Struggling with sixteen month old

[forgodssakes]

Please tell me this stage will end soon? I am feeling so exhausted and resentful with parenting my sixteen month old at the moment and I am not enjoying it. He is just.none.stop and everything is a fight with him at the moment. He fights me when I am trying to give him a bath or wash his face/hands , fights me when I am trying to change his nappy or his clothes or put his shoes on he is kicking me. He touches everything that he knows he shouldn’t as he is laughing at me when he does it such as the lamp or the tv, he will not sit still for more than five seconds to read a book or do any kind of activity. I took him to the park today for a walk around and it turned into a battle as he was constantly trying to walk the opposite way to what we were going and I ended up putting him back in the pushchair. He only naps for around half an hour a day so by 5 o’clock he is in a cranky mood. Please tell me that this is normal and this stage will pass?

We have been out today since 9am and got home at 4 we had been out to the park to feed the ducks, played on the park, went to the cafe for dinner and then went to the local fun fair and we got home and he still will not settle and is going at 100 mph, I am exhausted.

Is this normal?

It’s the hardest age in my experience. It passes quickly but at the time feels relentless and horrendous. When they get past two it’s definitely easier.

Sounds like you did a lot. Perhaps over stimulated?

I would try to reduce the pressure. So take him somewhere he can walk where he wants and it won't matter. Maybe a penned in dog field 😁 I remember that stage it was awful though, so you have my sympathies.

I’m so sorry- it’s hard!
my son is 3 and to be honest it just changes. He used to fight me putting on a nappy, getting dress, brushing teeth etc all the things you’ve said.

Now he is better at those things but pushes boundaries in other ways. They grow and change and every stage has challenges. it’s like you don’t even see the change but one day you’ll think “oh, he hasn’t done X in a while”!

It’s hard because I try and get him out of the house for as many hours as possible to try and wear him out and because he is just such hard work in the house, I can’t turn my back for 2 minutes without him touching the oven/washingmachine or something else and we both end up stressed!

people around me are also saying ohh he’s such hard work, I’ve never met a toddler like him, my child wasn’t like that, arghh

It's very normal, though hard work. He is trying to find his independence. If he keeps touching things in the kitchen maybe fit a stair gate to stop him getting in.
This is just a stage he is going through, he will move onto a different one soon.

He is really good in some ways though , he eats well and sleeps through the night

my daughter was like this, it did gradually get better as she got got older. She’s now 4 and still very “busy” but able to play independently and mostly not doing naughty/silly things or at least not every 30 seconds. Try to find things to do where they are contained, safe and happy- a small petting farm where they can’t get into too much trouble and certain small soft plays where you can see them the whole time helped me. Also if you have friends or family with kids parenting together for a few hours can help lighten the load. It seems awful and relentless right now and it is but it will go quickly in the end.

Focus on this. It sounds like he is quite high energy, mine isn’t walking yet but his boy cousins were like puppies - they needed extended time out to run around and shout, cause havoc at least once a day, ideally twice a day in summer. Made them calmer when they were at home, so an hour at the park in the morning running around a fenced play park and then maybe a walk round the block or ride on trike before dinner and bath.

The washing machine is like a magnet, I just let mine put things in and out and keep an eye on him, it means I get a quick job done!

My DS was like this, always on the go, and I found this age the hardest of all with him. It got better from 2 years old onwards.

He sounds like a live wire like mine. For me I let mine be ‘free’. Let him go the wrong way in the park say something like ‘good idea’ and just let him, let him decide his outfit for the day, when he needs his nappy change say ‘ let’s do your nappy now or in five minutes ’ and if he runs off say ‘ok five minutes’ (and then do it in like two minutes). Ask him are we having a Beth tonight or tomorrow and let him decide. Basically try and give him the illusion that he is making choices. That’s what mine need.

Is your house geared up for him in the sense that everything dangerous or fragile is out of reach? That helps relieve some of the stress.