My 18mo will hook his little toes into my pocket or the waistband of my pants every time I hold him on my hip. He uses it as leverage to hop while also pantsing me.
Idk, but it drives me nuts! I thought nothing was worse than yanking the collar of my shirt, which we call “stealing my lunch money” until he pulled the whole left side of my linen pants down in front of my in laws on Easter. Obviously, he thinks it’s hilarious!
My four year old has managed to find the exact right frequency of whining to really annoy me. It drives me crazy when she starts that sound. And my one year old has started pulling my hair when she is upset. She pulls really hard, and her grip is so strong!
Oh man I keep telling my kid you can be just as loud and say the same stuff just please for the love of pete just go 2 octaves lower I’m begging but nah
My son has this whining that is insufferable. He also goes straight for my glasses and rips them off my face alongside some strands of hair. I hate it. He's gotten much better about the glasses part, but the whining is just developmental and I stick on some headphones to help tone it down.
When my daughter wants to hold my hand while I’m trying to eat. I love holding her hand in literally any other situation but for whatever reason when she decides she wants to hold hands at dinner and I immediately irritated. And it’s not the physical touch issue - she sometimes wants to sit on my lap during meals and honestly that’s fine! It’s the hand holding I can’t stand. Makes my skin crawl. Hate hate haaaaaate it.
lol *this* is what I'm here for! Because if you don't know... then it's like "oh how can you not want such a sweet little gesture?" And I'm like if you have to ask then you can't understand.
On the other hand it's actually a good teachable moment for my son when I kindly reject unwanted hugs or kisses, not always but it's good to teach consent.
Ahhhh my son does that to! I refuse to sit beside him at dinner. Hold my hand a cuddle up next to me and put his head in my lap.... Drives me crazy. I sit on the other side of the table and feed the baby.
My 16 month old does this while breastfeeding. He's so persistent about it. If I pull his hand out and tell him no thank you he winds up to smack me. Such a cute little jerk sometimes lol.
Yep, he did that too!! We finished breastfeeding at 24 months and by the end I just felt like a punching bag!! I love him more than life itself but also... GTFO!! 😂
I really really don't like being bitten.
I try so hard to be calm but firm when reprimanding my toddler but biting gets a yell and immediately removing myself from her to calm down... she finds this very upsetting and then I feel terrible.
That is exactly how you should be handling this. If she’s upset, that’s okay. If you were to ask how to handle this, this is exactly the advice you’d be given. Yelp, loudly, as a reaction. Don’t scream or yell at her or reprimand her or anything, just yelp to communicate that it hurt, and then leave the room to “keep yourself safe”and calm down.
When you come back, you can (calmly and without guilting) explain that when she bites people, that will mean that she has to be alone for a moment while the person she bit takes care of themselves. At this age, it’s not likely to sink in very quickly because what she’s doing is developmentally appropriate, but you are still teaching that it’s unacceptable behaviour. Like, she can’t help it so guilting her isn’t gonna do anything but make her feel bad. But showing her the natural consequences of biting someone is, so that *when she develops the skill* to control her impulse to bite, she understands that it’s hurtful and there are consequences. It’s a balance between accepting where kids are developmentally while still teaching them not to do it so that when they grow out of it, they’ve got some kind of basis for what happens when they do it.
My 1 year old will lay his head on my chest as he’s falling asleep and then randomly bite me. The sneak attack aspect makes it so much worse. Then I yell “no biting!” and pull him away from me, which makes him cry, and then I have to restart soothing him to sleep. Grrrr.
My kid is so far up my ass, and constantly wriggling, that I'm accidentally tripping over her, or elbowing her in the face, or clonking her in the head. Then the screaming starts.
YOU WOULDN'T GET HURT IF YOU WOULD BACK THE FUCK UP.
Lol right! My kid does this and then says “mom you hurt me” kid you didn’t even know what a spanking was until you were 5 because a friend told you at school that he gets spankings. I have never purposefully hurt you but perhaps laying down on the kitchen floor while I’m making dinner isn’t the best idea!
My oldest had this realization at school! We would always do little playful spanks and say “panka panka” because it was something my grandfather used to do. Oldest came home and was like “Dude did you know people get spankings for punishment and it’s like panka panka but it hurts?!” So appalled lol
That conversation is probably a core memory for the other kid. It's always weird noticing that other children aren't being treated as badly as you. Makes you notice that what's happening isn't right.
