Temper Tantrums - HELP!!!!

[Ilithyia]

Briley has recently started having major temper tantrums. Little things trigger them. Last night she was playing with her cousin in a Hop 'n' Pop thingy and i pulled her out of it cause she was starting to cry and they were going to break the toy.

Then it started. She threw herself on the ground and carried on. I put her up in her chair for dinner and she would'nt eat. So i pulled her out of the chair and she went for a bath. Tantrum continued into the bath and after.I finally managed to calm her after i rubbed her down with some moisturiser. She finally went to sleep a while later but woke up a couple of times there after.

Now thismorning, she woke at about 6.30am. I wanted to try and get a sleep in so i took her into my bed, where normally, she would sleep until well after 8am. Not thismorning, she stirred in bed for a while and i managed to settle her but then at about 6.45am she started the tantrums again.

She crawled off the bed and got to the hallway where she tantrumed for about 10mins. I did not acknowledge her at all. I just let her there until MIL came over and took her outside. Ofcourse she stopped immediately. MIL brang her back into the house about 15mins later. MIL asked her if she wanted to come outside and help hang the washing out. Briley went with her at first but stopped to muck around with the door. Then ANOTHER tantrum started! After another bath. And the dummy she settled! But not until 15 mins later again!

I kept thinking thismorning "well she went to bed cranky, she is bound to wake up the same way!". Although i am not sure this was the problem. She has a cold at the moment and her canine teeth have been coming up and down. Not sure wether this is anything to do with it either.

Anyways.....I just wanted to know if anyone else is going through this???? I also needed to vent! Sorry!

Any advice or comments are appreciated!

[*Ang*]

Alex is born 2 days after Briley and we have the same tantrums - on Weds we had a horror day with 2 tantrums each lasting 45 mins long all because we had to leave somewhere. Strapping him into the carseat was a nightmare.

I truely believe that a lot of tantrums are because the children are unable to communicate exactly what it is that they want. As they get older and their speech improve as does their ability to communicate and they ability to reason and be reasoned with. As hard as it is as parents to watch these tantrums and try to ignore them (which the majority of the times I do!), it must be even harder for these poor little souls who just cant get people to understand them.

Another thing which I do believe affects tantrums and behaviour and which Alex is a perfect example of is their tiredness and lack of sleep. I think even you mentioned that Briley went to bed cranky? Alex is a shocking sleeper and so quite often is grumpy during the day - truthfully we have been having these types of tantrums since he was approx 11 months old! I even took him to my Gp to discuss autism as I had never seen so many tantrums in a child so young. She confirmed my belief re speech and sleep so eased my mind a lot.

Anyway I have been going on a bit. All I want to say is that you are doing a great job and you are not alone! As frustrating as it is for us to witness these behaviours in our child (who my child?? never! ) I think we just need to take reassurance that lots of kids go through it and my own personal mantra is " there have to be other kids out there worse then mine!!!!"