It is actually taking a lot out of me to sit down and blog today. There are so many things I’d rather be doing and need to be doing, but Hudson is napping and I have a quick ten minutes to sit down and write. I blog for our family and to keep a reminder for ourselves of what was going on, so I’d hate to look back and see that I went a week without blogging.
Hudson has been really sick. Besides waiting on these huge molars to finally break through, he has his first ear infection on top of extreme congestion. He just hasn’t been happy at all– and that has made both TC and me extremely tired. But he’s on antibiotics and getting better every day. I have kept him out of Little Gym last week and will do it again this week and he won’t be going to his school or to his music class this week either. I just don’t want to risk getting another baby sick and another mom having to go through this.
Despite his sickness, we had a good weekend. We celebrated TC’s dad’s birthday by hanging out at their house, eating, and watching football. Hudson had a great time getting a change of scenery. He especially loved running around their big yard. And he only threw one temper tantrum when we were over there.
The temper tantrums are the latest thing around our house and I’m just praying they are short-lived. My sweet little obedient baby is now getting his feelings hurt whenever he doesn’t get his way. Please tell me this goes away soon. We do our best to just ignore the tantrum and redirect his attention to something that he can do, but I’d appreciate all the advice any of you can offer.
I hope you all had a great weekend and are facing a good week. Hopefully I won’t go quite as long without updating again!
So sorry to hear about your sick baby boy 🙁 Having a sick child is the absolute worst. Hang in there. And make sure you have plenty of coffee and wine on hand 😉
We’re going through the same tantrum phase right now and I have no clue what to do about it! If anyone reading these comments have advice please leave it for us new moms! 🙂
I’ve found that when you are dealing with a child throwing a tantrum the most basic advice still holds true :don’t lose your cool. (especially in public) people expect a young child to throw a fit, they can forget that easily enough, what they don’t forget is the adult coming unhinged and adding to the chaos, that sticks out way worse..good luck!
I hope Hudson feels better soon! I have a son who is a bit older than Hudson, and I hear you on the tantrums. One of my best friends recommended “The Happiest Toddler on the Block” (Harvey Karp, MD) as a great ‘toddler book.’ As a psychologist, I feel comfortable giving my stamp of approval to most of Karp’s recommendations. Indeed, the approach worked well to diffuse my son’s tantrums and ‘nip them in the bud.’ Oh, and the book is better than the video… I ordered both, and the video is just plain annoying! (For any pregnant women and new moms out there, I also recommend “The Happiest Baby on the Block” DVD… great information about swaddling, baby soothing, etc.)
We love Harvey Karp! We swore by Happiest Baby on the Block, so I should definitely pick up the Happiest Toddler… Thanks!
i’m sorry to hear about sweet hudson. i hope he feels better soon. nothing is worse than a sick baby. i’m interested in “happiest toddler” now too. i didn’t even know it existed.
I say just remember that tantrums are normal and ignore judgment from other people. You and TC are clearly great parents…it’s just one of those stages 🙂
So sorry to hear that things are rough and eating around the edges of your day. Don’t have any maternal experience of my own to offer, but I do know that you sound like an amazing mom and I’m sure this will all pass soon. In the meantime, however, just know you’re doing a great job it’s okay to feel a little downtrodden as a result. I do hope things pick up soon and that he’s back to 100% – take care!
Poor sweet Hudson! I’m glad to hear he’s on the mend. A sick baby is really no fun, and you’re right: so exhausting.
We’re going through the temper tantrums as well. My husband is firmly anti-Dr. Karp so we’re kind of going it alone. What we do is stand firm with our son- he gets mad when he is told to stop something he knows he shouldn’t be doing and will either cry or stomp around. We honestly just tell him no again and block him from continuing the behaviour and after a minute, he’s over it. I think we’re blessed with a boy whose tantrums are short lived. My MIL holds a Masters in Special Education and knows a lot about diverting attention and dealing with tantrums and she’s very supportive of the methods we use. She’s my go-to with developmental/behavioural questions and I’m so thankful for her! … Still, tantrums are not fun. I swear, I think after going through it, every mom could write a novel on it. Good luck with Hudson, I can tell from your blogs that he’s a clever, sweet-tempered child, so I’m sure his tantrums will be fleeting.
