Ds is 17 months now and I find this stage so utterly utterly exhausting

[emkana]

He's into everything
Fond of pulling books/videos/DVD's out of shelves
Leaves a trail of toys and other stuff wherever he crawls
Extremely clingy to me
Pulls hair/glasses off face

I could carry on

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

My DS was also like this at this age and it was really hard work. You need to have regular time off if possible.
Fortunately DS got easier when he was about 2 (started talking, playing with toys more etc).

yes i remember when my DD turned 16m and it was totally hard work!

It will get easier

gawds yes. dd is 3 now and still exhausting. She has severe CP and can't actually move but her mind is like that of any toddler. So she expects us to entertain her constantly and has done from about 1. She has no hand function so I spend all day playing like a toddler would.
I know I should be grateful she has an active mind as its a good sign but some days I just wish she was laid back!
Course, we don't get the trail of books and destroyed things like I did with the other 3 (I had 3 under 3 at one stage) but toddlers are just plain hard work.

Get out of the house! Tis the only solution. DS is 17 months and I'm actually really enjoying him now but from 14-16 months he drove me mad as he's extremely active (seriously the most active toddler I've met, but I love it really) and he discovered tantrumming. In the last month I seem to have got a better handle on how to deal with him which is a mixture of activities, and communicating more with him and although I'm exhausted every night it's a happy exhausted rather than a frazzled exhausted.

lots of park and toddler groups. DD loves toddler groups and oddly enough, they wear her out even though she just watches.

Agree with weegle - DD is 18months - on the go all the time - get out to as many toddler groups as you can cope with!
She likes to help with tasks like putting the laundry away, getting things out of cupboards - I'm not so keen when she takes out the ready brek and sprays it over the floor

Oh yes it is - DS is nearly 2 and although is still hard work is nothing like as dangerous and can "help" more by putting his own stuff away sometimes. Still does the hair/glass pulling but only when he's tired.

also agree with the getting out as much as possible.

You've older childrne haven;t you? You'd forgotten this stage, hadn;t you!

Yes! My 16.5-month-old DS empties shelves and cupboards endlessly but it's the new and overwhelming clinginess is driving me round the bend! He cries when kind strangers smile and say hello, he glares at my friends from the safety of my lap and won't even let Daddy cuddle him when I'm in the room

Weegle is right - I think getting out more, introducing them to more people and more situations, is a good plan. No toddler groups here though (France) - people don't seem to want to stay with their children while they play, they want creches where they can dump and run! And my DS isn't having that...

Yes kewcumber

I keep telling dh to remind me of this should I ever mention wanting another child...

Am glad it is not just me then - my DS is 16 months old and literally does not sit down for a minute all day apart from his one nap (and that is not exaggerating)! Although I don't chase after him, he constantly wants books reading to him, jigsaws doing, etc etc so by the end of the day, I am mentally (if not physically) exhausted.

The lounge always looks like a bomb has hit it every night and DH (bless him) tidies up every evening.

Glad to hear that it does get easier