temper

Is there anyone else who is dealing w/their child just finding their temper??? DS has just figured out he has one...and boy does he show it. He gets really mad when I have to change his diaper or when he doesn't get his way. I'm not sure what to do about this since he is just almost 15mos. I have tried telling him NO and smacking his hands, but that just seems to make him madder. He is at the throwing stage. If he gets mad, he throws the closest thing he can get his hands on. I'm worring that if I don't do something now it will be awful as he gets older. My first DS never had this problem, so the temper is new to me.

[mom n luv]

My ds found his temper fairly early at about 12 months. After talking to the pediatrician and discussing it my dh and I decided to start a version of T.O. This was due to the fact that my ds's temper could be quite dangerous, throwing things, hitting his head etc. So when he began to act like that we would place him in a pack n play with his lovey and let him sort it out himself, which would sometimes take a long, long time. But we found that after about a week he was able to calm himself down much more quickly in the packnplay than when we just left him where ever he started throwing the fit.

Our thinking was similar to yours, that if he didn't learn to calm himself down now what would it be like in a year or two. At 17 months the fits are quite infrequent now. Also, at about 16 months we moved to using a chair and having him sit in it for 1 1/2 minutes. He is usually able to stay on the chair and be able to gladly return to playing after the TO.

Intitally dealing with his temper was quite trying but I am glad that we decided to address it immediately by making a plan of what to do when he was acting that way. I think our plan worked because my son needs time alone or he gets to wound up, thats why cuddling and distraction methods really didn't work for us.

I hope that you are able to come up with something tht works for your little one. They are all so different you never know what is going to be the perfect fit until you find it.

[LaDonna]

Our youngest Emma who is almost 20 mths has definitely found her temper. :x She has learned how to throw her head around and fall down on the floor,[rofl] and head buts the floor. [whatheadagainstthewall] It is so funny to hear the grandmothers talk about how cute she is and could never throw a hissy fit. She has started saving some of these fits just for Nana and Mimi.

Abby found hers at 10 months. :shock:

I am not sure what advice I have for you...
Abby is a shocker right now for her temper tantrums. I just ignore her until she calms down.
When she has thrown a tantrum because she didn't want to be changed and she wouldn't keep still I have actually smacked her and she stays still then... not sure if that would work for you...

[LaDonna]

All we have to do is tell her no and she will stop. When they are that little we don't believe in "smacking" them. We correct her by the tone of our voice and that works. With our 3 1/2 yr old we will swat her bottom because she does know better. I don't consider the little ones temper to be a big issue at all she is only trying to find that part of her personality and see how far she can take things. It is age appropriate behavior and this too shall pass....:)

[tracy]

I think dd is just beginning to find hers. I like the packnplay TO. I will keep that for future reference. Thanks!