Please help. But it is a long one.
My 2.5 year old has began waking up in a totally awful mood. He is so naughty and bad tempered for at least the first 1.5 hours in the morning. Sometimes though this bad behaviour can go on till after his nap at lunchtime.
It is if he is really tired.
He wakes about 7am (goes to bed at 7pm.) Has a nap in the day about 3 days out of 7.
I have tried sometimes leaving him in his cot when he wakes hoping he will nod back off. Very occassionally he will nod off again till about 8am and then he wakes much nicer!
Generally though he will wake and if I dont go into him right away he will shout ike it is the end of the world. But then when I go in his room he will lie down in his cot and TOTALLY REFUSE to let me get him out. Coaxing his does not work and going out the room and ignoring him just results in his screaming and carrying on but when I go in he just does the same lying down and not letting me get him out the cot.
Then once out the cot he goes berserk when I try to change his nappy.
Will then push his breakfast awaay and say he does not like it (he has the same everyday) and carry on like it is posion. Eventually he will eat it when he is totally ignored about half the time. The other half I have to eventualy take it away and give it him later.
He is also horrible pushing his sister, refusing to do what he is asked etc. I of course enforce time out when he is naughty. Both my dh and I are totally united and consistent on this.
The only thing that seesmto help once he is up is just leaving him to watch kids telly for a couple of hours. But I dont think this a healthy solution.
I have tried to force him to nap more in the day - but if I put him to bed when not cleary shattered he will just scream and shout.
Last week I twice went to mums and tots groups in the morning and had to come home coz he just lay on the floor screaming.
In the afternons I dont have these problems with him (he has the odd tantrum but just the normal toddler stuff)
WHAT CAN I DO?? - I am starting to get very stressed and resorting to hours of telly in the morning rather than going out as it is only then that he is calm.
This has gone on for about 6 weeks. I really thin khe is just waking tired but how do I combat that? (I have tried putting him to bed before 7pm but that does not work as he does not go to sleep and just gets worked up into a state).
Advice appreciated.