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Parenting

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Original poster

16month old mood

11 replies

grace1991 · 25/10/2021 16:14

Hey mums. Just looking for some advice ans reassurance please!!
My 16month old son has, over the course of a week become agitated and annoyed and frustrated all the time at EVERYTHING. He screeches on every car journey. When I'm changing his nappy he kicks screams punches and kicks me. I try to pick him up and he hits me or bites me: I'm beginning to really struggle and it's upsetting me. I know terrible twos happen and maybe it's happening early but am I doing anything wrong? Occasionally I will shout at him to tell him to stop but I usually try not to react. It's becoming a huge problem now. Any advice welcome please xx

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00100001 · 25/10/2021 16:20

What do you do when he hits and bites?

Do you tell him what you're doing before you do it?

Original poster

grace1991 · 25/10/2021 16:33

@i tell him NO and it winds him up now. Yeah I always tell him "right nappy change " or "let's get dressed now" but he runs away makes me chase him then had a meltdown when I catch him x

OP posts:

becca3210 · 25/10/2021 16:40

Mine is the same in the car so no advice there! What helped up with nappy changes was making him part of it - he gets the nappy out puts it on the mat etc seems to help. Giving choices for anything possible eg. Shall I carry you up for nappy change or you going to climb shall we sing this song or that song etc.

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Original poster

grace1991 · 25/10/2021 16:40

Thankyou! Although I'm not quite sure he understands as much as that yet. He's very clever but not at understand commands

OP posts:

00100001 · 25/10/2021 18:19

He understands more than you perhaps realise.

Bit you can still say "go and get your mat" and if he doesn't follow say something like "shall I help you?" And do it saying "I am getting the mat" etc.

As for the running away and waiting for him to catch you etc. You can just distract him and hopefully engineer the conversation.. Like say something like"oh, are you running away? Ok. But we can't get your nappy changed here, let's go to the bathroom!" Pick him up and say something like "shall I carry you upside down/sideways...shall we jiggle all the way there?"

Ignore the actual running away /"naughty behaviour", and focus on getting him to where you need him. That way it can be a positive thing.

Hope that makes sense.

00100001 · 25/10/2021 18:21

Yeah ,ask him which nappy he wants... And hold up the two identical nappies!

Then you can play silly games like...where do we out the nappy? On my head? On your tummy? Oh no, I'm so silly we put it on your bottom..

Original poster

grace1991 · 25/10/2021 19:12

Thankyou both so so much. I do do a bit of that but perhaps I need to be doing it for every single thing fingers crossed this naughty behaviour stops ! He's in bed now and we had a really lovely bedtime and he helped me doing everything

OP posts:

00100001 · 25/10/2021 19:49

Try not to think of it as naughty behaviour.
He's just exploring his boundaries! He isn't doing it "to be naughty", he's working out what is and isn't acceptable in the world.

With the hitting and biting. Say something like "we don't hit people. But we can hit a drum (or whatever)"
For biting I used to immediately remove my DS from my person and say "ow" and turn away from him momentarily. And repeat...!

CocaColaTruck1 · 25/10/2021 20:02

I went through that stage, it's bloody hard but it passes.

Options is a great idea.
Nursery rhymes playing in the car (he'll thank me for this but you won't )

I was told ignore bad behaviour and phrase the good.
Ofc biting and hitting needs addressed with a firm no and you walk away for a minute.
So if he's having a wobble, ignore, if then two seconds later he does something good phrase that.

He's figuring everything out, he doesn't know what being naughty is.
I also think sometimes if they can't communicate by talking it comes out via their actions.

You know the saying 'kill them with your kindness' think of this approach, when you feel you want to blow, tell him something nice, how much you love him etc and it'll get
you out of the mind frame.
(I done this with tears down my face with in anger and tiredness and he would look and smile at me and it instantly made me feel better)

Original poster

grace1991 · 25/10/2021 20:28

Thankyou! I always play the wheels on the bus in rhe car which he loves!!!! I think I just need to be a bit firmer. Thankyou all xxx

OP posts:

TonkinLenkicks · 25/10/2021 20:31

Mine is 16mo and has been like this since birth (in various ways). We joke that her screams are the soundtrack to our lives tries not to cry

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