Rotten 22 Month Old!

H., when you find a solution, let me know because I have a 17 month old doing the same thing! Good luck and Keep me posted please!!!

Well you have to take time out and understand your child's personally, believe it or not they do have one. and if you see this as a problem, than you have to ask your self how much can you handle. Because they grow up and believe it or not at 2 years old, they understand somethings because if you tell them not to touch something, they will Waite until you turn your back and then touch it. I have two children 18 & 9. The 18 is now in college and when she comes home she knows that she must respect me and it starts while she was little, believe it or not. Sometime they need a nap or time out, because I just feel that a little kid can not run a home.

Well you should stop him from hitting you, My daughter bite me when she 2 1/2 years old and that was in the early 90's that's when A.I.D.S was very big news and so that truly scared me, so the very next time she bite me, I bite her back she looked at me and cried it hurt me to do it, but she needed to know that was not nice! and after that she never bite me or anyone else, because what if she had bitten someone with A.I.D.S. as parents sometime our job is not fun,you have to find out what works in your home.

To this day she is a freshmen in college and she stills respects who I am because she is my child and I'm not hers and know i did not have to do a lot of spanning because if you stop it while there little it helps you have peace of mind in your home.

Maybe he's not ready for the potty, Doctor's say they should get it in a week and if not he's not ready. do you make it fun. I used to put cheerios in the potty and let him aim for them. I made it a game. That's my nine year old son.

Welcome to having a 2yr old.

First thing. It's not you against Him. The two of you need to work together to get through this. Fighting and struggling just makes things worse.

What you can do is talk gently to him explain to him what you are doing want done and make him feel understood. I know you don't want Momma to do xyz but we need to do xyz because 123

Don't make him sit and cry, comfort him. He's just as frustrated as you are.

The 5 steps worked really well for us in gaining some compliance.
1st you use their name and tell them what you want done and why.
2nd you ask again
3rd you ask them if they need help be7cause you can see that they are having trouble9 HELP IS NOT A PUNISHMENT IT"S HELP!
4th you hel3p them (this might be helping, or physically taking their hands and having them pick up toys)
5th if they fight throw a fit, get down on their level behind them hold them in a bear hug and talk gently to them, tell them that you know they are upset it's ok to be angry but we still need to clean up/stop playing/do whatever and when you are calm I will let you go so we can try again.

It took 2 weeks of doing this consistently before my oldest would comply after step 2.

Kids need consistency in discipline (discipline does not mean punishment btw they are two seperate things)

On the potty thing, it's really very normal for a child to decide not to use the potty (esp if they are gaining new skills!), don't push the issue he'll come back to it when he's ready.

P.S sorry for any typos I had my three yr old helping :-)

First of all, he can sense when you are angry and frustrated. As hard as it is, try to not let him know your emotions. It is not uncommon for children to regress. Try to be patient! He will get back on track again. When he is acting out, try not to "talk" too much to him. Give him a simple "No" or "Stop", etc. and then just walk away. The more "talking" or attention you give to him will just further encourage this negative behavior. Just like any stage, he will grow out of it and it won't last forever. Hang in there!!

Hi H.~
All I can tell you is that it is a stage that he will grow out of UNLESS you give in to his temper! Trust me, he can whine just longer than your patience lasts! :) The only way to get him through this and help him come out the other side the sweet boy you remember is consistency! Stick to your guns and follow through, if you give in, you are only teaching him to scream longer next time. While he is testing his limits, take his little hand and *GENTLY* squeeze (only enough so that he knows the difference btwn this and playtime...not to inflict discomfort!!) while you are telling him no, or whatever you choose as the verbal negative and redirect, redirect, redirect!!! When he stops, reinforce with hugs, kisses, cuddles, etc. He will get it, I promise! Remember you are the parent! :) My boys have all responded beautifully to this, and no, they aren't afraid of me! ;) (sorry, that's the sarcasm coming out!) Good luck!!
~L.

If the change only happened a few days ago, maybe something is bothering him, maybe he doesnt feel well, or something else is going on. My son turned from sweet to crazy, but it was gradual. Good luck.

I highly recommend the book Love & Logic Magic for Early Childhood: Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years
by Jim Fay and Charles Fay. I've already started using some of the techniques with my infant daughter and I know people who have used the techniques with older children and they work wonderfully! It's a short book and very easy to read, especially when your motivated by bad behavior. The techniques are easy to use too.

Sorry, it happens to even the nicest. Be firm and give options when you can. Patience is a frangrance I hope you have lots of...we have been dealing with it for about 4 months now but part of our problem is my pregnancy too. My son reverted on his potty training too when he got sick and we have been unable to regain that ground for the time being. Figured we try again once the chaos from new brother was over.
Good luck and hang in there. Lots of positive reinforcement when he does good.
C.

Who says you shouldn't give into his "demands"? Young kids his age aren't being manipulative when they misbehave, they're expressing discomfort. Generally when a child's behavior changes drastically in a short amount of time, they're experiencing a developmental growth spurt or are sick. Same with lapses in potty training. My opinion is that you should pay *more* attention to him-you may discover the source of his discomfort or frustration. Ask him what's wrong, and really listen. Even if he's not very vocal, he'll appreciate that you're really trying to help him.

Also, you're probably getting into the "terrible two's" stage. This is a time when kids are learning that they are seperate from their parents. They're testing limits, and learning about the big big world around them. It's important to set limits, and offer select choices. Allow him to make his own choices, but limit them to two. For example, do you want to wear the red shirt or the blue shirt. Do you want a peanut butter or ham sandwich. By just asking what do you want to eat or wear, you're offering too many choices-he'll be overwhelmed and frustrated.

Don't give into the hype that you have to ignore his pleas for attention-this is a stage where you're child needs extra care and attention.

Hello H.,

I am a mother of 4 children. (now adults) I read all these responses and have to at the very least, smile. I hear all you young parents trying to 'talk, reassure, gently take his hand...on and on. A 2 year old is not a reasoning person, they want what they want and when they want. I never gave my children a time out, never tried to reason with a 2-5 year old. (they don't understand that)I patted them on the bottom, told them no, walked away and let them cry. They will come to you for love and comfort when they realize they are not 'winning' this battle. My children are now the ages of 25-18 and are healthy, respectful adults and know that I am (still) not going to give in to their every whim. They have made some bad choices and I make them figure it out but yet give them support with their decisions. I know we are living in a different world. But children are a gift and we brought them into this world with the intenion of teaching and guiding them. You can be strong and they will never forget that what Mom says is what is going to happen. (yes, when they came to me when they were done crying we hugged, laughed and giggled) If you tell them you are not putting up with that behavior and you don't, they know you are serious. BUT when you say you are going to do something fun with them they also know that they can believe you and it is going to happen, That is so important. Good luck my friend...you have many many years to love this little guy.

K.

Is he getting his 2 year molars, that could be part of his problem. He also is heading into the terrible 2's. I remember how difficult my son became and I hated watching him cry. The only way to stay sane for me was to stick with the time outs. His time doesn't start until he is quiet. It is very difficult for about a week but if you don't give in the pay off is so worth it. My son turned around so fast after I started sticking to it. Now he is a wonderful almost 7 year old who is very obedient. I wish you the best of luck and as I am sure you have heard before consistency really does work.