Temper Tantrums - Hamlet,NC

Hey my little girl has them too shes a little over 1 now and its got to the point where i just let her throw her self around she likes to hit her head on things and ive had to stop that part but i think its normal they are learning that they cant have everything they want i think....

Yeah, actually, this is about the age they start to test their limits, and their vocal cords! Especially if you're just sitting on the couch and she looks at you and howls. Also, its about time for one of the many "can't be more than 3 feet away from mommy" phases that she will go through. If she doesn't seem to be showing symptoms of getting a cold or anything, its most likely just teething or trying to get attention or both. When it comes to bedtime, its time to let her cry and learn its bedtime. If it lasts more than 15 minutes, go in and lay her back down if she's up, and rub her back. Tell her you love her and its time for bed. Then if it still continues, wait a little longer to see if it stops, but do not pick her up. This is the test: "If I scream my head off, does mommy do what I want?" Meaning if she doesn't want to go to bed, do you let her make the decision or you? This includes naptime. If you let her nap and put her to bed around close to the same time everyday it'll be really easy for her to adapt to the schedule on her own and should get used to it within a few days. It hurts for sure in the beginning, but stay firm so she will know to respect mommy. The crying should go away unless, like i said, she has something medically wrong with her. :)

The best advice I can give, is the advice of my mother-in-law. She told me that when my children started throwing tantrums, to just ignore the children. Once they see that they are not getting their way & they realize you aren't going to coddle them they usually quit. Another thing that I did was to pick up my son or daughter & place them in their crib & shut the door to their room. Good Luck with this. I know it is very stressful when they go thru this stage. I hope my advice helps you. Have a wonderful day!!!

I have a one year old who has started this type of behavior. It's very hard to get things done when he acts like that. I try and ignore it by his scream reaches an octave that makes me cringe. I'm sure it's a phase...but mine is a little older.

Hi S.,

If you have checked everything that you can and you know she hasn't been hurt and she is just screaming to scream, try mimicing her behavior. If she screams you do what she does (funny faces and all). I often used, "I don't like that song...could we sing another one?" Then, I'd start singing a kids song. My mother used to tell us that if we were screaming, there had better be blood. If I screamed she would act like she was panicing and look around asking where the blood was. When I looked at her strangely, she'd say, "I heard you scream and I thought you must be bleeding, because you don't scream unless you're really hurt." Sometimes, it helps to mix it up a little, too. My boys got through the scrreaming phase quickly using these techniques.

Good luck!!

Hi S.,
I would contact my Pediatrician ASAP if my 7 mo old started screaming inexplicably. It may just be gas, but since little ones have no other way to communicate, (ie: telling us where it hurts, pointing to her tummy, etc) she's screaming and crying. For a 7 mo. old to scream and cry, I don't think that's normal. She may also be reaching out for attention.

good luck!

Good Morning S.,

First of all please don't feel quilty about what your child is doing. Remember one thing and that is you are the parent and you must be in control of every situation. Your little girl may not fully understand what is about to happen about having a new baby sibling, but she knows and sense a change is coming. Includer her with the planning of the new baby's arrival. Everything she begins with a tantrums, Firmly tell her no and then walk away (of course, stay within arms reach so she doesn't hurt herself). She has to know that the behavior she is doing is unexceptable and it will not be tolerated. If you don't stop it know, she will always be able to manipulate you with guilt. I hope this will help. Remember to take charge.

When is she screaming? Is it at night or when you leave the room? 7 mths is when separation anxiety starts to hit - no fun. I have a 7.5 mth old boy and he mainly started doing this at night. I hold him in my arms tightly until he calms down and then lay him in the crib (he starts crying again at this point). I then pat his back while singing a lullaby until he calms again - I try not to pick him up again. Once he calms, I try to leave the room before he falls asleep. In the beginning this took a while, but now it only takes about 5 minutes. The idea is that I am trying to help him calm down on his own, while, at the same time, letting him know that I am there.

If it isn't a sleep thing (or an overtired thing), do you think it might be teething?

Hope that helps!!!

Good luck!