What do you do when your day is shaping up to be "one of those days"….?

Posted by admin on July 9th, 2011

I'm already feeling like I'm going to need a box of hair dye by the end of the night to cover up all the grey-stress hair. My toddler is being a toddler, but more extreme than usual. he INSISTS on messing with everything he's not supposed to; movies, tv/computer cords, window blinds, climbing the dining chairs, throwing things and almost hitting me or his brother, screaming, crying, throwing fits, and so much more. I'm already frustrated and it's not even noon! How am I going to make it through the day in one piece? I've been trying to distract him with coloring, food, and pulled out new toys in hopes that maybe he was just bored with the toys he had. Nothing is making this child happy except to play with the things he isn't allowed to.

I need advice, encouragement, SOMETHING! I don't have family or friends who are able to come take over or help. The earliest someone can be here is six and that's my husband and six hours away!

Fix a bath for him and chuck in lots of tub toys. they can spend hours in a warm bath and it's so relaxing for them.

Another quick trick is to give him a length of rope and some clothes pins and show him how to attach them. He'll spend hours attaching them to the rope and pulling them off and this will help him develop fine motor skills.

I try and take a nap with her or go for a drive, so she sleeps and i get a fattening drink, either starbucks or a frappe from McDonalds. If its warm outside I hit the park, go for a walk, something that she will be busy and I can zone out. Usually the sleeping works best for me.

Toddler is about to nap here. So I just have relaxing qieut time and try nap with him too. I know how that one feels! Napping usually helps me out. but I go to school to so I have tons of work apart from mommy duties which is stressful!!

How's the weather? Take him outside if possible- that always seems to work for me when I've about had enough with toddlers. By the time I've run the energy out of them they're in a much better mood

Usually when my so has his days like that, I just turn off all the lights in the house and we cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie or something. Usually when he starts acting like that it's because he is bored and wants me to do something with him so playing a game or chasing him around the house, reading a book, practicing identifying letters, shapes, colors, etc. will get him to calm down and act like he's any kind of normal again!

When all else fails, let him play with stuff he's 'not allowed' to... provided it isn't dangerous or anything. After picking up all the DVD cases off the floor a few times I just get to a point where I say 'screw it' and let him have at it until he moves on to the next thing.

Oh I feel ya. My 2 year old has been in the same stage lately.

Honestly, I've just stuck her in her room and shut the door a few times so I can calm down (she's in there right now). Her room is the safest place in the house for her and all of her toys are in there so it's not like she's sitting there bored. And I get a break from "Don't touch that!" "Leave that alone" "You're going in time out" "Don't make me ask you again or it's another timeout!"

I'm not sure how old your son is, but have you started timeouts yet? My daughter fought them at first, but she's moved on to acceptance and she grudgingly sits there for the full thing now. she also leaves whatever she was messing with alone (at least for a little while) because she doesn't want to have to sit in the corner again.

I blast the music and start dancing around and singing at the top of my lungs. The kids all join in, no matter how foul a mood they started the day in. sometimes, you just have to forget about the dirty dishes and the redirection and act silly. I've never met a little kid who wouldn't forget what they were doing to dance around with their silly mama.

May I suggest 'never been to Spain' by Three Dog Night? we always make that one super silly.

Yea well let me make you feel better.
I was sick with a stomach bug all last week and really looking forward to catching up on housework/laundry/getting back in a routine today.
Last night I went to bed at 10:30 and awoke at 1:00 to my 3 yr old puking in the hallway. So I cleaned her up, shampooed the carpet, went back to bed. Heard her puke again (in a bucket this time) so I got up and we went to the recliner where she proceeded to puke every 10 min or so until 5:30 this morning. At 5:30 I switched off with my husband and I went to bed. At 6:00 my 2 yr old woke up (which she never gets up this early) and wouldn't go back to sleep b/c her sissy was in the living room. then they both got diarrhea. then at 10:00 this morning my hubby walked in the back door - he is sick too.