Help - My 10 month old is throwing tantrums.

About a month ago my 10 month old DD started throwing little tantrums when she couldn't have something. Then she got sick and was sick for the past 3 weeks. Now she's throwing full on tantrums where she throws her whole body around and lashes out at things with her hands. I don't know if it's because she's still a bit sick and not coping or if it's developmental (has she entered the toddler tantrum stage already?).

I would love advice on what to do when she's throwing a tantrum. At the moment I try and hug her till she calms down. Is there anything else I can do?

TIA.

It might just be that she's not feeling well. Do you notice it at any particular time of day?
I know my DS would throw little mini tanties if he was hungry - sounds obvious, but maybe see if she needs a snack...? (i get grumpy when i'm hungry too, so maybe it's just a genetic thing):rolleyes:

oh gosh, thats scary! I hope DS s little tanties arent going to get worse soon!
he chucks little ones when he cant have something, I just distract him with something he can have and hes ok.

marcellus - The tantrums don't happen at any particular time of day. I think they are related to frustration and possibly not feeling 100%. She is suddenly eating a whole lot more - maybe to make up for not eating while sick. So maybe she is both very hungry and very tired and just can't cope with the world at the moment. :( She really was quite ill with a couple of different things.

STARRYSKY - I used to be able to distract her but now she'll close her eyes and flail around. :( Hopefully it's just related to the illness somehow.

That must be stressful for you. Why don't you take her along for a checkup with your MCHN - she might be able to give you some reassurance and advice on handling tantrums at such a young age, or if there's anything about them that indicates some further advice or warrants looking into, she can refer you to them.

Tanya I hope its just her recovery process... it must be frustrating recovering from illness when you can't communicate and you don't feel right. She's also going through some major developmental milestones about now as well... and I found both my girls got pretty cranky in the weeks leading up to milestones.

DD1 was extraordinarily frustrated the few weeks before walking, or saying more words, or anything at all....

DD2 got extremely cranky at 6 months.... 2 weeks later she started crawling, again she got cranky at 12 months 2 weeks... started walking at 13 months. She would scream and flail and just get frustrated.

Poor little thing - I hope she's all better soon. And poor you too.

sas85 - I've got a MCHN appointment next week so if the tantrums are still occurring I'll definitely ask at that appointment.

christy - I wish my DD could tell me what's wrong. :( I really just don't know what it is. Illness? New development? Trying to learn a new skill? All of the above?

I just hope it is a phase or illness or something short lived. It's so hard watching her throw tantrums and feeling like she's frustrated and unhappy. I want my happy, healthy baby back.

I know.... as a parent foresight would be a marvelous thing!!! Do you know anyone with the book "Wonder Weeks"? Anyone in your Belly group who could look up your weeks for you & you could see if it were something developmental?

Thanks christy. I hadn't thought of looking at the Wonder Weeks. I've got the book! :redface: Off to look at it now. :)

She might just be testing the boundaries. Cohen used to scream when I took something from him that he wasn't allowed to have, like the remote about the same age. I think they are sarting to realise how this world actually works around that time. If you offer her something that she CAN have maybe that will stop the tanty. I also explain to Cohen why he can't have that particular thing.

At the shops the other day I put Cohen on one of those rides that you put $2 in and they sit in like a plane or a boat and they go round and round to music, annnnnnnnnyway, when the ride was over I said "all finished now bubbie" and took him off and he tried to climb back up and I said again "it's finished, we'll come back next time" and boy did he spak it!!! He threw himself onto the floor and went all red in the face and was screaming....:redface:I was so embaressed. But I just picked him up and changed the atmosphere by smiling and tickling him and pretended like he didn't even do it and within 10 seconds literally...he was laughing and "talking" and back to his normal self like nothing ever happened. In my experience the bigger the deal you make it the bigger the deal it will be.
I hope that this is all it is for your daughter and you can figure a way that will work for you both.