15 month old son temper tantrum?

Question

My son has always thrown tantrums, however lately it seems like he's throwing them more and more. He just scream and cries and lays on the floor, sometimes it's because he's frustrated with a toy and sometimes it's for no reason at all. IE I tried to feed him breakfast this AM and he just screamed in his chair, so I took him out and he continued to scream another 15 min until I just layed him back in bed. Now he's sleeping again (I dont know how since he slept 730-730) Am I the only one experiencing this with their little one? Any advice? And please don't tell met ignore it...I already do that but that doesn't seem to be working.

I don't believe it's out of frustration of not communicating with me...he signs more, milk, all done, eat. And says quite a few words as well or points. These are just fits he's throwing.
Molars are no longer to blame since they are already in. I'm thinking maybe it's the incisors coming in, he's coming down with something or he's just into throwing tantrums?

Answer 1

my son is exactly the same at the moment he is 14 months the ignoring doesnt work for me either, i have found getting down to his level holding his hands and looking him in the eyes saying a firm no does wonders but i do not know how much longer this will work, he throws tantrums when it is food time at the moment because he is teething maybe could be the same in your case, or the other thing that works is put him in the lounge with favourite dvd on its amazing how quick they become quiet and watch the show good luck

Answer 2

Hi! My 14 month old daughter acts the same way. So did my other two girls when they were this age. It only got worse, never better especially when they got closer to age two. I've learned that if you play into it, they act out more. I've found that distraction works the best. When she is throwing a fit, I either show her something on TV or outside the window. Or a household item like a spatula or spoon. You have to let him know he is doing something wrong by firmly saying "NO!". Really there is nothing you can do since he is so young. You could put him in his crib for a time out... again he will scream since you are kind of ignoring him. Is he teething? Is he coming down with something? Maybe that's why?? Good luck!

Answer 3

This is very normal for this age. I am a mother of 4 small kids, and trust me, I've seen it all. Between 15-18 months, children get very clingy to their moms. My youngest is 18 months right now, and he used to moan and cry every time I don't hold him. I know you can't carry him on your hip all day because their are things to be done. I found this approach to be the best, and it helps them get over the anxiety the fastest: When the crying starts and he's clinging on your legs for you to pick him up, pick him up. Spend two minutes hugging him, and talking to him, really showering him with attention. Put him back down. He will cry. Ignore him until he stops. Then, later in the night, if he does it again, do the same. Eventually, the time between the snuggling sessions will get less and less. With this approach he will feel secure that you love him, but he will also get the message that you can't carry him all day and that he needs to become a little more independent. The hardest part is hearing him cry, but tought it out. It took me about 3 days.

Answer 4

Do you think he could be frustrated due to his lack of ability to communicate with you? Once my daughter started learning words she was a lot less frustrated. It could also be a control issue, offer him choices, limit it to just two or three choices not a whole bunch. That way they feel like they are in control. at breakfast ask if he wants ie an apple or a banana. At first he can point to which one, and eventually he will start naming items.
I learned quick that the terrible two's does not just start and end at the age of two, it can start a lot earlier and go a lot later as well.

Answer 5

Welcome to the club! My 15 month old is doing the same thing. They say it is a way to communicate independance and then confusion with the need for closeness. Their emotions run high now but have short attention spans too.
Also, I think its cool for them to yell and make LOUD noises and they are really getting to discover that they can make noise and experiment with their voices.

As hard as it is, I try to not pay too much attention when my daughter gets loud and screachy! I try to divert her attention to something else and then tell her "I cant understand you when you speak in that screachy voice". She may not understand exactly what I am saying, but they get the jist and understand more than we think most times.

I am told its a phase and will pass.

good luck

Answer 6

That's because he's figuring out more of his world and what he wants/likes to do, and doesn't like to do...and when he wants things to happen...but he has no other way of communicating it to you.

It's frustrating, but you have to be patient. There's no magic button here.

