2 year old sudden change in behaviour / normal?!

[Boymumma21]

Hi all, long post incoming..

I’m looking for some help/advice or anyone who has experienced the same as what I currently am with my 2 year old.. I’m at my whits end.

He has always been a very happy, smiley, clever, easy going, pretty chilled out little boy, very engaging, very chatty.. but over the past few weeks I feel like something has literally changed over night and I have a totally different child!
He is so whingey about anything and everything at the minute, does not listen to a word I say.. will proceed to do something after I’d asked multiple times not to. He has recently started to be less engaging with me I don’t know why but he seems more than happy doing his own thing rather than calling for me or seeking my company. He has also started making this awful, what I can only describe as, baby noise! Like he’s reverted back to babbling but 10x more annoying, is this normal? He does still speak but on occasion when he does this he repeats it and repeats and it’s so grating.. especially when I know he can talk more than well enough for his age. He does this weird thing with his tongue out while he’s doing it, hard to explain but no idea why!
He has also started running away from me while we are out and will not stop until I’ve shouted and shouted numerous times!
Also when he’s with other children he copies EVERYTHING they do, sounds, noises, words, what they eat, what they drink.. if they have a hat on he wants one on.. if they have shoes off his must come off and so on and so on, it’s relentless at times! If they do something he doesn’t like it’s also a tantrum/gets upset!
He doesn’t shout for me when he wakes up in the morning will just lay in his cot until I go into him.
Can be very particular about certain things and at the minute is very interested in keys and locks and doors etc! He does not sit still! He has very little concentration, flits from one thing to another constantly!
Basically what I’m asking is if this seems like normal toddler behaviour or if I should be concerned about any of it? I feel like I’ve lost my lovely little boy.

thank you if you made it this far.. and please do respond if you can!

Any advice from any one? Please.

If he's suddenly misbehaving I'd rule out illness first. So try him with a dose of Calpol and see if his general demeanour improves. I think that their back teeth come through between 2 and 2.5 so he might be teething?

Losing skills, like speech is a concern though. You can deal with him running away by insisting he's with in the buggy or on reins, you have to keep him safe.

I'd see if he inprives after pain relief but I would be tempted to book and appointment with your HV and ask her to do the Ages & Stages and the Social & Emotional Ages & Stages together to get a fuller picture of whether he might need some additional support.

If he goes to Nursery or a CM, id talk to them about his change in behaviour and ask if they have noticed anything too