Does anyone else's DC turn into a complete devil when they are ill?? Or is it just mine....

[Ceebee74]

DS1 is your average boisterous, slightly mischeivous 2.10 year old most of the time but when he has a cold/is ill he just turns into an absolute nightmare!!

Today, he has just done so many deliberately naughty things that me and DH have lost count - normally, he rarely does deliberately naughty things so it is a bit of a shock when they all come in one day!

He has a bad cold/cough which he has had for a few days so I was hoping he was getting better but he had a mammoth 3-hour nap from 10.30 (he dropped all naps about 6 months ago so this was very unusual) this morning so his behaviour is unlikely to be from tiredness - but we have definitely noticed a pattern that his behaviour just becomes terrible whenever he is ill.

Is anyone else's DC like this? And why???

Yes, and I've noticed that calpol/calprofen make it worse - they think they are OK and carry on as normal to the point of collapse (except they never collapse, they just have a huge tantrum).

If the temp isn't really bothering them - don't give them anything. Should slow them down a bit

My ds1 does sometimes. He is alot younger though. I think it must come from frustration. My ds is 21 months, and when he is a bit poorly (like today) you can see him wondering around not quite sure what to do with himself, but I think he gets so frustrated with not being able to communicate his problems properly that it causes him to lash out.
I am sure it's all oretty normal
Hope he gets better soon

yes... just had a horrendous 4-7pm with DS1, tearing my hair out, at which point he threw up and returned to being a lovely little boy...

I find it's when he's not feeling quite right, he goes very naughty...

Glad I am not alone!!

Sparkle - quite often after we have had a couple of terrible days with his behaviour and we are pulling our hair out, he will develop a cold or some other illness and returns to normal. About a week before he got chicken pox we had a couple of complete nightmare days and we were actually thinking we might need Supernanny

I may lay off the Calpol then - I am praying that tomorrow is not going to be a repeat of today.

Oh god yes, but it's got bugger all to do with Calpol/Neurofen I think, at least with my lot. They seem to notice they are being watched (to see if they really are ill) and they play up to that.

Funny how mine seem fine it I take them out and distract them yet at home they whine and whinge and really play up.

I have a theory of selective dunking though - if they get really arsey, I plonk them in a warm bath and invite them to splash each other. Seems to work. Don't know why, guess it distracts them out of it and if the water is coolish, it's good to bring their temperature down. So long as no one is puking, I dunk the buggers

Now my DS is completely opposite to this. He is a lot older than yours (7) but for the last couple of years, when he has been unwell he seems to revert back in years to a more babyish DC. He will sit and cuddle me on the sofa for ages and we watch all the under fives programmes. As he doesnt normally sit still I really enjoy this as it takes me back to before he started school and we used to sit and cuddle together. Then I feel very guilty at myself as its as if I'm enjoying him being ill which I'm not, but I just like the cuddles (and the peace!! )