3.5 year old suddenly so angry- injections related?

[Cheekylittlenumber]

Please help, my 3.5 year old DD has been so badly behaved recently. She had her injections the other week (on a Thursday) and the bad behaviour seemed to start that weekend. I'm not suggesting she's had any full-time effect (I'm not in any way an anti-vaxer) but I wondered whether she's had a temporary reaction to something in them, or whether it's just a coincidence. Has anyone noticed similar after the 3.2 immunisations?

Car journeys are suddenly horrendous with her screaming, kicking, hitting. Multiple tantrums when we went out shopping today. Bribery doesn't work, naughty step doesn't work, she gets enraged. I'm at my wits end.

We have a 4 month old DD who eldest DD loves to bits and had no problems at all, but I think she's resenting attention away from her. She smacked the baby the other day and I'm sorry to say I lost my temper and smacked her back. She definitely is doing this to get a reaction from me and as soon as I smacked her she said 'kiss it better, say sorry' which I of course did and she was happy as Larry after that (a huge tantrum took place before smacking the baby btw, and our spat seemed to end it.)

I of course don't want to resort to smacking her, it's horrendous. But if we're in the car together (I sit in the back in between the two DD if DH drives) and I talk to DH or look at my phone momentarily she starts smacking, kicking, pulling my hair and violently throwing things. It's an attention thing so I try and give her a lot of attention which helps but I can't give her constant attention.

Help!

I didn’t experience a sudden change. Could it just be that she’s suddenly realised that DC2 is here and isn’t going away?

I definitely wouldn’t smack her, I think you might need to look up some alternative strategies. Have you read the No Cry Discipline Solution? It might be worth a try

Kids are beastly just before the get ill. I bet she has a bug coming on - more likely.

I know you know this. But in punishment for hitting her sister, you hit her. You can see how that’s going to be confusing for a toddler. Your DD is still really small and I know compared to your baby she seems so grown up. But she isn’t!

Do you do things just you and DD? I’d try and get some quality time just the two of you. She has had a massive upheaval in her life really recently.

Friends with two small people have said that it helps when your doing something for elder DD to say ‘just wait a minute youngest DD I’m helping X do this right now’ because you’ve probably been telling your eldest to wait quite a lot since your youngest came along. So it helps them to see that both them and baby have to wait/share your time.

Sorry I didn’t fully process. Yes the baby is more than likely the reason. She needs a tonne of reassurance.

Thank you for your comments. As baby is 4 months and she had been so (seemingly) ok with it I had assumed we were over that hurdle.

When I think back it is triggered by attention, either me not playing with her for example or she might do something naughty for attention.

I've tried to give her lots of attention and she goes to either a toddler play group/activity or preschool every weekday, but it's hard with a baby.

Lots of praise when she's good helps but I'm finding it hard to find moments of good behaviour atm!

From her POV it just be incredibly hard. I'm also sleep deprived so probably less patient than usual. A perfect storm I guess!

There does seem to be a grace period when new baby is born. Then they settle into the idea that the new addition is permanent and behaviour changes.

Are you sure it's not that she's resentful of you taking her for the injections?