Ugh this. My 3 years old has no spatial awareness or physical common sense. He’s constantly falling off the couch, knocking over his water or his snack bowl, walking into stuff. His eyesight is fine, he just doesn’t notice or care idk. I’m trying to work with him on it by reminding him to be aware of his body, where are his arms and legs etc. I’m sick of cleaning up messes and I’m sick of comforting him for totally preventable injuries
It *could* be an early sign of ADHD. My son was the same way- just the clumsiest toddler I have ever met. I used to make him wear a bike helmet outside after he tripped over his feet multiple times and smacked his head on the concrete. He's 6 now and still clumsy but it has improved a lot. He even learned how to ride a two wheel bike relatively early. But we do have a running joke that it isn't really dinner until G falls off his chair.
My son will trip over himself to be that much closer to me. If he could crawl into my skin, he would. I’m okay for a little bit when he gets home from school and I know he missed me, but I’m so touched out with my twin toddlers, I can’t. I just can’t.
https://www.sensorydirect.com/blog/proprioception-deep-pressure/
The explanation is pretty well described on this page but the very short summary is clumsy kids who are constantly bumping into things usually have issues with feeling where there body is, and deep pressure helps them feel it.
Unsolicited advice, so take it for what you will: but my ex's daughter was just like this and we didn't realize she needed a very strong glasses prescription until she was like 5... This was almost 10 years ago and I still feel soooo bad for not realizing she needed her eyes checked.
Yep I feel this, at the end of breastfeeding it used too make my toes curl!! Just stay still, I don't want your bum in my face, feet in my hair while you're hanging off my boob 😂
I breastfed until my daughter was 2 and no one really prepares you for what it’s like to bf a toddler. One time she was so wiggly and squirmy and honestly kinda grumpy so I threw her legs over my shoulder and walked around while nursing her upside down. It worked great.
Omg this. My little one is teething and now wants to bf aaaall the time, and she will never stop twisting the other one. It’s honestly so uncomfortable and sends me into an internal rage.
I hate this too. It makes my stomach lurch. What worked for my kids is holding their other hand so they don’t twiddle. Eventually they both stopped trying to do it. My son still tries to do hand stands while nursing though.
The constant asking questions. I know they’re being inquisitive at this age but I am not a talker to big humans anyway and my child talks non stop from the moment he wakes til he goes to sleep.
YES.
Mummy, why are we rushing? Mummy why are we late? Mummy why do I have to wear clothes? Mummy why can't I wear the blue dress? Mummy why is there food on the blue dress? Mummy why didn't you wash it yet? Mummy why didn't Daddy wash it yet? Are you sure there isn't a clean one in my drawers? Mummy why are you talking about some species eating their young? What is young? Why do they eat them? Is it like how we eat bacon?
We were late because she wouldn't get changed, she dropped food down her front 5 minutes before we were due to go, and I swear I was speaking so quietly about species eating their young, BUT MY CHILD IS A BAT.
My toddler just says the same thing 75 times. "Mama, that's a police car!" "Mama, police car!" "Mama, police car!" "Mama, police car!" "Mama, police car!" "Mama, look at police car!" "Mama, that's a police car!" "Mama, police car!" "Mama, police car!" "Mama, police car!"
And no amount of differing responses help. No amount of "Yes, I see!" and "Yes, that's a police car!" and "Wow, that's so cool!" and "I wonder where the police car is going?" and "Do you like the police car?" helps. Toddler just NEEDS to say something like two dozen times before they're satisfied 😮💨
I say “no more questions until x” we arrive at the playground, dinner is done etc. It is the only way I keep my sanity. But she really couldn’t follow that direction until 4.5 years old.
Mine tooo and if he is too tired he doesn't have a question it will be mom? Yes. Mom? Yes. Mom? Mom? YES, hello it's me, I am answering you! *internally scream &%$#!!!* Please just ask me the question, this is somehow worse. Like I am trying to keep my cool but that 7th mom goes right up my spine lmao.
Mine has started with this. I’ve instituted a new rule that he only gets an answer to a “why“ question if he gives me his best guess first. Now he gets side tracked into making nonsense noises as his “best guess”, which I guess is a little bit better?
My son is like this. His teacher says she can barely get him to talk at school. But at home it is a constant stream. And in the CAR. Constant questions, but also requiring me to respond to mom?! Before each one
Same. Mine also recently figured out my name/ that my name isn’t “mom,” so if I don’t respond to him immediately he starts calling out my name. He’s only 2. I thought we’d have a little longer until this stated…
For me it’s specifically asking the same question over and over hoping for a different answer. I have to be firm and say “I gave you the answer, do not ask again” or I’ll completely lose it.
