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Feeling defeated with my 2.5 year olds behaviour

7 replies

neutralfoxx · 16/03/2026 17:21

As the title says really. I’ve hit breaking point today and just feel defeated, I ended up in tears. Since he turned 2 his behaviour has just took a turn, hurting his siblings and we did have a new baby in December so I think partly could be jealousy. He dotes on his new baby brother but has started to try hitting him. He is just too heavy hands with him. He was breastfed but self weaned after his brother was born, I would have continued to breastfeed him but I always let my children self wean. today he bit his older brother on his thigh which has made quite the mark. I broke and shouted at him, told him it was naughty and took him upstairs to bed. But he just laughed. I kept repeating no. I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong. He laughs when I tell him off or sometimes just goes quiet and looks at me out the corner of his eyes. I know it’s probably very common, I just don’t know how to handle this phase as every day I’m getting more and more stressed out with his behaviour. He doesn’t attend any nursery btw and he is nice with other children but in the home and with his siblings he can be so difficult. Screaming because he knows it triggers his older brother, hitting, biting. What has worked for any of you that have been through similar?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
twentyeightfishinthepond · 16/03/2026 21:42

Probably the last thing you have time to hear, but I wonder if he needs more attention? It’s so easy to fall into telling them off, and I’ve obviously done it, but I also think they sort of become what we tell them they are. I had two year gaps and it can be hard. Poor you, OP. It’s a juggle.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 20/03/2026 06:02

Laughter is a fear response in children.
I've been through same. My older is now 4 and baby now 2. It has gotten much better, but honestly it has been a nightmare for 2 years.

parietal · 20/03/2026 06:42

Can you get out of the house to playgrounds and get him physically tired out. Baby can chill in the pram and let the toddler run around as much as possible. and have plenty of snacks.

will he go to nursery at some point? A few mornings with other kids the same age might be good for him.

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Happytaytos · 20/03/2026 06:54

How many others apart from the baby?

It sounds like he's doing it for attention because any attention is better than none. Praise him up when he's good and have a consistent safe space to put him for timeout when he's naughty. Make sure to give no attention in timeout.

The one thing that worked to stop biting was biting my child back. Not hard but enough for them to realise it hurt.

Revoltingpheasants · 20/03/2026 06:57

I think it’s just a massive seismic change at this age. My ds was two and a half when we had dd and so I thought his behaviour was because of that but dd is now two years eight months and has been very difficult of late. There are delightful moments but a gap has definitely opened between us where we used to be so close and now she seems to realise she can say no, gravitates to her dad, shouts at me, hoping it ends soon!

Elisheva · 20/03/2026 07:30

Look at things from his point of view. He is one of several children, he used to be the baby but now he is not, he’s still learning the rules of how to behave and just starting to learn how to understand and manage his emotions so he’s trying out different things, and his mum his tired and cross and doesn’t really have time for him anymore.
His behaviour is telling you that he has some needs that are not currently being met, you need to work out what those needs are and meet them or the behaviour will continue.

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