tantrums/anger/don't know what - help?

Over the past few days Elliot has been having at least one big meltdown each day. I don't know what is causing it. He often throws a fit when he's told "no" or if I take something away from him that he wants (like the remote or the phone that he shouldn't have gotten in the first place), but this is something new.

Now, usually at meal time, he just loses it. He will fight going in his chair, not let us put on his bib, and he will just scream and cry and punch himself in the head, sometimes tries to bang his head on table. He ends up not eating anything (throws anything we try to give him) and pretty much ruining dinner for all of us. We just can't figure out what's setting him off.

I've tried taking him out of his seat and holding him on my lap to calm him down, but he just screams and screams. He eventually calms down on his own. I think he'd probably calm down faster if we put him in front of the TV, but I DON'T want him learning that he can watch more TV by throwing fits.

This started right after we got home from Thanksgiving travels . . . I was hoping it was just the busy weekend catching up with him, but he's done it 4 days in a row now.

Any ideas?

-Rachel

 

Over the past few days Elliot has been having at least one big meltdown each day. I don't know what is causing it. He often throws a fit when he's told "no" or if I take something away from him that he wants (like the remote or the phone that he shouldn't have gotten in the first place), but this is something new.

Now, usually at meal time, he just loses it. He will fight going in his chair, not let us put on his bib, and he will just scream and cry and punch himself in the head, sometimes tries to bang his head on table. He ends up not eating anything (throws anything we try to give him) and pretty much ruining dinner for all of us. We just can't figure out what's setting him off.

I've tried taking him out of his seat and holding him on my lap to calm him down, but he just screams and screams. He eventually calms down on his own. I think he'd probably calm down faster if we put him in front of the TV, but I DON'T want him learning that he can watch more TV by throwing fits.

This started right after we got home from Thanksgiving travels . . . I was hoping it was just the busy weekend catching up with him, but he's done it 4 days in a row now.

Any ideas?

-Rachel

 

I have absolutely no advice but I wanted you to know that you are not alone. Both of mine have started doing this. More so, since we got back from Grandmama's for Thanksgiving. I just figured they are preparing me for the terrible twos and this too shall pass. Hope you get some replies with advice but at least, you are not alone.

 

you know, one of mine (more than the other) did this for a while too. Mealtimes were terrible. It was as if she thought we'd try to hold her down and force food into her mouth. It lasted 3 months (on and off - mostly on) or so. Right about when they turned 2 I stopped using the high chairs and got them a little toddler table to eat at. This helped immensely. I had a lot of trouble getting her to eat, but the temper tantrum and crying mostly stopped.

 

Rachel, I just posted about this too!!

What I have done successfully a couple of times is to wrangle my DS into his feeding seat and DO NOT give food. But let him sit with the rest of the family (DD is happy to eat!) and turn him so that he cannot see us, but can hear us (a young version of a time out). He eventually calms and I slip one little piece of food on his tray and he's ended up eating.....

The TV isn't the answer. That's a perk for doing something bad IMO.... but until you figure something out, you have to survive!!

 

Lauren my temper queen. All I can add is best wishes. I tired ignoring her, worked at times, other times I had to put her in her room and walk away.
It almost drove me insane. Its worse when your alone trying to do things and they freak. She still has one every now and then but not as much. THANK FULLY!!!!

It has to be the worst most annoying thing baby wise I've handled so far. It baffled us.

 

cameron will do that at meal times sometimes and i have no clue what triggers it. sometimes i think he's so starving and i don't get him food fast enough (goes in booster while i get the food ready) othertimes i wonder if it's his teeth bothering him. i do the same thing - hold him if he's really having a melt down and get him to calm down, but there are times when he ends up eating next to nothing - and he is my little piggy so that is highly unusual. good luck!

 

I just posted this in another one but it could be an ear infection. My girls act out of sorts with tantrums and behavior that is just not right. Especially at the table, it hurts to eat and that is all they can communicate. It could be strep as well. Of course, I don't realize this until it has been almost a week into the behavior. But if it has been for 4 days, you might want to take him in. My girls did not have fevers at all, so I was dumbfounded. I hate to say blame it on being sick, but if this behavior is not normal and he still hasn't snapped out of it, I would think it is internal-good luck!