Paranoid?

[redjoker]

My DS is 5.5 months old. Has been pretty ok in general (ive found bonding hard but as babies go nothing too bad) but the last 2 weeks hes just become so angry.

Temper issues run in my DP side of the family, lots of males with anger issues and mother in law suffered with huge anger issues due to PMT years ago.

I feel like im overthinking things and I know hes only a baby but he just seems to get so irrate

The last 2 weeks hes made constant noises, as if hes pushing out a poo just sort of angry noises, gets worked up about naps and gets overtired. In general the naps have decreased and i only get 30 min out of him before the play/eat/sleep starts again. Ive tried entertaining him to the point im ready to collapse, he has started weening and is eating loads. It could be teeth but no obvious signs of that

Am i destined to a life with an angry child? I have visions of him attacking me as a toddler, even started dreaming about it! help!

I think it is just his age. Babies get frustrated that they can’t sit, crawl or walk. Before every major development DD got very frustrated. She is nearly DD and is a fairly placid toddler.

He is experiencing new emotions and they are big and overwhelming and as he is a baby he has no coping strategies. Focus on teaching him emotional literacy. With DD I would acknowledge and point out her emotions and the emotions of other eg the baby is crying he is sad, I think he might want a cuddle from Mummy. Sign and sign have a lovely version of if ‘You are feeling happy then...’ for all the emotions.

He is far to young to be labelled anything.

Frustration is normal in babies, and they do tend to go a bit dark when they’ve going through a mental or physical growth spurt.

He’ll go through these periods, and it’s ok - we just have to weather them, and provide some extra understanding. When my 7mo gets too furious about his crawling efforts going wrong, I sometimes just put him in a sling for a bit to calm down.

I agree with Makingwork about not labelling babies. Honestly, if you think your child is angry, they will grow into an angry child. Change your mindset, OP! Deal with his moods as they are now (eg he’s cross and frustrated right now) and don’t project into the future.