I find with my 2-year-old boy that holding his face in my hands and having him look me in the eye helps a lot. I will say that I don’t allow kicking and hitting of any kind, and that will earn him a flick on his thigh. Figuring out his triggers goes a long way to prevent too. Anyway, good luck and let us know if you find anything that helps! Those toddlers sure do know how make a scene 😀
Well I have no babies so I cannot offer advice but I remember M’s niece going through this and her little sister now doing some of the same. His sister seems to just have unworld patience. She tells her firmly no. When she doesn’t listen then she is removed for a minute then brought back to “socialize”. You’re a good momma so I know you’ll find a great way to help Hudson learn. I hope your poor boy gets to feeling better soon!
I’m so sorry Hudson has been sick. 🙁 Poor baby. Glad you had a pretty good weekend in spite of that. Happy birthday to TC!
I hope Hudson feels better soon 🙁 I hate it when little ones are sick-its very frustrating to them and to parents 🙁 Hang in there!
Feel better soon, Hudson! (And big hugs to his mom.)
My 21 month old is a hand-full right now with the tantrums. We allow him a second to get it out of him but, if it continues, we put him in his room to cool off. I agree with Lubsy’s comment, too, about looking him in the eye and, if that doesn’t work, swatting him on the diaper. That rarely happens, though. I find that being consistent and both of us using the same approach works best.
Hope Hudson feels better soon!
Poor Hudson! Sick babies are the worst. Right now my 12 month old Dylan is teething, recovering from 4 shots, and seems to have some type of stomach bug. It makes things especially difficult when there are 50 things that need to be done at home but your little man just wants you to either be carrying him around or sitting right next to him playing.
I guess the thing I keep having to tell myself is that none of the things around the house matter as much as my boy, so put it all on the back burner and hang out with my adorable, albiet currently whiny and needy little boy.
Poor little Hudson! I’m sorry. Here’s hoping he gets better really soon!
First off just so you’ll not think I am just some random person giving personal opinions- I am a licensed therapist and have a specialty in infant mental health. There are numerous empirical parenting books that would agree with my advice, such as anything from the Dr. Sears library, the Science of Parenting, etc. tantrums first are normal- they occur at this age so often because a child’s expressive language skills are not well enough developed, nor is the child’s ability to self-sooth. There are two kind of tantrums- first being a “little Nero” fit- these are not emotional- may not have tears and no strong sense of emotional urgency- ignore these. The second and more common type- the “I am little and frustrated and don’t know what to do” kind, these are best handled just as you would handle a friend who is going through a terribly difficult emotional crisis moment. maybe a hug, “I’m sorry, I know that not getting what you want is frustrating. I bet you are angry. Here, how about playing with this instead.” Basically, help the child feel heard, give a name to their emotion, move them on to something else. Children who do not feel heard, just like the rest of us, tend to take things up a notch. This is a fit by fit call.
Hope this helps. P.S. I’m also the mother of a two year old, so I know how frustrating and challenging they can be. I hoe this helps.
I was wondering where you went as you’ve become a new “must-read” blog of mine. 🙂
Poor little Hudson. 🙁 My nephew had some nasty colds when he was younger, too (he’s 5 now). Hopefully he’ll get better fast! 🙂
Lots of great advice all around here for helping poor little Hudson sort out his emotions. I can’t, however, support swatting, flicking, or otherwise laying hands on a 15 month old baby, or a child of any age. This too, shall pass. Stages rarely last longer than 2 weeks. Hang in there, and take some time for yourself, too.
