopped bf when she was 14months as she wanted to suck day and night at that age and got very moody when I said no. Butwhen I stopped she starting behaving much better.

Now she has started tantrums again, I have been having alot of stress recently and have given into her alot and started feeling like I need to stop it before she becomes a spoilt brat.

So last time she had a tantrum because she didn't want to get dressed I put her in her cot ( where she never sleeps as sleeps in my bed) and let her cry for about a minute. Then when I went to get her she just hugged me and resed on my shoulder, I hugged her for a few mins then she got dressed.

She has been much better at getting dressed recently. I think the main thing is not to giv into them all the time. But it is hard when you are out and about or busy.

Marla, having someone else identify with this is just brilliant though - so thank you, you are more help than you realise. People look at you like you're a complete crackpot if you tell them you are still night-feeding a baby over a year old, I have found

It's not chicken pox anyway, overnight it turned into a spectacular covering of blotches so he looks a bit like a piece of modern art now. Doctor says - you guessed it - it's a virus. But, massive bedtime strops aside, the last couple of days he's been happier.

Thanks again everyone. I'm always so glad of Mumsnet's support while I have my maternal L-plates on