Terrible Two's.... at 14 months?!?!?!

Meghan - posted on 04/19/2010

I swear it will get better! Hang in there Mama!

Erin - posted on 04/19/2010

Thanks guys. Her fuse is definitely shorter when she's tired, but that's to be expected. The tantrums over the last few days have been above and beyond this though. Just this afternoon she had a fit because she wanted the lid from the banana custard she was eating for afternoon tea. Totally random. Ignoring it worked today though, thankfully.

I hadn't actually thought about food allergies or sensitivities. She's not eating anything new right now, but I will definitely keep it in mind if things don't calm down again soon.

Chatty - posted on 04/19/2010

Kimbeley had a great point and that's where my head went......it's all about the blood sugar, which is invisible by the way, so it's impossible to pin point! LOL! 95% of the time if Roxanne's grumpy ( she's different from Milla in the respect that not much is extreme for her......she just kinda plugs away....happy, easy-going and content..... but still the odd temper tantrum ) it's because she just needs a lil' snack.....because they don't know how to tell you they have a headache because their blood sugar is low they get angry and frustrated........it's not a great habit to get into but sometimes when Roxanne is freaking out and I've exhausted every other means to figure out what's wrong I ask her, " are you hungry? " and she'll answer yes or no!



It could also be related to sleep like Nikki suggested OR maybe actual food allergies? Huge correlation between food allergies and behavioral problems? Have you talked to ur doctor about getting tested? Roxanne is allergic to cow's milk and one of the red dyes....#5 I think and if I'm not careful her moods will take a significant turn for the worse! Milla sound like a real sweetheart and TONS of stress.....uhh, I mean FUN! LOL! Although I'm not technically single, I'm very much like a single mother and I know how exhausting it can be!



Good luck!

Nikki - posted on 04/19/2010

Hi Erin, is she getting enough sleep? I have seen some pretty stressful situations with over tired children, it is like they are possessed, calming them is very difficult and it's even harder to attempt to rationalise anything with them. I agree with Kim as well about the food. Good luck with it, sorry I could't help more

Erin - posted on 04/19/2010

Yeah she's all good with peanut butter... I might try adding that to her lunch. Usually she has a yoghurt and a piece of fruit, but maybe that's not enough for her anymore so that would be a good option. Thanks Kimbeley!

Kimbeley - posted on 04/19/2010

Maybe try offering choices on food, eg. would you like a banana or a sandwich? Also, I'm not sure if your daughter has tried peanuts yet but peanut butter on toast seems to be a great energy booster!

Erin - posted on 04/19/2010

Kimbeley you could definitely be onto something there. Milla is a big baby with an appetite to match, and it has felt like she's been 'grazing' a lot more between meals lately. A lot of times things come to a head because she asks for something to eat, I offer her something but apparantly not what she wants (I offer her a banana when she wants a piece of cheese). She's not actually a picky eater at all, but maybe she wants a certain thing in this instances because of the sugar-low?!?

Kimbeley - posted on 04/19/2010

I'll tell you what worked for me, but it definitely won't work for everyone... I think my son went through a growth spurt at about that time and I found that by feeding him more often and by doing my research on what I was actually feeding him (and therefore changing what I was feeding him) the tantrums were HUGELY reduced!

A friend who I was talking to prior to the food change had suggested to me that he may be having a bit of a sugar-low (a drop in blood sugar) and once I started adding in extra snacks (eg half a piece of toast between breakfast and morning tea; a small packet of raisens between afternoon tea and dinner, etc.), like I said, the tantrums dropped right down.

I also found that the cereal I was feeding him was (as one website put it) "as nutritious as the box it comes in", so I changed him to a porridge and fruit breakfast.

Erin - posted on 04/19/2010

Yeah I realise that while she may be ahead with her speech, emotionally she's still only a baby. That's why I worry I'm expecting too much in thinking she can tell me what's wrong. She's also always been a very intense, full-on child, so when she blows it gets very ugly lol.

Good point about the calm words. I have also tried saying things like "Mummy doesn't know what's wrong, if you can calm down you can tell me". Up until now that would sometimes work, but last night the only way I could get her to settle was to 'sssssssshhhh' her like I did when she was a tiny baby.

Milla's always been an extreme child... my family call her 'The Little Girl with the Curl'. She's usually happy and fun and laughing, but if something upsets her it's a major catastrophe. There's really no in between.

Meghan - posted on 04/19/2010

The day after my son turned on I swear it was the start of the terrible two's. I called in the outrageous one's. He is a lot better now at 18 months. He was going through a lot with visitation with his father, as well as me starting to work.

As far a head as she may be both ages are still waaay to young to fully understand their feelings or calm down right away when they do get frustrated.

I understand the needing a break part. Some days I am just full of resentment towards my ex! Just stay consistant, redirect and allow her to talk her issues out (or talk them out with her, give her the words) I would ignore him the best I could but sometims I found it really helped to get on his level and say something like "I understand you are mad, and that is ok. Mommy can't understand you rite now though, so when you are feeling a little better, come talk to me" It will pass, around 16/17 months Joshua just perked right up and he is so much fun!