Difficult toddler

I'm so glad its not just my Toddler being a complete monster and its not just my child that seems unhappy all the time- So I guess this is normal behaviour for them!!

I also never knew its' so hard having a child. My little girl can be so cute and adorable at times and its those moments that help me get through the difficult times.

I know that somewhere inside my monster there is a little angel - just a pity I dont get to see her as much

I also battle with having patience. I can take her moaning up untill a point and then I loose it. I try not to but they do not make it easy on us. I then leave her in her coat to smack her teddy around for a while!!

The other night I tried giving her a bath.
Usually she loves bathing but this night she refused. Now I had to bath her as she loves playing in the sandpit - anyways she cries all the way and when I'm done I try to put her nappy on.
She screamed, kicking her legs and it sounded like she was being murdered or something.

Eventually I got the nappy on and being very frusrated I just had to put her in her cot.
She was standing in the cot, red in the face, holding on to the sides of the cot and it looked like she was going to take the cot apart.

So after a while I take her out and she is calmed down, but the moment I tried putting her PJ's on, the starts screaming AGAIN!!!

When she fell asleep about an hour later, I just sat on the bed and CRIED - thinking to myself am I doing something wrong? I try to be the best Mom I can be, but it's just so hard if you have a toddler screaming blue murder when you try and do something as simple as giving them a bath!!

Chantel, my toddler is EXACTLY the same. The bath thing you just described..was us the night before last night. I sometimes really feels like my toddler is the unhappiest kid in the world cause she cries ALOT.

And if I say the word 'sleep' she will start crying, if we go into her room she will cry worse and then it takes up to an hour to calm her down and to get her to go to sleep.

The other thing..she wants to go outside the whole time so from the moment we get home she will lie in front of the door and cry to go out. Sometimes I can get distract her (usually with a Barney DVD) and sometimes it doesn't work.

I just hope she grows out of this unhappy stage quickly, cause I feel like such a crap mom because I've got NO patience!

The other night I tried giving her a bath.
Usually she loves bathing but this night she refused. Now I had to bath her as she loves playing in the sandpit - anyways she cries all the way and when I'm done I try to put her nappy on.
She screamed, kicking her legs and it sounded like she was being murdered or something.

Eventually I got the nappy on and being very frusrated I just had to put her in her cot.
She was standing in the cot, red in the face, holding on to the sides of the cot and it looked like she was going to take the cot apart.

So after a while I take her out and she is calmed down, but the moment I tried putting her PJ's on, the starts screaming AGAIN!!!

When she fell asleep about an hour later, I just sat on the bed and CRIED - thinking to myself am I doing something wrong? I try to be the best Mom I can be, but it's just so hard if you have a toddler screaming blue murder when you try and do something as simple as giving them a bath!!

LizeP - sorry you had a rough day, and that sounds like a corker!

Isabelle has a "doggy" that she does not move without. The one day she had a real runny bum, and besides poo on cot, bedding, her, it also coated doggy.

So doggy had to be washed and hung up on the line to dry.

Problem? Yes, for her 10:30am sleep.

Watch how a mother and father solve the problem.

I had to go out or to work or something, I can't recall, but had the situation been me, I would have sat and soothed her and it would have gone on for hours.

My DH simply puts her in the cot, and crams it full of ALL her stuffed toys - everything she owns, then he gives her the bottle, closes the door and leaves her.

She obviously screams and goes totally apache!

Eventually the screaming stops and he goes in to check. She is wrapped around a similiar looking to her doggy stuffed toy, lying on top of another doggy with her thumb in her mouth - totally exhausted from her tantrum, and slept like a dream.

Other stuffed toys and bottle tossed all over the room.

<now had I been there I would have worked myself into such a state, that she woudl not have slept, she would have been more cranky, and I would have been forced to hide behind the curtain again!!!>

RM, toninght I am going to try the "hiding behind the curtain" trick. I hope they don't find me, but am not holding my breath.

I don't have any advise, only my story to share.

Yesterday I had a rough day - work, dentist, got soaked in a cloud burst while leaving the dentist. Electricity was off at home. All of this made me a really edgy mommy.

Zhanelle is getting ready for bed and wants her doll to sleep with her. So off I went in search of her doll. Only to hear " not this one". Off again for the second time and again "not this one". By this time I am considering breaking off either the doll's or Zhanelle's arms.

I tell her to go look for her own doll (I might have added some bad language in here). 5 minutes later, she is back with the doll she wanted.

It is not easy having a toddler in the house!!

I am soooo glad it is not just my little girl. She is 19 months old and by far this is the hardest stage for me as I get frustrated at her frustration and have to remind myself that she is still little???? The baby part was a breeze compared to this.

I think the most important thing with toddlers is consistency and sticking to your rules. They are learning so much now and their memory is holding everything in.

I think they know at school that they have to conform as they are not the only one so they just go happily along whereas at home they know that we are at their beck and call

I agree with RM I try to avoid the situtions that start the whiney tantrums or keep her busy so she doesnt have a chance. Like I know she loves being outside so we do that a lot.

Hang in there - I have HEARD it get better or different challenges arise...