Bad Mood

What about teething? My 18 month old has been very crabby when her molars were bothering her, and now the canines have been coming in and I swear they are worse!
It could also be the frustrations of being 1 and a half years old. They want to be independant so bad, but they aren't quite there yet. They can't communicate very well either. I try to get her to do as many things for herself as possible, this seems to really make her feel good about herself, and she is less crabby.

YES! My 14 month old is doing that exact thing. My 2 year old did not do this. Id like to hear responses as well! GOOD LUCK!

I could be wrong but it was my first thought when I read this....could he be mistreated at daycare? Either that or maybe he's not getting a good nap there. Does it get any better on the weekends....if so, it could be either one of these. Maybe drop by on the daycare unexpectedly?

C.,

It is the most frustrating thing in the world when you don't know why your little guy is upset, I know. I have a now 21 month old and I have finally learned that when he acts like this (unconsolable) he is teething. I know it sounds simple but this is exactly how he has acted with the last few teeth that have come in and now he just started it again as his 2 yr molars are coming in. Not sure if this helps but I feel your pain!!! Good Luck!

I'm starting to go through this with my 15 month old. I try to get him busy with something, snack, play outside, or watch his favortie (The Wiggles). This has helped some not all. Like yours he goes to daycare too, its something about the attention.

Dear C.,
My son turned 2 in January and he has been extremely challenging since about 13 months old. I also took him to the doctor countless times thinking something must be wrong. Sometimes he is sick and lots of times not sick. My son is very good in daycare, but at home can be a nightmare. My husband and I have actually sought parenting help from psychologists. That has helped somewhat. Time has helped. My son is a lot better because he is becoming more verbal on a daily basis and responds to rewards like stickers or going to the park. My son also always seemed to be in a bad mood. I think it was a combination of separation anxiety, not being able to verbalize his wants, and just being stubborn. Friends and family I know says boys are harder and it's "the terrible two's." There is a book called "Raising Your Spirited Child". It gave me a lot of insight and assurance in my skills as a parent. Give it a try. I feel your pain!!! I promise it gets better!! K.

C., first off, I am soo sorry you are going through this. It is so stressful as a mother not to know what is wrong with your child. There is not telling what it could be, however, if he was my child this is what I would do & have done in the past. Since both my kids were newbornds I have taken them to the Chriopractor. I know...I questioned it at first, but a friend told me about how it worked on her colicy baby. Since I have been taking them both there have been several occasions when the kids have been very emotional/cranky and to my astonishment they were out of alignment and with a little adjustment from the doctor, they were happy with in 5 minutes and stayed that way. So when my kids seem to get out of sorts, I take them in to see Dr. Stan. He is AWESOME with kids. He has 3 of his own. The us a machine called the atlas machine. I don't understand how it works, but it does. They do not physically move the child. They lie down on thier side and then they put this machine next to their ear (not in it) a little click sound goes off and that's it. It doesn't even look like it touches your child. Most of the time they get out of adjustment due to a fall or something of that nature. Give it a try, it can't hurt, it just may give you back your happy baby. I don't think they charge anything for the first visit. We use Dr. Stan Pierce

Place: PierceClinic of Chiropractic
www.advancedorthogonal.com
Address: 2201 62nd Ave. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33702
Phone: ###-###-####.

Hi! My son is turning two this Friday and he went through this really bad between 15-21 months old. Just like another mom said, now that he is talking in phrases, things are much better. I think time is going to be the only true fix for this! My son is also in a home daycare that he LOVES! But from what I have read, you son's reaction to coming home is completely normal and a sign of his love and need for you. Of course, that doesn't make it any easier! He knows he can come home and vent all his frustrations about the day and get out all his tantrums as well, because he knows you love him unconditionally and trusts you completely.
Try immediately doing something fun with him just the two of you when you get home. I had always dragged my son inside to change diaper, clothes, get drink etc... I then realized that he doesn't care about that stuff at all!! Things really got better when instead of doing the above and then trying to cook dinner, I do someting fun with him. So now, we come home and play outside or go for a walk around the block. After that, I offer him his favorite crackers and favorite juice. He is then happy enough to play by himself while I cook a quick dinner. So sometimes, we don't eat until 6 and sometimes he stays in a dirty T-shirt, but overall he is much happier. I wish you luck, I remember being at my wits end with this behavior!

Did they check his iron? My baby gets cranky like that when his iron is low.

My daughter will be 16 months old tomorrow and she has just started that. She cries in the evening to get in her booster seat, once she starts eating it gets a little better. Tonight she cried through her bath, which we skipped last night, but tonight she was covered with black beans. I try to ignore her or get on her level (on the floor) and talk her down. I think she is having a problem communicating and... she wants to be more independent, but obviously dinner and bath are important. I understand your frustration. For now I am waiting it out. She started this at about 12 months and the more words she has learned the better she got. So I am talking her through it in hopes she learns some more words and can communicate easier.

S.

C.,
Best of luck. It has been a long time ago since my child was teething; but, one great thing that worked and was all natural was and is Hyland's teething tablets.
I hope it all gets worked out quickly for you and you have a happy child again!
L.

Check out his daycare. If you can, make some unannounced visits? Just a suggestion.
sorry, after posting this noticed all the other responses! (I'm new to the site) hope all turned out well.