Posted by
Kate71
17 yrs ago
Hi there
My daughter is 8 months old and a real smiling cutie - but in the last week or so she's become a lot more difficult - struggling and screaming for no apparent reason... sometimes she'll appear as if she wants to be picked up and then she'll settle for 2 mins and then start again - and the same re being put down. It's getting pretty exhausting.
I understand that she may be exploring boundaries but it's very difficult to understand what she wants or needs. She is biting down hard on things (no sign of any teeth yet and no bottom rash) so I'm concerned that she may be in pain but she does stop when distracted so maybe not... She also does seem to be sleeping more than usual.
I know this is a little vague but I'd appreciate any insights or advice with how to handle this..
thanks so much
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It can be a little bit of both.
Of course you should be a bit lenient if it is the teeth (and she is still young). She may just be trying to test her limits as you say. But you should still not accept "bad behavior". Our rule at that age was that screaming and stuff is acceptable, but we will walk away and not give her any attention. If you don't start setting boundaries at thi age, it only gets harder. As our kids got older, we "expanded" the rule and said that tantrums were not acceptable at all.
That being said, check periodically for the teeth. Also check if she has a low grade fever.
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my baby was crazily fussy way before i saw any signs of teeth coming in. so i agree with cara that it's probably the teeth. if i remember correctly, she was fussy about 3 weeks before i saw any redness in her gums.
the poor little darlings....
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"axpatguy... this time i think you are being little harsh... the baby is only 8 months! i don't think that she is too worried about boundaries yet... maybe in a few more months."
Heh. Yes, perhaps you are right. ;) But some boundaries are important to set, even at this age. For example not throwing food on the floor and things like that.
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Dear all
Thank you for taking the time to reply - it all makes a lot of sense... I get the sense that she is frustrated with not being able to walk/ talk (she tries a lot) and yes, the teeth could well be on their way...
Not sure about the boundaries yet as I'm not sure that she completely understands or more to the point, that I'm ready to impose them consistently...
it's a constant adventure ;)
thanks again
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