2 year old driving me nuts lately

[DirtRoadMama]

My 2 year old (just turned 2 on Jan 30th) has been going bat-s*** crazy for the past few days. She wants to go potty, then she doesn't do anything. So I try to put on her diaper, no she wants to go potty. So I say go ahead and sit on the potty, then she doesn't go, and almost immediately gets off. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Then, last night trying to get ready for bed, I ask if she wants me to dry her hair, no she wants in bed and her bottle. I say ok and go fix her bottle. She starts screaming to "dry hair" I come back and get the dryer and brush and sit on the floor to dry her hair. She dissolves into a little ball on the floor, screaming "no dry, no dry". So I say ok, then go lay in bed and look at your book while I get your bottle. She starts crying to "dry hair, dry hair". Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

I'm not completely into gentle discipline, but please don't flame me for that. I'm here to get some ideas, and if they work, great!

Anyway, I can tell something is going on here, and I want to help when something is obviously WRONG.

This is driving me crazy, though. I don't have time to endlessly want to sit on the potty in the mornings, and I'm exhausted by the time it's bedtime and the tantrums are getting ridiculous, and I'm loosing my patience.

I've tried giving options. She changes her mind. I've tried just asking what she wants to do, and she changes her mind (see above). I've tried ignoring it, I've tried following through on what she said she wanted even if she's still throwing a tantrum about it (wanting to dry her hair then not (after 4 times of changing her mind), so I set her down and dried it anyway), I've tried redirecting.

Now what?

[sapphire_chan]

The common theme to these things seems to be time with you. Maybe try getting up a bit earlier and waking her up for a morning activity before starting your day?

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

Oh Lord Have Mercy, OP, I SOOOOO HEAR YOU! My 2.5 year old is going through the SAME PHASE right now as we speak. POtty, no potty, tubby, no tubby, cereal bar, no cereal bar, Im hungry, no dinner. And round and round we go. He even ran away from me in the daycare parking lot monday night. Thank goodness it was on the sidewalk, but sheesh! I about had a HEART ATTACK. hes never done that before!

I chalk it up to a developmental phase. Just like the little ones getting cranky when they are gearing up to sit up or crawl, he must be getting ready for something. I am hoping its full fledged pottying! That would be spectacular!

Of course with my luck, a few days after he finally get passed it, his brother will start with a new one. yea!

[swd12422]

I saw you moved this from the other thread, and have to chime in and say that I agree with PPs that a HUGE part of reducing the indecision-type stuff that is SO annoying is to try to reduce your own (outward) frustration. The blow-up DS and I had the other day was DEFINITELY fueled by my response. The initial response to him not wanting to hold my hand in the parking lot should have been more gentle and playful. But since I'm just not that kind of mommy by nature (I'm trying my best to change that), I just grabbed his hand hard and told him it wasn't an option. When he continued to fight, I yelled. That's really not helpful. Now that I've calmed down some, I know that if I'd started out more calmly, it would have ended much more calmly and we probably wouldn't have had more "bad" times that morning, but we did b/c tensions were high.

Since they're 2, tensions are already high. So it's how calm we mommies can stay that helps tame the frustration. A bit. I think. That's what I've been told, anyway... And it has seemed to work today. I felt more calm and DS listened GREAT all morning, and that was with two accidents that could have been avoided if he'd only peed when I told him it was time...

Deep, cleansing breaths, everyone!

ETA: Sorry, I think I was referring to a different thread, but it still applies. And I agree with sapphire_chan that more time with you might help. And changing your routine a bit to account for extra time to potty and mind-change so you don't feel rushed and stressed out. Now, to take my own advice.....