Please help!! Is this normal? - 16 months..

[everhopeful]

Hi,

I am slowly going insane!! My son seems to have changed personality over the past 6 weeks. At first I was making all sorts of excuses for him in my head but now I have no idea what could be wrong.

I thought he was miserable because of his teeth but nothing has come through, then I thought he might be getting poorly, tired etc etc but nothing seems to have happened.

He cries a lot ( most of the day!)and throws tantrums a lot!! I am a stay at home mum and I try so hard to make the day fun for him. Today we went to a group and he just clung to me (i don't mind the clinging, he hadn't been for the whole summer so I could understand his anxiety but as soon as we got home he broke down about everything I tried to do) He has started to refuse ALL his food. I have no idea if this is normal?

I went to the doctor and they said. All babies go through stages and he is just asserting himself. I feel as if I have lost my happy little boy though and I can't seem to make him happy at all. Surely that isn't normal? Surely most babies want to be happy? Do you think I am missing something?

I feel exhausted and every night I go to sleep I feel like I have failed in some way.

Any thoughts would be very welcome!!

Thanks,

Kim

 

[LM2104]

The exact same thing happened to my daughter but at 14 months, She went from this cute happy little thing into a clingy tantrum throwing little girl that i didnt even recognise! Sorry i have no advice on how to change it because a month on we still have the tantrums.

u have not failed either!

 

[TTC LADY]

Just to echo that, Riya has started having tantrums too recently, and makes this horrible screaching noise which goes right through me.
Hopefully this phase will pass quickly.

 

[Vickie]

Hannah's molars took over a month to even break through the gum line and she was much the same, it was awful!

She also started having tantrums around that time, I found that as she was able to communicate more the tantrums have slowly started getting better

 

[AnnaHughes]

Reuben has been exactly the same - for 2 months! - We have good day and bad days.

I am pretty sure it is his teeth, top 2 molars have been coming through for 6 weeks, the sides are pretty much down, but the middle bit still yet to come (if that makes sense!) The bottom molars actually started after the top, but have finished coming through. Now, i can see the point of one top and one bottom fang, and he is really whingy, but am guessing with the molars still coming through, and these new ones, we are going to get a whingy baby for a while!

As far a food goes - have you tried reverting back to really easy to eat foods? Reubens favourite meal used to be a picnic lunch - cheese, ham, crackers etc, but they are all too harsh on his gums. We are back on things like mash, veg and fish, or spag bol, etc. youghurts, and really ripe fruits (so they are really soft!)

Also, the tantrums could be due to increased frustration. since walking - 2 weeks ago, Reuben has become fiercely independent in every aspect - he wont let me feed him, help him if i see him struggling doing something etc, and if interfere, he just has a tantrum, and no longer wants the food, or to do that activity, whereas if i let him do it himself he is happy

 

[everhopeful]

Thanks everyone some good tips and advice to try. Also great to hear I am not the only one with this problem!!
xx

 

[miss.kayleigh]

You aren't doing anything wrong it's just babies when they get to that age. My son started having tantrums recently headbanging, slapping me and OH, screaming for ages! It's normal and just a phase xxx

 

[Miss_Mo]

My son just started having tantrums at 1 yr and I thought given his behaviour it might be an ear infection but when I called the doctor they said he could have started getting his molars and that they take awhile so I should be prepared for more fussiness and out of character behaviour on his part.

 

[caggimedicine]

I'm so glad that someone else has experienced this. Harry is the same, and I too have found myself making excuses for him... even to my family! He's really grumpy a lot of the time, and throws tantrums and cries and whinges... relentless whinging... it's enough to drive me insane.

He goes to nursery 3 days a week, at my mum's one day a week and the days he's at home with me/hubby, we're out doing stuff with him - play centrese, parks, farms etc. He's never 'bored', and yet always finds something to whinge about.

It doesn't help the fact that my friend's little girl who's the same age as Harry is a princess who doesn't whinge, eats all her food, sleeps all night, obeys the word "no" and looks like a porcelain doll! When Harry and the little girl are together, I absolutely feel like a complete failure, and often even feel embarrassed.

I am hoping this is all a phase. He does have his good moments (I say in desperation!!)

 

[Racheldigger]

Rowan suddenly became all miserable and stroppy at around 16 months too, but it's already cleared up and she's my sunny little Blossomkin Boo again. I do think it has a lot to do with communication: they're getting a wider world-view at this age, and there are so many more things they want, and they can't tell you any of them, and then you come and take them away from what they're doing, and you can't explain why, and they can't argue with you... Rowan's language development has been incredibly fast - she could say 20 words at 15 months, and at 17 months her vocabulary broke 60 words and we lost count - so I think she's cheered up because she's more able to communicate in language and doesn't need to resort to screams.