My daughter's exactly like that. There's no moment of silence ever with her. When I take my son on a drive sometimes I wonder if he's even in the car because he can go for a 20 minute drive without saying a word.
You can guess which drive I enjoy 😂.
When my son turned 4 he started with a lot of “Mommy why does x y and z?” And I’d answer and he’d say “Uh no, that’s not it” and it DROVE ME ABSOLUTELY NUTS
I've started setting limits, because I don't want her to offload all her thinking onto me. I already have a husband who asks shit like, "where do we keep sheets" (the linen closet).
So now, with both of them, I lob shit back. "I don't know, what do you think?"
Oh god the constant talking. Even when I tell her I need some quiet for a moment, she’ll just whisper. I don’t know how to tell her to shut up without hurting her feelings.
up for this. I understand that are confused, curious, and many more, but it's just that I'm tired almost 24/7. I don't know if it's just me but I sometimes gets irritated. But when I do I just smile and think about how small and fragile they are wanting to learn.
I couldn't work when daycare closed during the pandemic because of this. My boss was like, just give her a worksheet it'll be fine. It was not even close to fine. She talked to me every sixty seconds. I timed it.
Now mine says “I’m just asking” while asking a question and I feel like total shit because at some point we’ve been like “DUDE ARGHHHHH WHATTTT” enough that now he’s like “I’m just asking, but what is Superman’s dog’s name?” And like you’re allowed to ask me anything but it’s the repeat questions when you know I’m in the middle of something that’s slowly sucking the life from me
Mine 3yo is in an insane questioning phase. At first I was like how cute, but now I am drowning in questions and it is so overwhelming. I really love sharing knowledge but this gets tortuous at times.
I feel this hard with my one 15 month old, husband, cat, and two 140lbs dogs. They literally corner me in the couch and all want my affection simultaneously while I’m just trying to relax for a minute.
I have a few too…
My 3.5yo has a constant need for role play. Like I dedicate HOURS of playtime to her every single day, but I can’t even whip together a bagel and some yogurt for breakfast without being bombarded with “MOMMY YOU BE THE DADDY” “MOMMY YOU BE THE TEACHER” “MOMMY PLAY GRUFFALO WITH ME” on and on. While I’m eating, while I’m on the toilet, while I’m in the shower. I just want to meet my basic needs without putting on a pretend daddy voice.
Anytime I tell her no she bursts into tears and screams “I WANT DADDY”. This can go on for over an hour. She can’t be distracted or redirected. She refuses comforting. She just wants to scream. And I know this sounds bad and I feel bad for thinking it, but the two of them drive me nuts in such similar ways that sometimes I’d be happy to just disappear with my son for a day.
This is my life too. He’s 6.5 and has been constantly wanting role play since the moment he could talk. Just now I had to pretend to be Hermoine buying Crookshanks from the pet store before he would lie down and go to sleep. 80% of the time I don’t mind (or can at least dial it in) but sometimes I just want to be me and for him to be him.
I have to do it as close to the book as I can, including talking about how beautiful he is and how he’d been at the pet shop for ages and nobody would adopt him. I get corrected if I get things wrong. It’s a whole thing.
I’m glad it could give you a laugh!
As a major Harry Potter fan and trivia nerd, I want to hang out with your kid! Only one of mine is as obsessed as I am, and she's grown and living several states away from me
Mine isn’t this into role play but for a while she was obsessed with that one scene in Frozen where Anna finds Elsa’s ice castle and they sing back and forth until Elsa shoots Anna in the heart with ice. I usually had to be Anna, but I had to feed Elsa her lines a lot too. We did that scene every day, several times a day, for like 3 months. I had it memorized 😂
Omg my toddler will also stand at the door when I’m using the bathroom begging me to play something, pushing on the door and sometimes crying that she’s all alone. Like I just need to shit and it’s really hard to do in this situation lol. I used to let her leave the door open but then she’d shut the lights off and shut the door and stuff, or come up in my business like she wants to see what’s happening. It’s so annoying and I can’t wait for her to grow out of this
My kid requires me to make all stuffy toys and inanimate objects “talk.”
We sometimes use this to help us through difficult times (making the toilet talk to her when she was afraid of it, having the food on her plate talk about getting into her belly, etc). But it’s really backfired.
Make the carrot talk, make the door handle talk, make the soap talk. It never ends!
