screaming about everything

Are LO's are just over 8.5 months (will be 9 months in a week). Michael, the bigger of the two, has gotten so he screams and cries about EVERYTHING in the last few weeks. :gah: Here are some examples:

-If someone is playing with him or talking to him or even just in the room and they leave - heaven forbid! (everyone, not just me or DH....).
-If I put him down to do something, he screams and cries.
-If he is after something and I try to redirect or distract him, he screams (for example, he is reaching for my glass, which is out of his reach, and I try to turn him away or give him a toy instead).
-Putting him the carseat is a nightmare - he stiffens and cries and screams - once you get him strapped in, he is fine. Same thing the last few days with the highchair - he loves to eat, but actually getting him in the chair is a battle.
-And changing his diaper or getting him dressed - good grief!!

Needless to say, this is wearing me out....is this normal for this age?? I didn't expect these sorts of behaviors for months! He is up to 6 teeth now - got the top four all within a month - I was chalking most of it up to teething, but that seems to have calmed down, yet the screaming continues. I'm really worried he's just going to be a difficult child. I've tried all the teething remedies in case he is in pain, but that doesn't seem to be the issue.

Gabriel, on the other hand, is happy-go-lucky and rarely cries except when hurt or sleepy. :woohoo: He smiles and plays and has none of the battles that Michael has. But, he tends to do things a bit behind Michael, so maybe his turn is coming, too?? I sure hope not.....I'm not sure I can take two screamers!! :faint:

 

OMG! I'm sorry - for some reason I find this hilarious. I'm just picturing this baby screaming at everything... I'm sure this is not funny for you.

I don't have any insight... but i have a feeling it's just a stage. They are trying everything out - and he's probably just testing his screams and cries. Sam loves to scream - he's not upset or anything. He just loves to hear himself scream. When I'm on the phone, people think he's upset and I have to explain that he's actually happy.

How do you react to him?

 

I'm thinking it might be the age. I didn't have any of those things happen with the boys. Annabella on the other hand? Yup-she screamed when we would try to distract her from getting something she shouldn't have...or leaving the room...or wanting to be picked up...and arching when getting into the carseat...and getting changed/dressed. Not sure when she started it, might have been a bit older-but she has definitely done all of that! I hope it's a stage for you and a quick one! Screaming can be like nails on a chalkboard, especially if they are fine and nothing is wrong!

Isn't it nice to have Gabriel balance everything else out? LOL!

 

Yup, sounds like your first round of separation anxiety. Has it started happening at 2 am yet? We had it in different phases with each and we still get bouts of it now. My more intense little girl seems to be worse when she is having bad teething pain. Your babies are headed towards becoming little people. Here comes the emotion - hope your seatbelt is tight momma.

 

Well, with the carseat and the high chair, we usually just end up fighting him until he goes in.....with everything else, we usually just try to get up and go somewhere else - to a different area of the room, outside, something like that, and usually he chills out after a minute or two. Or we do something silly or tickle him to get him laughing. Usually one of those things works - if not, I know he is probably tired or something else is wrong. It doesn't usually last more than a minute or two, but it's very tiring over and over all day long!

 

I'm really hoping it is the age! And yes, thank goodness at least one of them is cheery most of the time - I'm not sure what I'd do with two of them being like that!!

 

I was wondering about the separation anxiety - I know they are about the right age for that to start. I guess I was just hoping it would be put off a little longer or not come at all. Guess I'm not that lucky, huh? :laughing: But no, no 2am screaming. They still wake at night pretty frequently, but it is mostly teeth and stomach issues. Any time we give them a new food, they don't sleep well for a day or two until they get used to it, so we've come to expect waking up at night....usually it's just fussing, though, not the screaming.

 

My much easier twin (just turned 8 months today) has just started doing this too. It's so frustrating. He cries whenever we put him down, or finish a bottle, or finish a meal, or take away a forbidden object, or put him in his car seat, or try to change his diaper...etc. I will say this - if we leave him for a minute, he sometimes pulls it together and stops on his own. I'm assuming it's just a stage!

If it makes you feel better, I still would rather have this over my other twin with horrible stranger anxiety who cries whenever anyone outside of about 4 preferred adults tries to look at her or touch her or feed her! And she's been like that since the day she came out of the womb!

 

Sounds like you are reacting the right way! I can't imagine, that would be tiring to me too! Reading pps replies - I would agree that it sounds like a stage - like separation anxiety, or just feeling anxious in general with changes (any change) and not sure how to handle those feelings. I'm just taking a shot in the dark... but does he have a lovey or toy or something that he likes? Maybe if he had that with him as a distraction before you make the change? I do that with the boys when I have to put a shirt on them - they hate to have a shirt go over their head, so right before, I either start singing to them in a certain funny way to make them laugh, or i give them a favored toy. Also, the boys have a toy that they love hanging from the top of the car seat - so when they go in they can immediately play. Same thing at the high chair - they have their high chair toys. Just some thoughts.

 

Same thing happening with my twins and it started around 8-8.5months. I just figured its separation anxitey, i hope it ends soon, its sooo exhausting! It seems to switch daily on who screams more!

 

Yeah, we do have toys all over, but they don't really help. The lovey at the changing table helps a little bit, but not always. The high chair or carseat toys make no difference until he is actually in the chair and strapped in and chills out. I think he just doesn't like that it's not his idea to go in there! :laughing:

 

LOL - maybe if you said to him first, "oh, you want to go into the high chair? Well, okay, if that's what you want!" He, he. Sounds like he has the upper hand here... hang in for the ride until this "stage" blows over

 

Lol. Well, either way, he always ends up in the chair! :spiteful: