Average day for mum of an 18 month old?

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forgettng he is ill...but when not ill not much diferent

honestly is this what other mums do? maybe shoulod not be so low as maybe the below is titally normal

by screaming i mean almost can't bretah hysterics btw

wakes up to screams until gets milk
we read books then screams when prepare breakfast
hardly has breakfast
screams till we read more books
manage to persuade to play a bit - play with him
(one day a week playgroup morning- wants me holding hand/near most of time)
screams as cook lunch
screams to read to him a bit after lunch
nap one hour if lucky
screams for reading
persuade to play if lucky -play with him
screams while prepare dinner
screams when daddy arrives and pushes him away so have to read more to him
daddy plays 30 mins with him with me doing chores but he keeps screaming for me to read to him
sleep - if lucky 9 hours and then wakes up few times in between

exhausted! and never time for me

hmm

I must admit we have less screaming

we do go out at least twice a day though, even if it's only a run round the garden, I can't imagine staying in all day with dd, we would both go mad. Trips out in the car (to supermarket or friends' houses), ducks, park, shops etc, not always with the pushchair either as she sleeps (and naps) much better if she's had some proper exercise.

I can also advocate the judicious use of [whispers] television. If ds insists it must be book-based tape the Bedtime Stories from CBeebies and use them during the day. Otherwise Something Special is an ace and educational to have a shower and/or get some housework done.

I think a positive way to look on it is that you have a child who loves books - this is and will continue to be a huuuge benefit at school and throughout his life .

Not sure if it was quite as bad as you seem to be having it but when ds was 18mo it did get pretty hard with his constant demands.

He used to be awful in the a.m. waking screaming like you say, screaming while I tried to get his brekkie and feed the cats, make a cuppa for myself etc. Oh My GOD!

It has calmed down now, he is 21mo, not sure if it was just a small phase that has passed, or he communicates a bit better or we have got better at dealing with him but at least maybe I can give you hope that it passes??

Now dh and I get up together (we used to take it in turns - 5.30am starts!!) so one can keep him busy while the other gets breakfast. He LOVES washing up so we always leave some dishes from the night before to do with the breakfast dishes. That keeps him happy with dh while I shower and dress. Then dh showers while I take him to his room to open curtains/ make bed/ get him dressed. Then we settle down on the sofa to watch In the night garden with a cuppa before everyone has to start getting out the door.

Basically we tag team, if he is 'forgotten' about while dh and I rush about getting ready he gets bored and anxious/ demanding etc.

On days I don't work and am with ds at home then as soon as dh goes out I get out of the house too, to have a coffee, take the train to town, park, supermarket, meet friends. ANYTHING! staying in is a one way ticket to small child induced madness

Ds is also a bit anti-daddy at times (i.e. when I am around) so if I need to get something done the best thing is if dh actually takes him somewhere else where he can't see me. Doesn't have to be outside, even to his room, or - again - washing dishes - will do the trick.

Hi Maveta!
Hi OP, yes DS is 22 months old and not communicating very well, and I think this is behind his frustration. I don't think he's quite as bad as you mention, but can be iyswim. Woke up this morning, happily played outside the shower while I had a shower. Then I stopped him doing something (hiding in the wardriobe I think) at which point he got hysterical non stop crying while I was getting ready, and him ready. It did calm down, but has in the past continued until we've got in the car. Doesn't help that he wants feeding and I won't - I don't mind feeding him but not when he wants it as an automatic reaction to a tantrum. FOr that reason DH can usually calm him a bit better than me - sometimes the screaming starts again when DH leaves, sometimes not. He's an angel for MIL and mum.
I am hoping that this will get better as he can talk and everyone tells me it does. I also think (please!) that he is high maintenance (that sounds nasty but ykwim) and DC2 will be more self reliant

Hi SPB! .. ahem .. DC2???

Ds2 is 22 months and I can say the screaming phase is easing up. His words are just tumbling out all over the place and he is much less frustrated. As soon as your ds has some words encourage him to use them instead of the screaming and then he will hopefully be happier.

Fwiw mine has incredibly bad separation anxiety, only mamma will do. Thankfully I have extra help so can escape for me time and it does seem to be easing up too. How is he when you are out and about?

So only another 4 months to go then for you until it gets better.

Did you not know? Thought I'd told everyone!

so this is totally normal? really? any others?

is your DS like this for other people?

no for grandparents an angel

so noone beleives me when say he is veyr hard work

sounds familiar
Can't be long now...DS has to start talking soon!

I must admit to less screaming though my 19 month old is very demanding. Wants to be where the action is ALWAYS. .He would spend the day on my hip if he could. I try and involve him in things like preparing lunch (though slow and painstakingly messy!!!!) and housework and I always take him in the bathroom with me when I need the loo.
I completely agree with the others.. going out is the key to my sanity. I try and get out with him at least twice a day even if its just shops, park, feed ducks or just splashing in puddles in the garden.

Hi
Just wanted to add my 18 mo is the same. She is my 3rd, the others are now 5 and 4, and yet I am still surprised, not to mention annpyed and tired out, by her constant demands and whingeing and tantrums. Maybe I have just forgotten what the others were like ? She wants to be with me all the time, even when the others are here for company, I can't get anything done at home, she is just hanging off my leg all the time. (If I asm out and DH is here she basically ignores him ......so hegets to play on his laptop She is very bad tempered, if she wants something and we give her the wrong thing she doesnt just push it away, she grabs it off you and then flings it really hard across the room. She often headbutts the floor or hight chair table in a rage, and gets really angry at meal times. I totally failed to get her into her little swimming class yesteday as she had such a massive paddy in the changing room that I couldnt even get her changed into her swimsuit. I'm assuming its frustration at not being understaood so I try really hard to work out what she wants and this sometimes helps the tantrums, if she really doesnt want anything then I often put her to bed just for a bit of peace. Sometime she sleeps , sometimes not but it does seem to calm her down and give me some time out! Its really wearing me out, and its encouraging to read from others that it eases off a bit as their speech develops.

My middle one was very easy, but my first, DS, was like this, a lot. He is still very very demanding and very hard work. The house revolves around him. So I think we are in it for the long haul with the little one! I remember with DS that the 2's weren't too bad, but the 3's were HORRENDOUS. On the morning of his 3rd birthday it was like someone had flicked a switch in his brain from "normal" to "devil". But at 3 it is much much easier to ignore as they are so much less likely to damage themselves, and there is a much better element of communication (2 way) going on).

So I guess I have to hang in there and try to survive the next few months AARGHH