Difficult 1 year old
So I know it’s fairly normal developmental behaviour but I’m struggling. My son was a dream of a baby but since he turned 1 one (he’s 20 months), life has just become so hard. It feels like a fight every few minutes. To get in the pram, in the car seat, for snacks, to go outside when he can’t, to change his nappy, to get him dressed, to get to things he shouldn’t. And I’m pretty chill. But it’s constant screaming and tears and thrashing and I’m finding it so hard, especially physically on my body as he’s a big boy. Me and my partner are fortunately able to keep pretty measured even when we went to scream ourselves and we are talking him through things but he hasn’t really started communicating yet. I’m not sure what else we can do, I know it will end one day but it’s making life miserable, we’re struggling to enjoy him which makes me sad and we’re struggling to do anything that we used to do because of the fear of it.
The ‘magical 18months’
So all I’ve heard since the day I had him was, you’ll want another when you get to the 18 month mark.
The 18month mark is the best, they’re calmer and happier.
He’s been a hard baby, prem, constantly cried and now he’s a hard toddler and I don’t expect parenting to be easy, but I expected it to be easier by now.
The tantrums are rotting my brain, the constant whinging from not getting what he wants, the brutal throwing of toys and/or himself.
I feel battered, mentally and physically. Is there hope?