Is he cutting his molars? My kids get extra kookoo when those darned molars came in around then.

Answer 7

i know this is frustating huh ?
but actually if your a stay home mom , thenjus try talking to the boy in a very-very comforting sweet toned voice ,also tease him saying (if you cry the belly-button monster is going to take your belly-button away !!) and gently pinch the button and hide it !!!
or take him outside and say look !!!!! (at whatever's-out there ) and explain to him WHAT YOU SEE !!

7-BOY'S LATER I KINDA LAUGH AT THE WAY('S) I EDUCATED BUT ALSO ENTERTAINED THE LITTLE CURTAIN CLIMBER'S ! PLEASE TRY THIS AND USE YOUR OWN IMAGINATION AND PLEASE,PLEASE-DON'T RUN TO THE DOCTOR FOR HELP ON THIS - HE'LL JUST GIVE YOU SUGAR PILLS !!!
MORAL= SPEND SOME GOOD QUALITY TIME WITH THE KIDDO !!!

Answer 8

I will relate to you my experiences on how to deal with this in young children.

My 8 month old recently took to having yelling fits. It got really REALLY bad with diaper changes, the SECOND I laid him down to de-pants him he started twisting and screaming and carrying on. He just started a new thing. Usually when we're out in the store and he wants down to go explore something closer than just from my arms so he SCREAMS and twists and carries on.

I honestly was at a loss. I know he knows what NO means, we've learned that lesson already, but i thought to myself, certainly I cannot punish him at 8 months. Good grief. I tried distracting him.. it worked for a short while, until he realized thats what I was doing.

I tried restraining him, telling him no, singing, trying to make him laugh.

The diaper changes got SO out of hand he literally smeared poopies all over the place each changing from all his struggling. One day my mother in law and husband were home, and I was changing him on the floor, and it literally took THREE of us to coax him into a diaper. It was at that moment I realized how rediculous this was, and how much I was failing him as a parent.

From that day on I realized he didnt need punished, because i knew he was too small to understand reasoning, but I realized since he knew was NO meant he wasnt too young to understand cause and effect.

I got firm with him about his diaper changes. I'd scoop him up, tell him he made peepees and we needed to change his diaper, laid him down talked about it to him as I was changing him (more for me than him, so i'd be in the habit of doing that when he was old enough to reason), and then smacked his leg two little smacks when he tried to roll off, and said NO very seriously. Not painful mind you, just enough to catch his attention. The first time I did it he stopped all together and looked at me like i was crazy. He laid there though until I was done.

THe second time he tried it again, two little smacks and a no, and he WAILED like I was beating him with a broom, I ignored him and just talked about the diaper change, what we do and dont do blah blah. He tried to roll off screaming, two little smacks and a no, and he laid still and cried.

The third time he tried to roll and wiggle, two smacks and a no, and he didnt move or cry.

Now all i say is "Oh, Malachi NO." ANd he stops right away and doesnt roll off.

As for the tantrums in the stores, they were getting really REALLY bad. Arching his back, pulling my hair, SCREAMING at the top of his lungs. Good grief. It dawned on me one day to do the same thing.

He started screaming in JC penny this weekend, he wanted down to play with a mirror. I swung him onto my hip, slapped his thigh twice, told him NO we dont throw fits and looked at him sternly. Iam not kidding you he stopped right then and there. He tried it again at walmart the next day, in the cart. I snatched him up, two smacks and a no, and he stopped. We've been out each day since and no problems, all I have to do is say no, we dont do that.

Obviously I couldnt do this if he were tired, or i had not been careful to allow him to play and expend some energy. But when I KNOW he's just expressing himself in a poor manner I react this way each time.

To give you some proof of how well it works, he sat through a retirement dinner, speeches gifts, and roasting for THREE HOURS friday night. Without so much as a peep, he just laughed and talked to himself and others and had a fun time.

Good kids dont just happen, theyre made. Dont ignore behaviors, parenting is progressive, not stagnent.