My 2/1/2 Year Old Is Changing

It's perfectly normal for a child that age to declare her independence. She's growing up. Just let her make some decisions, but don't change her bedtime routine, etc. She still needs consistency and boundaries. As a matter of fact, she's pushing the boundaries to see that you're still in charge and love her enough to keep her safe, healthy and happy. Good luck! It's not called the terrible twos for nothing. Just wait until she's three!!! :)
I just thought of something else. Is she feeling alright? Getting her two year molars? Children can change their eating and sleeping habits when something is bothering them.

Hi A.,

Your daughter might have an ear infection or her two year molars are coming in, which also can cause fluid from her gums swelling, to leak and pool into her ear canal. The only reason I think this is because you say she doesn't want to eat, which is what happened to both my daughters when they had ear infections that I didn't know about. The Dr. told me that the action of chewing hurt them and their ears each time they'd try to eat.

Also, the bath water can be uncomfortable to her right now, if she does in fact have an ear infection, because more fluid (H20) is getting in her ear when you are rinsing her.

Lastly, waking up in the middle of the night is usually caused by discomfort of some kind. Have you tried giving her Tylenol before bed?

So, my advice and experience of having two little girls who have gone through this before, is to call your Ped. Doctor. Quite often kids can walk around with ear infections or fluid on the ear without any other typical cold symptoms.

My son is going through the same thing, and his school brought up a very good point. Many toddlers at this age are going through growth spurts and it affects their appetite and mood. Their joints literally hurt as they are changing so rapidly and it makes them cranky and not hungry. It also never dawned on me until I read Mindy C's reply that perhaps her molars are coming in. Is she drooling a little more often now? Mayber her waking up is because she is irritated and in pain. Check with your Ped first, but baby Anbesol might be in order or a little Tylenol before bed. Good luck and thank God for this forum. I have gotten so many comforting answers here.

I am a stay at home mother of a 9 month old boy and a 3 year old daughter, married 6 years. Through my daughter's whole year as a 2 year old she went through so many changes it was ridiculous. Some times she liked her baths and sometimes not. For 3 weeks she was totally potty trained and after that she was back in pullups for months. They go through so many changes. You have to just wait these things out until they figure it out for themselves. My daughter went from going potty in public places very well from the start and a month after, totally afraid of falling in and refused to go in public places. It is hard but waiting it out is all you can do. That may be what she is waking up for. Mine did for a while. She'd wake up in the middle of the night like that. They are not use to that and do not want to wake up yet so it upsets them. Once they get through the night without going potty they are fine. They are just trying to figure things out for themselves.

Hi A., I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter too. When I was reading your post it sounds exactly what my daughter is going through too. She doesn't want to take a bath and wakes in the middle of the night so I could cover her up or pat her back. I just figure it is something she is going through at this age. The bath thing she does cry a bit but I try to make jokes and play with her so the crying won't last long. Once she is in the bath she is just fine. I have noticed she crys for almost everything that she doesn't get her way. I just have alot of patience with her and know she will get through this stage too. My advice is lots and lots of patience. She shoudl get over this too. Like every other bump they all go through.

A.
someone recommended the book 1-2-3 magic. YOu may want to try it. Basically its sticking to the routine of things and putting in a lot of structure to provide some stability and ease anticipation of things while maintaining the parent role in the situation.

Dear A.,

I also have a two and a half year-old daughter. She can now open the refrigerator and if I'm not watching she will snack all day long. Not too much of a problem, but the sugar bowl is her favorite snack. :) Is your daughter snacking too much throughout the day and not hungry at dinner? Do you sit down as a family or is she by herself in the highchair? There can be a variety of reasons she isn't eating. My advice is to make dinner a family event and offer a variety of foods placed attractively. Today for lunch we had baked potatoes filled with baked beans, my daughter wouldn't touch it. Later, I offered just the baked beans and she ate them up. Although she likes baked beans she didn't like the way I presented them.

The bath can be tough, especially at this age because they are such a mess by the end of the day. Maybe the water is too cool? Maybe you need to change up the toys? Bathtub finger paint is always fun. My daughter is also very independent and wants to wash her own hair and body, so I let her. I wash her diaper area, but she gets the rest.

As for waking up in the night, is she getting enough activity during the day? Are her naps too long? Try increasing her activity level, I like to take my kids to the park after dinner when it starts to cool off. By the time we get home they are ready for a bath and bed.

Take Care
~N.

I'm sorry this is tough on you, but it sounds pretty normal to me. she's growing up and will be needing less naptime in the afternoon and more activity during the day. Her food intake will fluctuate and with my daughter, I had to spon feed her just to get her to eat, she ate just fine, but was too bored or distracted to feed herself. Try more variety of foods for her interest, try making it fun like a game.

Bath time can be difficult, try making it a game or bathing with her, they like that if you participate more.