Very difficult 2 year old.

[Irie1982]

Hi,
This is probably rant more than anything, and I realise I've little to complain about with a supportive partner and 2 healthy children, but my 2 year old son is driving us around the bend.

He is SO difficult. He's headstrong, persistent, throws tantrums over the slightest thing. He whinges, he bites, he moans, he nags, it's relentless! Every single thing feels like an uphill battle. Nothing is easy. Nothing. We are just worn out by him.

I don't know if it's a boy thing (I have a 5 year old daughter), but please tell me he'll grow out of it. I go to bed every evening feeling like a husk of the woman I used to be. Worn out and drained.

On a positive note, he's some character and is hilarious and very affectionate. But please share stories with me if you are also suffering the endless rage of a cranky toddler :/

Thanks for listening

Same and your post made me feel a bit better that it's not just me. I feel horrid saying this, but the endless nagging, demands and tantrums, whinges and changing her mind by the minute just brings us all down. I know she can behave, she goes through spells of it, bad days are just a misery. It really makes me feel a shit mum, but things are pretty consistent so I figure it's just her being 2.

Not a boy thing: dd was like that, while ds was a little sweetie. But she did grow out of it and has been an exceptionally pleasant and reasonable teenager.

I have three DC, and my youngest was hard work as a 2yo - similar to your description. He's lovely now (age 7) though!

He will, ds was like that taking him anywhere was stressful and I would worry about his reaction. He is now 4 and Avery sweet friendly little boy and easier than others.

It's a 2 year old thing. My DD is like this at the moment (2.5). Drives me crazy.

My fella is 17 months and does this! I have a long couple of years ahead of me

So with you, our dd can be a nightmare at times. She bites, scratches and hits when she's tired/doesn't get her own way, it's exhausting. No matter how many times we tell her no, move her away etc.. She does it again a while later. I know it's a phase but it's so hard to cope with it. She's adorable most of the time but this behaviour is just horrible

Parent of 2.5 year old boy child here. We're both full yum with a cold so have been stuck in the house with 4 month old DD today. I go stir crazy if we can't get out. DH asked how our say had been when he got home. I sent him this

We've had tears because he wanted to go on the potty. Then because he didn't. Because he wanted a drink. Because I gave him water and he wanted milk (but hadn't answered me when I gave him the options). Mummy. Mummy. MUMMY. increasing volume whenever I dared to not give him 100% attention. . . No is his new favourite word.

Hopefully his temperature is down tomorrow so he can go to nursery. I love him. But goodness me he has a ...erm.. headstrong pesonality at the moment

God yes.

Mine is 2.9. I'm hoping (praying!) he'll grow out of it when he turns 3. Or at least be slightly less full-on.

I have a baby as well and the combination of the 2 has made me end my mat leave 2 months early . It's so so so hard. I've read lots of posts on mn about making things easier for yourself by getting out of the house with them or getting up before they wake up to catch up on housework, etc and it just seems unimaginable to me!

Leaving the house is the hardest part of the day. I have to get myself and the baby all ready to go, then pin down ds1, get his clothes on without letting him escape, and get him straight out the front door. If I let him go for a minute during this process then he will strip off all his clothes and hide somewhere where he knows I can't reach him .

I have a just turned 3 year old who is exactly as you describe. He's bloody hard work, constantly challenging boundaries, arguing about the least little thing, not listening, hitting, kicking, just everything really.

He's getting better though, slowly but surely. He's stopped biting (yay!) and is getting a bit more reasonable - bit difficult for him to become less reasonable though! He did however have a half hour tantrum this morning because I gave him the breakfast he asked for

He is a wonderful character, cheeky, chatty, affectionate. His behaviour does nosedive if he's tired or under the weather, and particularly if he's cooped up in the house all day. I find the best way to cope is to take him out first thing, hopefully burn off some energy, and then he's a little calmer on the afternoon. He constantly fights with his big brother (who is really no match for him). It was just me and DS2 for the day yesterday and he was delightful, so maybe we're seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks for making me laugh, that family guy clip is my life :D

I'm glad I'm not alone in this. But also worried this could go on another year!

Does anyone here also have an issue when you go to other people's houses? All the other children are happy playing with toys, my fella is rooting through handbags, grabbing mugs of hot tea, sneaking down the hall to root through bedroom drawers, stealing the bathroom soap, chewing toothbrushes, just basically doing everything he shouldn't and being a complete pita. I literally can't leave him for a second and have to follow him around. When I try remove him from a situation, I invariably get 'the plank of rage' :/

Why dont I have one of the well behaved ones!!!!!!

I think I would be VERY mindful of his diet. Watch the excess sugars, they can cause huge problems with behaviour.

Yes it's such a pain when the other mums are chatting over a cup of tea and you have to follow your child around to stop him causing chaos instead! Hang in there OP. It will get better eventually. I think DC3 was sent to stop me turning into a smug mum (as my older two were very well behaved)!

I second diet as well. I cut sweets out of his diet and if he has them occasionally he can get more difficult - haribos are the worst and they are everywhere once they start school.

I think as well frustration plays a part DS is so much happier now he can explain to me what he wants and he has friends, he was desperate to socialise but did not know how

I agree with frustration playing a part. My 3 year olds speech is excellent, but he seems to struggle with emotions and expressing them in any other way than tantrums or hitting. Not getting his own way is another thing that sets him off, so I try and always say "I know you're sad/cross that you can't do x/y/z, so why don't we do a/b/c instead of hitting me?" He's getting better now he's able to understand more,