Hi, DS is 2.9 months and I am 38 weeks pg which probably doesn't help me keep this all in perspective! He was a relatively easy toddler up until about 3 months ago and of course I made the mistake of thinking that I'd done a great job
Recently he's been really pushing boundaries especially at bed time. We can have a nice evening but as soon as it's bed time, he bounces around, won't get ready for bed and more upsettingly, kicks and hits us basically (as far as I can tell) so he'll end up on time out and prolong how long he's up for. Last night he deliberately headbutt me despite me telling him no and then I had to put him on time out which to be honest he found mostly funny.
He also has started coming up with all kinds of demands/things he's upset about to keep us coming back in. Yesterday he wanted a plaster for an almost invisible cut on his hand. Once he had one, it was taken off and then of course he wanted a new one.... and so on and so forth.
I know that this is just a stage and that it will pass, but it's wearing my confidence a little. We have a very set bedtime routine that we've had for about 18 months now but that doesn't seem to help. I've tried giving him lots and lots of positive attention and one on one time before bed time but so far that's not helped much either. It's like he just wants to see how far he can take it at bed time. I am pretty strict in terms of not running upstairs to tend to his every whim and letting him complain for a few minutes at a time so he gets the message that it's bed time. I also give him minimal attention when I do go in so that he understands that bedtime is not play time.
It doesn't help that my MIL keeps making comments along the lines of "Oh I do hope you don't let that poor little boy cry at night. I can't bear that you let him do that." And sent me a letter yesterday telling me that I need to put myself in his shoes and imagine how I would have wanted my mummy to cuddle me when I was a little girl and sad at bed time. Aaarrrggghhhh! I go from feeling like I should be able to work out how to solve this behaviour problem to then feeling like the world's most heartless mother. It doesn't help that I work full time so he sees me mostly in the evenings and mornings which doesn't help my mother-guilt! Although I will be home with him much more after the baby comes - another big transition which I recognise as probably being the root cause of all of this.
anyway, just needed to vent. Any advice or just sympathy would be appreciated..