Cranky 13 month old?

Question

Ok, so what I really want to know is if any of you have been or are currently going through this..? My 13 month old son seems to be kinda cranky, (as in spoiled cranky, not sick cranky) he will walk over to me and point at me and fuss, or he will walk around and fuss if he gets bored (even though he has more toys than you can imagine) and he is now at the point where when you pick him up if he doesnt want you to he'll collapse to the ground or if you take something off of him he cant have he throws a fit. He isnt the type that will play for a long period of time or watch a cartoon so I feel like I cant get anything done during the day because I have to change it up all the time for him to stay happy. And yes we do lots of things together like play outside, go swimming, go to the playground and slide etc... but if your not doing that he starts getting bored fussy & lets face it moms, I still have things I have to do like cleaning, laundry, cooking and BRUSHING MY TEETH. any thoughts?

Answer 1

my daughter did go through that phase around the same age. what worked for me is to let her "help" me doing whatever I needed to get done. if you are brushing your teeth, let your son sit in the bathroom and watch you or practice brushing his own teeth. if you are cooking dinner, have him help you with the vegetables (which will usually amount to him eating or playing with them...). make whatever you are doing fun for him by giving him his own little chore to accomplish. I gave my daughter her own cabinet in the kitchen that had all the plastic storage containers, so she could play while I was cleaning or cooking. good luck!

Answer 2

Hate to break the news to you, but it sounds like you need to ignore him a bit. You're the parent and you need to set the boundaries-- the baby isn't in charge here. At thirteen months old he is old enough to learn that he needs to entertain himself on occasion. Tell him, "Mommy's right here cooking dinner." and ignore him. If you're in the store or restaurant when he acts up, immediately take him home. Time out for a minute is perfectly reasonable as well (1 min. per age of child). Be consistent. After a month of consistent ignoring while you get other stuff done, he'll get the idea. Other ideas: Have him help with simple tasks like picking up toys. Sign language is another option because he may be frustrated because he doesn't have the vocabulary to express himself. Maybe you can make a chart with different faces and teach him "sad," "angry," "happy," "excited," etc. Also, the kid doesn't need so many toys! Give some of them to charity! Have him help choose a few to give a new home.

Answer 3

Mom, you have a very advanced 13 mo old !
Sounds more like the antics of the ' terrible twos'

Tantrums & Tempers usually flare around 21...24 mos

Too many toys can overwhelm, resulting in boredom...
(he doesn't know what to do!)

Select only 3 of the most educational/stimulating toys
and put the others away.

When he fusses, 'collaspes' as you describe, or especially
when he hits you, use your superior strength to lift him, as
you smile, un-nerved and say " Little man needs a NAP...or
you must be sooo tired...just REST a bit" as you lower him into
his bed (if he climbs out, put him back in, with authority and
firmness) Leave the room (pray)
Soon, your Little Man will connect his behavior with the isolation
in his bed, (or it could be the timeout on the couch)
Since he's a smart 13mo old he just might be 'cured' by age 2

Answer 4

Ok, I know just what you are talking about. I have three children and am a stay-at-home-mom. You very rarely have a chance to breath because you have so much to do. You're child is having a hard time entertaining himself. You have set the precedence. If you turn around and pay attention to him every time he throws a fit, he'll keep it up. It's really hard on the ears and nerves to have him screaming and thrashing around, but if you are consistent he'll get the message that he's not the one in charge, you are. Let him know you love him, but you have other things you have to do. Don't feel guilty about doing this!

Answer 5

It's tough, that age and until they are about 3 to 4 they can't express themselves and that alone frustrates them, it sounds like maybe that might be your son's problem, maybe he's just got a little temper and gets mad or frustrated when you don't understand what it is he wants. Or maybe he's just testing the limits, which if that's the case I would let him cry it out when you know he's just being cranky for superficial reasons, like if he starts pouting, and you know he's not hungry, he doesn't haeva soiled diaper and he's not sick or bothered then let him cry it out and explain it to him, eventaully he'll catch on. I know it's hard to hear your kid cry and not try and stop them, but sometimes you have to in order to teach them. It may also be that's he's teething, the molars and bigger teeth are now starting to come in and that's painful for them, try those teething gels that you apply on the gums directly, get him frozen icees/pops.

Good luck!

Answer 6

He's little, he wants attention, but you need your time too, so when he fusses, ignore him. When he realizes it never works, he'll stop. It's tough but keep to it and he'll learn to be more independent.