Two year old waking up super grumpy and having a morning tantrum which lasts till she's eaten. Any ideas?

[alittleteapot]

My 2 year old dd has woken up in an absolutely foul mood for a least a week now and starts the day with a really awful tantrum. It always subsides once she's had her porridge but getting her to the point of eating it is a really struggle and not a calming start to the day for any of us. Sometimes it's clearly because she's had a bad night's sleep or gone to bed late. Other times I think she's just hungry but why can't she wake up calm and happy and hungry? We've recently had a new baby which is causing some ripples in her behaviour but she was doing this a bit before that anyway. Any ideas anyone on how to make the starts to our day a bit happier and more peaceful?

A small bottle of milk when she wakes up, so she's the same as the baby? My 2.5 still has a drink first thing, though now it is juice or water as otherwise she won't eat her breakfast.

2nd the milk suggestion, that's what we do with 2.5yo dd2 and she still has breakfast without a problem.

I third the milk suggestion! And at the weekend it used to get us an extra 20-30 mins in bed before the kids were demanding breakfast. Mine are 4.5 and 2.7 (and 3months !). Recently, they quite often don't drink it so it just gets used for their cereal.

We have this. My LO is not keen on milk, so he has a banana as soon as he wakes up and it makes all the difference.

Its no wonder that after 12 hours of no food and drink they struggle.

Yes, definitely go for milk. Is there a chance that the new baby is waking your dd up or at least disturbing her sleep? If milk doesn't work, a handful of raisins, maybe?

Thanks everyone! No it's not the new baby and the mood change after porridge is huge. I will try the milk and am glad I'm not alone!

I may be muddling you with someone else, but aren't you bf'ing both of them? If so, I would just give her a bf first thing. Works for mine.

Hi,

my DS is a bit older now (just over 3), but I've had this 'hungry baby into hungry boy' thing pretty much since birth. I tend to bring up a beaker of water and a small sealed tupperware pot filled with some morning snacks (ie. dry cereal like Shreddies, Bran Flakes, cornflakes) and maybe some other bits and pieces.

He wakes up i a total grump, stomps into our room, takes his snack pot and beaker to his own room and sits eating it while we have a small lie-in - works quite well! He always perks up a bit after he's had them and it then gives me time to sort his 'proper' breakfast out.

Hope you sort it out x

Id keep a banana by her bed and give it to her as soon as she wakes.

Hi, yes that's me, but tbh I'm not sure it's helping matters.

Last night was the most doggone terrible night ever, with both children waking a lot. I think the problem with dd might be she's just not eating enough during the day so she's getting super hungry at night and waking in SUCH a foul mood i` can't describe. I'm going to try and get as much down her as I can today. The milk didn't help - it was a difficult to get down her as porridge. Then porridge in a magical change in mood. I think her return to the odd bd since ds is probably affecting her appetite without replacing what her solid meals provide. hmmm. any tips welcome.