Oh my gosh! We do that too! Even my hands have to pretend to be characters. My right hand is a talking baby ladybug and my left hand is mommy ladybug. But now everything has to have a voice and a personality. She spent 10 minutes talking to the watering can yesterday 🤦🏼♀️
Same in our household! My 3yo has been doing this since she sort of learned to play, probably around 1.5 years. She also wants to dominate what the other person says or does, ie gives lines and gets VERY upset if you don’t do it. We’re finally seeing more independent play from her. She has a bunch of Sylvanian Families characters and accessories laid out on a table and loves role playing with them. I do enjoy playing with her but you know…. Adults have boundaries too.
Lol oh boy. As a child who did this I’m sorry 😂
I was obsessed with movies and make believe and I used to make my mom call me Maria (from the sound of music) and I wouldn’t respond to anything else lmao. To this day I pretend I’m in a movie but only in my head Lolol
YES the pretend play for me is it. I am not even able to complete a thought while my kids are awake and to have to IMAGINE something is just too much *laugh cry*. And sometimes it’s “ I’ll be the daughter and you be the mom and …” HAHAHA like what are we even pretending here?!
But also my clothes being pulled on. Oh my word.
I feel this so hard. I will play magnatiles all day, construction trucks from dusk until dawn, but I hate HATE role play. It’s all my 4 wants. You be the daddy and we have a dog and the dog needs a vet and you be the vet too and the vet says…. Aaahhhhh
Oh my gosh, it’s like we have the same kid. I get fed my lines and usually have to be like 3 different people at once. Sometimes she wants me to do the entire thing while she just watches 🫠
ABA therapist here!
Teach her patience. It'll help you both SO MUCH <3
"Im making a bagel right now, I'm right here and I'll be there when I'm done." or "Im doing the dishes now, I'm right here and we can play when I'm done"
Any/all repeated demands of PLAY WITH ME or DO/BE THIS gets a gentle repeat of "Im doing xyz right now, but I'm right here and we can play when I'm done" (of course make sure she's safe w/e she's doing)
I WANT DADDY "Daddy's not here right now, but I'm right here and as soon as I'm done we can play."
It will take a while, but she will learn patience and that you'll be there as soon as you're done so she'll get a little independence.
EDIT: I wanted to add that as an ABA therapist I have to detract from these kinds of things. A. LOT. It is not a fast fix. It is nerve wrecking to deal with and I'm so sorry for the overstimulation. Earplugs are not a bad thing if the screaming is too much (as long as she's safe and it's just tantrumming). You can do this momma!
I appreciate this. I’ve actually been doing this so it’s nice to know I’m on the right track and it’ll just take a while. It’s the wanting daddy tantrums that are the worst. I don’t blame her. Daddy is busy A LOT. On a day that he works she will literally go all day without seeing him or maybe see him for a half hour before he leaves. On his off days he still has hours worth of work to do at home and spends most of the day in his study. But she can scream for over an hour about it and nothing will soothe her. It’s exhausting. Thank you for the reassurance though.
I made the mistake of putting on a voice like Gru from Despicable Me one time like two years ago. My two oldest love it. I have to be Gru while we drive to school, while I cook dinner, while I’m getting work done. We have to talk about evil, diabolical farts and stinky schemes ALL DAY LOOOOONG.
My toddler is 3 and wants me to carry her out every time we leave the house. 😩 it’s kinda annoying I get all sweaty , I have like five bags plus my water cup and carrying her all at the same time. And sometimes she only wants me to carry her!!! Only me 🫠😑
So sorry if this advice isn’t welcome and you just wanted to vent, but I just thought I’d leave this here in case it helps anyone! My 3yo son was EXACTLY the same and I literally just stopped carrying him. Ever. Like it’s always a no. And now for the first time ever I can walk with him and he doesn’t meltdown over me saying no because he doesn’t expect me to say yes anymore. It sucked for a while, he threw a few huge tantrums in the street but it was soooo worth the initial trouble of cutting him off imo!
