Tearing my hair out!

alcohol??

Apart from that pearl of wisdom I dont have any helpful advice, as you know I have Mr almost 2 year old terror also.  He hasnt physically lashed out  but he can throw some doozies!!  Did a great one the other day when we walked down to get Z off the bus, D in sling, L walked down driveway fine then REFUSED to walk back up again.  Couldnt carry him as I had bubs, so frustrating!  They seem to really know when they are pushing it and go the next step further!  Leo is a stubborn little darling too.

Big hugs to you anyway, Im sure you are doing a fantastic job with your gorgeous wee terror!

KiwiMummy wrote: alcohol??

Is that for Joshua or his mummy?

I really wish I knew the right answer. We have days like this too, I am against smacking but there has been at least one incidence lately when the thought crossed my mind or the alternative, leave her unstrapped and drive off like that (I was trying to get her into her carseat to leave the park). nb. I did neither and eventually got her strapped in and home ready for a new tantrum.

I think there's a number of things to consider:

1) Perserverance and patience - easier said than done when your toddler is screaming/kicking/pulling your hair etc.
2) Know the triggers. Michaela's biggest tanty's are always thrown when she's tired/hungry or both.
3) Give them warning. DH recently read that our little ones, at this age, need forewarning of things. eg. Now when we leave the park I tell her a few minutes before hand "it's almost time to go home now, would you like one more slide before we leave".
4) Provide clear instructions. eg. last night when she didn't want to lie down for her nappy change and was instead screaming for her bottle I kept repeating "nappy, then pjs, then bottle.... nappy, then pjs, then bottle" soon she had lain down and was saying mmm-hmm after each item as I went through our list of things to do.
5) Goal or something to look forward to. Last week when Michaela decided to sit in the middle of the footpath and not budge and inch (and I couldn't pick her up as I'd put my back out) I told her that we needed to get home to feed the cat and if she would walk to the train station she could feed him.
6) Distraction. I will do whatever works (toys, books, a stamp, chocolate). Although when she's throwing a full blown tantrum offering her these things is just giving her something else to throw at me.

I hope you can glean something useful from this.

Thanks for the excellent advice. I've also pilfered a bit from all the other threads on here around this - love the idea of giving him a choice where possible - this might actually work!

Seems to me like there are a lot of us going through similar battles with our wee monkey's at the moment. Is it the weather????

I'm noticing a theme here.... ok, wine it is

Funny you mention about the going to DC in his PJ's - my BF and I were chatting the other night and I told her about J-Monk refusing to get dressed etc, and she told me she HAS actually sent her youngest boy to DC in his PJ's before

Might have to try it next time he refuses to get dressed!

When we got to DC I said that we nearly came in our "jammies" she said they have had MANY MANY kids come like that!

Oh no Bizzy, we have that battle. sometimes it is easier to leave him. he comes out when he is ready....I suppose I shouldn't say that...woops

funny about the pjs a wee girl was at playcentre last week in her pjs.

Oh I hope its a boy thing I don't think I could handle another child like this. After being at mums and bubs the nappy shop for a good 15 minutes with Jack sitting in the pram I went to leave but he decided he wanted to play with the toys. I had to bribe him with red liquorice to get him back in the pram.

b*gger

I had this hope that he would grow out of it soon