Gah, I really need some help with my two year old (27.5 months). This has a little bit of everything in it, ages and stages, breastfeeding challenges, health, and gentle discipline so please move it if it does belong somewhere else.
Before DS was born, DD was a calm, sensitve, sweet child with patience. Never had a tantrum, never screamed, never hit. She was thrilled about DS and I thought we did a great job with sibling prep and she even participated (and enjoyed!) DS's homebirth. For the first 8 weeks things were great. ( I am tandem nursing and we are co-sleeping with them both). All of a sudden, DD is having a real rough go with her emotions, specifically anger. My little sweet girl will rage uncontrollably like I've never seen any person do. Throwing things, sreaming, hitting herself, spitting, wetting herself (she's fully potty trained) and has no awareness of herself- not cold, hot, physically hurt (from bumping head), ect. She is usually rages like this anywhere from 20 min to two hours and then I can calm her. She wants to be held, then I hold her and she cries to let go. She usually has this rage when I'm busy with DS such as changing him or nurisng him. Around the same time she started this I very gently tried to distract her from nursing at certain times because tandem nursing was really wearing me down and sometimes there was not enough milk for DS (who is now almost 11 weeks old). If I said no to anything, or if she seemed bored, or something wasn't working for she would be set off and immediatly start throwing things, wet herself, hit herself in the face, spit and drop to the floor or run around raging. We have suspected food allergies in the past and are now doing an elimination diet and her face rash has dissapeared and her appetite has super increased. We are hoping this would improve her behaviour as well. I've also started to nurse her pretty much on demand (as much as I possibly can, putting my own discomfort aside and watching milk supply for DS) as well as spending some individual time with her. So far, three days into it and very minimal improvement if any. Sorry this is long and maybe disorganized, Im so concerned for her, it's scary to see her like this. Any ideas, any been there, done that, now my child is fine? Is it that she realizes DS is here to stay and she adjusting to that? Please help.
Oh and I should mention that she is extremely sensitive- at a recent birthday party she saw the kids trying to break open a piniata (sp?) and after observing for a min, she walked out, faced a wall in the hallway and starting crying (a very "sad" cry). When I asked her what was wrong, she sobbed out that "kids are breaking N. (birthday boy) toys".- Even though there was no agression in any of the children while breaking the piniata. She was disturbed by this the whole afternoon. This is just one example of many. It's just her personality right? Any other sensitive toddlers out there? Ack, sorry this is so long, feels good to get it out too.
Before DS was born, DD was a calm, sensitve, sweet child with patience. Never had a tantrum, never screamed, never hit. She was thrilled about DS and I thought we did a great job with sibling prep and she even participated (and enjoyed!) DS's homebirth. For the first 8 weeks things were great. ( I am tandem nursing and we are co-sleeping with them both). All of a sudden, DD is having a real rough go with her emotions, specifically anger. My little sweet girl will rage uncontrollably like I've never seen any person do. Throwing things, sreaming, hitting herself, spitting, wetting herself (she's fully potty trained) and has no awareness of herself- not cold, hot, physically hurt (from bumping head), ect. She is usually rages like this anywhere from 20 min to two hours and then I can calm her. She wants to be held, then I hold her and she cries to let go. She usually has this rage when I'm busy with DS such as changing him or nurisng him. Around the same time she started this I very gently tried to distract her from nursing at certain times because tandem nursing was really wearing me down and sometimes there was not enough milk for DS (who is now almost 11 weeks old). If I said no to anything, or if she seemed bored, or something wasn't working for she would be set off and immediatly start throwing things, wet herself, hit herself in the face, spit and drop to the floor or run around raging. We have suspected food allergies in the past and are now doing an elimination diet and her face rash has dissapeared and her appetite has super increased. We are hoping this would improve her behaviour as well. I've also started to nurse her pretty much on demand (as much as I possibly can, putting my own discomfort aside and watching milk supply for DS) as well as spending some individual time with her. So far, three days into it and very minimal improvement if any. Sorry this is long and maybe disorganized, Im so concerned for her, it's scary to see her like this. Any ideas, any been there, done that, now my child is fine? Is it that she realizes DS is here to stay and she adjusting to that? Please help.
Oh and I should mention that she is extremely sensitive- at a recent birthday party she saw the kids trying to break open a piniata (sp?) and after observing for a min, she walked out, faced a wall in the hallway and starting crying (a very "sad" cry). When I asked her what was wrong, she sobbed out that "kids are breaking N. (birthday boy) toys".- Even though there was no agression in any of the children while breaking the piniata. She was disturbed by this the whole afternoon. This is just one example of many. It's just her personality right? Any other sensitive toddlers out there? Ack, sorry this is so long, feels good to get it out too.
She has Eosinophilic colitis... but I'm not convinced the behavior is connected, since she (pre Christmas) was on an elimination diet, and the behaviors did not change.
