Tantrums at 11 months?

[isabel]

DS will be 11 months tomorrow and he has started tantruming this week. If you take something away or remove him from a situation (i.e. power cords, the dog's food, the trash can, etc.) he flips his shit. You would think he was badly hurt based on the screaming. Red faced, face on the floor, real tears, the works.

Is this normal behavior? I really thought I had more time before this started. lol

[Deleted]

Yes my son started pretty early too! Earlier than I remember with DD

I've mostly been taking an ignore approach, sometimes distract depending on the situation. Good luck!

[krystee]

Yep, DS is doing this too. Fun times!

[isabel]

Mar 8, 2016 0:13:27 GMT -5 krystee said:

Yep, DS is doing this too. Fun times!

I almost tagged you!

How are you handling it? So far, it's a combination of ignoring, attempting to redirect, and letting him crawl into my lap and bawl his eyes out. I can't help but laugh when he does that last bit. It's the most pathetic, adorable thing I've ever seen.

[kategm]

Normal for us

[krystee]

Luckily he is fairly distractible. The big thing is the dog's water bowl. He gets SO mad when we tell him he can't splash in it. Sometimes I'll pick him up and let him put his hands in the faucet instead. Basically, we tell him no and redirect.

Tonight, H was gone and I was getting his bath ready. I had eyes off him for five seconds. I go find him and sure enough, he is elbow deep in the water bowl, soaked from head to toe. He gives me this 100% sassy smile that says, "Of course I shouldn't be playing with this. But I am anyway! Hahahahahaha." Grrrr.

[isabel]

Mar 8, 2016 0:21:52 GMT -5 krystee said:

Luckily he is fairly distractible. The big thing is the dog's water bowl. He gets SO mad when we tell him he can't splash in it. Sometimes I'll pick him up and let him put his hands in the faucet instead. Basically, we tell him no and redirect.

Tonight, H was gone and I was getting his bath ready. I had eyes off him for five seconds. I go find him and sure enough, he is elbow deep in the water bowl, soaked from head to toe. He gives me this 100% sassy smile that says, "Of course I shouldn't be playing with this. But I am anyway! Hahahahahaha." Grrrr.

Lol C doesn't get away with that stuff too easily because he laughs when he realizes the door to the bedroom is open (where the dog's food and water are).

He's hard to redirect though. You'll get him to do something else and then a minute later he's right back at it. It's so calculated too. Like, he knows when I've let my guard down and then he races back to whatever I took him away from.

Kids, man.

[nextbigthing]

DS started this at about 11 months too, he's 12.5 months now

We try to redirect, say "don't touch, don't do that, etc" (none of which works btw)

One thing that stopped him, DH and I both started laughing at him. After a few seconds he started laughing too

[VillainV]

Normal.

We try really hard not to let C even SEE things he can't have or play with. At home we have strategic baby gates and keep doors shut to prevent him from digging through the cat box or whatever.

When we do have to take stuff away, we try to distract him with other stuff he likes and is allowed to play with.

It gets a little bit better when they are more verbal....but not much.

[Deleted]

Normal. DD is 11.5m and does this too. She's easily redirected or distracted though. Most times if j just make a funny face or tickle her, she's fine. Or hand her something new. In public when this happens, I hand her the travel wipes pouch from my diaper bag. It crinkles and she loves it.

ETA: I don't think of it as a "tantrum" per se. A tantrum to me denotes a certain level of self-actualization of wanting to embarrass the parent by making a scene. I don't think a 1 year old has that capability. To me, this is simply developing object permanence. "Hey, that was mine, GIVE IT BACK wahhhhhh!"

[bk1]

Yep. I didn't think it would start so young. In with supergreen, I don't think tantrum but same kind of thing.

[pennylane]

DS started doing that around 11 months too. All you can do is redirect/distract. He happens less frequently now at 15 months.

[mekia]

I remember DS started right when he turned one. I was surprised!

[Cioccolato]

DD started this around 11 months too. Its awesome. LOL

[tootsie]

I remember DD starting at that age, I thought it was early too! Normal though, apparently.

[undecidedowl]

Yes, totally normal. I call them "baby tantrums." DS1 was 3 yo when DS2 started having baby tantrums, so they were downright cute in comparison lol.

Distract, redirect, repeat!

[motzie]

Yup. DD2 started pretty early too. But luckily her version of a tantrum is to slowly lower herself to the ground and then roll around looking distraught. It's very dramatic and pretty funny to watch. I usually just ignore her since she isn't crying or screaming.

[redwino]

DD is 11 months and the tantrums started last month. She usually falls out and cries or screams. She's a determined little thing so she'll just keep trying to get whatever she wants. I have to keep telling her no and redirecting. Her tantrums are brief but loud. They'd be cute if it wasn't my kid.

[carolinagirl831]

umm Yep, totally normal behavior. and unforuntately get used to it because it only gets worse from here

[yourmother]

My baby started a few months he ago. He has a little temper and a very specific cry. He shakes his fists and kicks his legs. HOLD ME.

[lolo]

It's very normal. They are curious about the world around them and it's frustrating when they are not allowed to experience it.

We tried as best we could to make her space one without many of these temptations. She LOVED power cords so we hit or concealed all of them. We latched some of our cabinets so she could not open the ones with the trash etc and moved breakable items higher.

We also started working with her at this point with telling her story. 'I know, you really wanted to play with the power cord. You are upset that I can't let you.'

They won't be able to express it for a while but your tone and language will eventually guide them to appropriate expression of their emotions, which I've found to be a HUGE diffuser of tantrums.

[genet313]

Around that age DD started hitting herself in the head when she was frustrated we wouldn't let her do something.   

Around 12 months she started sitting Indian style, bending over and banging her head against the floor when we wouldn't let her do something.  Very calculated, almost calm banging.   

Now, at 13 months, she's started kicking her legs as fast as she can and bucking her entire body backward when she doesn't want to do something (like put her in the high chair for dinner). 

Le sigh.  I vote normal.  I can see the frustration in her eyes -- she just doesn't have the words yet to tell us how she's feeling.  I do try to acknowledge her feelings and speak to her calmly, because I know she understands me.  Then I redirect.  It's not always successful, but we try.

[isabel]

Mar 8, 2016 10:24:35 GMT -5 lolo said:

It's very normal. They are curious about the world around them and it's frustrating when they are not allowed to experience it.

We tried as best we could to make her space one without many of these temptations. She LOVED power cords so we hit or concealed all of them. We latched some of our cabinets so she could not open the ones with the trash etc and moved breakable items higher.

We also started working with her at this point with telling her story. 'I know, you really wanted to play with the power cord. You are upset that I can't let you.'

They won't be able to express it for a while but your tone and language will eventually guide them to appropriate expression of their emotions, which I've found to be a HUGE diffuser of tantrums.

This is great. I'm going to start doing this with him. I sat him on the couch today while he was throwing a fit and just kind of talked to him. It did seem to help calm him down, even if he wouldn't make eye contact with me. lol

I really need to get a latch for the trashcan. That's the biggest problem right now.