To not like my 2 year old

[WhenZogateSuperworm]

2.5 year old DS has become a horrible whingy toddler. He is absolutely no fun to be around at all, he cries constantly, takes no joy from anything and is generally awful.

I hate feeling like this but I just can’t cope with him anymore and don’t like him at the minute. He had always been hard work but the last month had been awful.

He had a baby sister 10 weeks ago and is fine with her, but I assume part of this behaviour is due to her arrival.

I am love bombing, spending lots of time with him, but it isn’t helping.

This morning he is screaming the house down because I won’t let him have chocolate for breakfast. He won’t get dressed, won’t wear shoes and won’t stop crying over anything and everything.

I’m at the end of my tether with him and he is making my maternity leave a rubbish time. His poor sister doesn’t get any attention because I’m always dealing with him.

Please tell me it won’t last?!

It won't last. My son was a terrible whinger from about 18 months til about 2.5yrs, a constant drone for a year, I thought id never survive it but it did change thank god, he's 4.5 now and sometimes still does whinge of course but over normal kid things not constant.

I’m hoping he grows out of it soon. He has gone to the childminders this morning with a red face covered in snot and tears because he has cried all morning since he got up at 5:30am!

He wanted to go out for the day tomorrrow as DH is off work but we just don’t want to take him. He will cry all day, take no joy from anything and moan at everything so there is no point.

My son was hard work at that age and about 3.5 was much better but he would get up at 4.40-5.30 every single day and it was exhausting us both, looking back I so wish I enjoyed it more, maybe try to get out early before he’s tired then home early if he can nap or watch some TV? My son is now 10 and beyond laid back! It will get better!

I rarely think parenting books are any good, but How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen genuinely has some good ideas. It's so twee you'll want to chew your arm off but the actual tips and ideas are something I return to often. Made a huge difference with my two from about age 2 and really improved the whinging and crying, and how they treated me and each other. (Make sure it's the one for little kids, there's one for older ones as well)

Mine was also hideous from about 18 months to 3 yrs. They sucked the joy out of everything! I remember taking them to nice places, because I figured if they were going to be a miserable little shite, I'd rather we weren't contained in the house!

They are 4.5 now and very different! Still some ridiculous kick offs but they are short lived and way less frequent.

What’s wrong with chocolate for breakfast???

@Tiredtessy I have a newborn as well so it’s hard getting out and about really early. We do activities every day so that he is tired out but he has started dropping his nap.