DS will NOT stop crying. Any AP ideas to stop this behavior? Should I ignore it like everyone...

[LDSmomma]

DS & I had the flu a few weeks ago.  I think he got spoiled.  He got to eat and do anything he wanted, since all he really wanted to do was nurse, eat fruit, and watch TV, and I was sick as a dog too, so Blues Clues all day long was fine with me.  

Now that everyone's all better, though, DS is a monster.  Whenever he doesn't get his way, he screams and cries, at the drop of a hat.  When I fix whatever the problem is (for the reasonable issues), he chooses something else to cry about, and on and on.  He just wants to scream. 

One thing I try, which works about half the time, is refusing to give whatever he wants until he stops crying.  About half the time, he can just stop, with only a few wimpers, and then he can get whatever the reasonable thing is that he wants.  

But what to do about the unreasonable things?  Like I can't leave the room without him screaming, and he acts like he hates DH, which is really starting to wear on DH.  

[MusicianDad]

I would just keep up what you're doing. He's probably still recovering from the flu, even after it's gone some people still feel like crap from the effort of fighting it off.

As for him acting like he hates your DH... I hate to say it, but that is a perfectly normal milestone for toddlers. In this case, go with the flow. Eventually he will switch gears and only want dad to do things with/for him.

[The Imp and I]

oh dear,,,, not a nice time for you at all.... I'm not sure what the answer is but i did want to send hugs and positive thoughts. Is there any chance he still isn't well or has another issue like a new set of molars? Has anything else changed maybe? diet? Could it be that the flu segued directly into the terrible twos and tantrums? I don't think I would ignore him. he needs something even if it turns out to be nothing to do with whatever he's actively crying about. My DS just developed a daddy aversion but i haven't worked it out either. 

Loads of positive thoughts and I hope tomorrow is a better day. 

[LizzieRed]

This same thing is happening to us right now with my 2 1/2 year old DD.  We all had the flu and now that we are mostly better she has suddenly become a whiny mess.  She used to use words all the time, now she whines or cries immediately when she wants things and changes her mind constantly so her "need" is never met.  We've been well a few days now but this is continuing and starting to really wear on me.  She also suddenly wont let her Dad do anything for her.  If she wants her water, but he hands it to her, she cries that "Mommy needs to do it".

I hope this is still fall out from being sick.  This was her first real extended illness and the first time we have all been sick at the same time so we did a lot of laying around, nursing on demand, and TV.

How long should I ignore?  LDSMomma, let me know if this resolves on it's own for you guys.

[Peony]

I'd second/third? that he is still recovering and getting back to himself takes a while. DD2 has had many an illness, strep last month took a good 3+ weeks for her not to be a monster and she is 4. I remember the flu last year was a month before I felt like she was herself again. 

[LDSmomma]

You exactly perfectly explained what our life was like for the two weeks DS was sick.  He was only really sick for a few days, but for two weeks was this awful whiny impossible child.  Then, magically, one day it all stopped, and he's been wonderful.  I'm thinking he just got over being sick, though the rest of us felt better a week before.  As time went on, his whiny periods would only be in the evenings, rather than all day long.

But, the night before his miraculous recovery, I did ignore his crying for the first time.  I realized I was not doing my normal grownup things because I was avoiding his tantrums, so the laundry, dishes, email wasn't getting done.  So, DS was left in the living room, with DH, and I checked my email for 15 minutes.  DH talked to him the whole time, but he just stood at the baby gate and screamed.  When I came back in, he asked to nurse, and I said he had to stop crying first, and I held/hugged him till he stopped (maybe a minute), then he nursed, and was normal and happy the rest of the night, then the next day was a completely different child.

Originally Posted by LizzieRed 

This same thing is happening to us right now with my 2 1/2 year old DD.  We all had the flu and now that we are mostly better she has suddenly become a whiny mess.  She used to use words all the time, now she whines or cries immediately when she wants things and changes her mind constantly so her "need" is never met.  We've been well a few days now but this is continuing and starting to really wear on me.  She also suddenly wont let her Dad do anything for her.  If she wants her water, but he hands it to her, she cries that "Mommy needs to do it".

I hope this is still fall out from being sick.  This was her first real extended illness and the first time we have all been sick at the same time so we did a lot of laying around, nursing on demand, and TV.

How long should I ignore?  LDSMomma, let me know if this resolves on it's own for you guys.