I hope little Hudson gets better soon – sick babies are so sad! When my kids get really congested I love to use PediaCare Gentle Vapors plug ins. They are little plug in menthol things like Vicks and since you aren’t supposed to put Vicks on a baby they really help my kids breathe at night.
Also, my oldest is 2 1/2 and the tantrums are getting a little better. Once they get more independent they just want to get their way all the time. I recommend just being consistent always and praying for patience. Like everything else, this phase shall pass!
Poor Hudson (and poor Erin). Tantrums are the worst! I catch myself having them now when I don’t feel good.
Our little scallywag started going through his “stubborn” phase when he was about Hudson’s age. He didn’t really throw tantrums, but he would shriek loudly and sit himself down where he was. You’re doing the right thing but re-directing his attentions and ignoring his outbursts. The key is consistency. You set your boundaries and keep them firm. Eventually Hudson will understand that his actions will not get a response and when he can fully talk he’ll be able to actually express himself with words. Most of the time this is exactly why young toddlers throw tantrums:they’re frustrated and cannot express what they’re feeling or experiencing. Help him to identify with his emotions. I used little “face” flashcards with my son so he’d understand how to express himself when he was feeling out of sorts, or even if he was happy! It was such a blessing. He’s just over 2 now and hasn’t had a “temper” issue in months~even with our big move.
Meltdowns from sheer exhaustion however…well that’s another thing entirely.
I hope you, TC, and Hudson find some rest soon. It’s not easy to see your little ones under the weather and it takes a toll on every body. Make sure you’re getting enough rest when you can as well!
Take care and feel better soon.
Warmly,
Elizabeth
Oh gosh, those molars are the worst! GG was out of sorts on and off again for an entire week or more waiting on those suckers to push through! It must just be so painful and to have an ear infection on top of all that, well that must just be plain miserable for the poor little guy (and y’all). Oh and Erin, if you do find a solution to temper tantrums, please do share. That is GG’s latest thing too, throwing a fit occasionally when she doesn’t get her way. I just keep telling myself it’s a phase (hopefully, anyway)! Fingers crossed that both our sweet ones outgrow this phase quickly! Y’all take care!
How well I remember teething and ear infections. Poor baby ~ I hope he’s all back to normal soon.
As I look back over my own children coming into tantrum age I think of how differently I responded to them. I battled with the oldest and I taught the middle one to breathe properly so she could calm down & not hyperventilate. The youngest one, I would laugh, step over him and ignore the whole thing. If we were out, I’d pick him up football style and carry him off. Perhaps I became too pragmatic. Perhaps I became too lazy. Perhaps I gained some wisdom over time. I just know the last method was the least draining for me and we survived with few tantrums overall.
Hang in there! I hope he gets better soon 🙂
Hope Hudson’s feeling better, and you’re feeling back to normal too. Being sick throws everything off! I have had an off week too…hoping to have a happy rest-of-the-week! 🙂
My kids are grown now, however I do remember the tantrums. What worked for them, most of the time:) was to gather them up, hug them very tightly and either softly blow in their face, or whisper, “hey, hey”…or something like that. For some reason it would surprise them and they would stop. As I recall, I really had to work hard to pick them up and hug them in the midst of the tantrum as they would try to fight it sometimes. Remember, it may not work, just a thought! I am sure there is a lot of other good advice out there also. Hang in there, I know it is hard, but remember with children “This too…will pass”..
Stay firm!! I’m a 5th grade teacher and mom to a 19 month old little boy with some serious determination. I repeatedly tell myself, while he lays on the floor screaming, that this is just a phase and by being consistent now, he’ll know who’s in charge 10 years from now. I’m amazed how many parents lack discipline for their kids and most of it starts back when they were little and gave in “once”. It’s tiring, (and I’m MORTIFIED if it happens in public), but I agree – redirect him and praise him when he does what you’re asking. We also tell my son that he must “use his words”, not scream and yell. I know he doesn’t totally grasp that idea now but I feel it’s important for him to understand we don’t get things or communicate through yelling and screaming but by talking. Good luck with it all!!