11 month old constantly whinging anyone else??

[laura109]

I feel guilty writing this but it is becoming so tiring right now. She never stops whinging at me from the minute shes up till bedtime. She has had a cold so i understand shes not feeling great, but even now shes better she just follows me around whinging if i eat or drink she follows me and cries at me. Even when she has eaten she goes mad over my food. I used to put her in her cot for 5-10 mins for a fast shower and just to smarten my hair up and get dressed but now she screams at her cot bars. If she is in my bedroom shes not safe as she is after my hairdryer or makeup or hanging around the mirror. She is not safe on the bed as she will crawl off. I am finding it hard to clean up as trying to put her somewhere and get on os prooving tricky as she gets fed up and cries within 2 minutes.

I feel we are in a viscious cycle because i cant seem to keep the place tidy with her around. All i want to do is spend time with her but All i have in my head is theres washing to be put away, theres junk all over the dining table, the crumbs need hoovering. I dont want the house to get really messy as theres never a time for a huge blitz.

Shes also not that interested in her own toys yet shes fascinated by anything thats not hers lol!!! Shes pulling herself up alot now and gets behind the doors if i leave her in the room for a minute to andwer the door or go for a wee.

I know its all the basics that babies do but if anyone is going through this stage lets chat lol!!

 

[Elizdia]

Hi ya

I totally understand your frustration. Its hard because we know its all normal baby stuff and we shouldn't be feeling frustrated with them as they just want attention but then you need to have some sort of order in place. Do you have a play pen? My little boy is the same, he's such a little moaner, i literally cannot put him down for 2 mins without him moaning. I've learnt to block it out and i say to myself i am the adult here. I put him in he's playpen, he moans, i look at him and say mummy is just cleaning up, or doing her hair, or whatever it is, one minute. And i leave him to it, eventually he gives up the moaning and starts playing with he's toys. Its hard though as i have to hear him moaning for about 5-10 mins before he stops. If he doesn't stop i know that he seriously wants something and then i try to figure out what it is.

Another way is sectioning off a part of the house thats baby safe. You can buy room divider things that allow you to section a bit off so that they can keep themselves amused with household things, they often prefer that stuff to toys anyway! Maybe an old remote control with no batteries, some tupperware, stuff like that. Every day say the same thing, 'mummies just doing this and that, one minute' and then when your finished you can say, 'well done, your such a good boy/girl, now lets spend some time together with mummy.' and then focus your time all on them. I think what I've learnt with my LO is they are smarter than they look and they understand and learn things from repetivness. It will take time and you will need to block out the moaning but once you've done it for about a week it really does work.

 

[MindUtopia]

It sounds like separation anxiety, combined with a bit of being sick or possibly teething (we had a horrible time with teething at this age). But it really sounds like separation anxiety. It's just because they are going through the phase of starting to recognise that you are a separate person (they don't realise this at first, after all, you sort of used to be the same person). It means they go through a phase of just being overly clingy and whingey when they start to realise that you could go away. Like, if they aren't following you around, you might go out of their sight and leave, forever. They're just on the verge of grasping object permanence, that you still exist even when you walk to the other room and they can't see you. So all that figuring out who they are and who you are and what happens when you leave is really stressful. It just means they're pretty miserable for a couple months. My daughter was like this for maybe 2-3 months around that age, then at 11 months, it was literally like one day she woke up and was a totally different baby. Really happy and pleasant and easy again. Hang in there. It's a phase and it will get better. Let the housework slide for a few weeks and get extra help from your partner or family if you can.

 

[Button#]

I agree with mindutopia. My DSs separation anxiety improved after his birthday when he learned to walk. For some jobs are you able to pop LO in a carrier on your back and take her round with you? I'm afraid I'm more the type to leave if to after dinner when they're in bed. Either that or distract them with a snack when they're like this. Also if you get out of the house lots there's less mess at home and it won't be sat looking at you.

 

[hanni]

I understand what you mean about not being able to get anything done! Dominic is terrible for getting into stuff he shouldn't. He's just recently learnt to pull himself up on top of the couch which is extra fun.

I usually stick him in his high chair with some pombears or something to give me 10 minutes to try and tidy.