Please tell me about teething molars....

[Jend1002]

My DS is 2y9m and is getting his last two year molars - both top at once.  He got his bottom 2 year molars a while back and this time, things are really really rough.  I am wondering if what I am seeing is actually the teething or if it is a behavior shift so I'd like to hear about others' teething experiences....

DS has been really behaving in a challenging way - a lot of hitting (at me and his friends), a lot of meltdowns, and really countering/resisting absolutely everything.  He fights a diaper change, getting dressed, eating, anything really.  I am trying to be patient - I really am - but I feel like I am failing in that regard too.  The hitting and scratching every time I ask him to do something he doesn't want to do is what is really getting me the most frustrated, honestly. 

He also has never been a good sleeper and generally never sleeps through the night but he has been waking a ton and is somewhat difficult to get to sleep, for naps and bedtime and after wake-ups too. 

I know that no one can tell me why this is going on, of course, but has anyone else's child changed a ton during the teething process?  Or is this a new display of independence that I will have to learn to work with?  Kind of hoping my pretty sweet (but always strong-willed!) DS comes back soon! 

[Verloren]

My DS is a bit younger than yours and only has one 2 year molar so I can't comment about the exact stage you're at. He does turn into a bit of a monster when he doesn't sleep well though. He is normally very sweet but when he's tired and gets frustrated he kicks and hits and bites. I would guess that the teething is disrupting his sleep and causing him to act out. Hope those teeth are in soon. I can't wait to be done with teething!

[leftcoast_trillium]

My 23 month old is working on 3 of his 2 year molars at once and has a lot of the same sorts of behaviors you mention. He's needing a lot more time between transitions and a lot more patience from us. I've decided to give him slack about things since I feel like if I was in that much pain and that sleep deprived I'd need some slack too. So I don't make him put a new diaper on but just let him go diaper free. And I tell him things probably 20 times before I move in and do it. But there is a lot of shrieking, no no no no noing, taking more than an hour to go to sleep when he is clearly tired, etc. To be honest, we've also started using ibuprofen at night so that he can get a good 6 hr stretch. Otherwise it's up every 2 hrs.

The other thing that helps is telling lots of stories about him or his toys doing things (that he is feeling resistant about) or telling stories about how the dentist asks papa if he has brushed the little guy's teeth. He loves to hear the same story every night about the dentist But baths have become huge issues and we're being creative (toys get baths before he does, and then get dried off in a little towel just like he does). I think it's that he's in pain, sleep deprived and is changing developmentally. That's a lot to handle at once! I'm hoping my rowdy sweetie comes back too.

Good luck!

[Jend1002]

Thanks leftcoast - this perspective is something I will keep in mind!
 

Originally Posted by leftcoast_trillium 

I've decided to give him slack about things since I feel like if I was in that much pain and that sleep deprived I'd need some slack too.