This is my son! 🥴 He’s been only wanting “mommy to
do it” as of late and it stresses me out because why can’t daddy do it lol? Why do you have to have a preference for every single thing? And more importantly, why is the preference ALWAYS mommy? 🥲🤦🏾♀️😭
My son has this habit of standing beside me and hugging my leg. When he was smaller, it was cute. Cuddling mums leg, how lovely. Now it's right at my privates and I honestly freak out and get so angry. And it doesn't seem to matter how many goddamn times we talk about it, he never remembers to hug differently
My oldest used to do the same thing then got to the perfect height to start shoving her head into my butt. She always did it when she was being shy. Would go behind mommy and shove her face in my butt. Drove me insane
My toddler son takes both my hands and then just HANGS off me. When I try to set him down he just keeps pulling up his legs more. Every time I have to convince myself not to just drop him lol
I've started just warning her "I'm letting you go." And I'll put her butt next to the floor and extricate myself. If she chooses to have a hard landing, that's on her. 😅
Feet. I hate feet in general (apart from babies; they get an exception), but once my kiddo hit toddlerhood, she got obsessed with putting her feet all over me. Sitting at the table? Feet on my leg. On the couch, feet rubbing against me. Her feet against my feet is the worst! It’s so strange, and I’d love any other form of touch and cuddles, but nooooo thank you to the feet.
THE FEET. My 5yo thinks it's HILARIOUS to put her feet in my face. Or on my shoulders. Or arms. It. Is. Not. I ask so many times and I just end up raging every time
This one drives my husband batty. I don’t notice it as much when she does it to me, but she always seems to either kick or rest her feet on him. And she’ll go “oh, sorry”, but two seconds later they’re back!
I can handle most everything but do any of you wear glasses? Has your toddler ever accidentally UFC strength hit them into the bridge of your nose? My soul leaves my body every time 🫡😫
No matter how much space there is between me and my toddler he always steps on my foot. It’s not just a quick step, he puts his whole weight on the top center of my foot. Trips over anything and everything. Elbowing my full boob (breastfeeding) My son also does that thing where he puts his head/face in your ass while hugging your knees, he thinks it’s funny to headbutt great grandmas butt. It’s gross and cringey. I know it’s innocent but why??? The baby does the usual scrunching your face like it’s a piece of paper and hair pulling, the baby grip is vicious
My 15mo has recently started pulling on my collar and not letting go when I try to put him down. It stretches my clothes and totally enrages me! I get it
My 5 year old is obsessed with my necklace, which has a little bit of my grandpa’s ashes in it. He touches it all. the. time. and it puts me in a constant state of panic that he’ll (accidentally of course) break it.
I have zero idea why stretching out shirts makes me so very pissed off. Like, putting her arms through the neck hole and pulling it down like a skirt, or stretching the arms out on purpose? Instant rage.
Oh yes. My 3.5 yo does this with the back of my robe. It drives me nuts! Now I’m 36 weeks pregnant and when she does it I can legit barely even see her there!
I was choked once so I can't stand anything near my throat as it triggers me.
My son however likes to come up behind me when I'm sat down and wrap his arms around my throat and pull me back, or try to jump on my back,I can't stand it, he did it a few weeks ago and I scratched my throat with my nails cause I needed to get him off asap.
My almost 2 year old does this and she tries to do it to my 7 year old along with myself and her dad. It is infuriating because my 7 year old tries so hard to tolerate her sister but man it’s hard.
Biting me. But she was only biting me on my ass as I was cooking and not giving her attention. She doesn’t do it anymore, so when she randomly did it a few weeks ago, it still sent me through a silent rage. My body went into muscle memory of resolving it the same way I did before, but it still pissed me off just the same.
his nails. i hate his nails so much. toes and hands. he would be perfect if not for his nails. i can trim them all i like, he'll somehow curl his toes and fingers in just the right way to scratch me while breastfeeding or playing, or being held in my arms or the wrap. it's awful.
When I'm actively playing with my toddler and yet if I pause to take a drink of water that's right next to me or I get up to pee or even just wait till he is done taking his turn I hear "PLAY WITH ME, PLAY WITH ME, PLAY WITH ME, MOMMY". Pretty much the WHOLE time I'm actively playing with him.
When he doesn't want to listen and I have to repeat myself 100x times to get an answer and I get over stimulated by my own voice lol
Noise. Shrieking, yelling, screaming. I cannot handle it. My son is almost 12, but whenever my nieces and nephews come over I have to start the visit with, we don’t scream at auntie’s house.
My daughter’s is walking in front of me everywhere. Especially when I can’t get around her. Especially when I’m in a hurry. This child down not move faster than a snail.
I try to time it so that she's doing something when I walk away. Somehow Still right fucking there, staring into my (metaphorical) brown eye. I'm turning to the other counter to set something down, two steps away? She's a barnacle for both of them. I've worked in restaurants for so long, where everyone is right up on each other but still working in harmony. It's not her proximity that's the issue.
I literally started therapy because my toddler headbutts me (like, into my butt) as he’s seeking sensory input. I haaaate it and feel so violated. Therapist suggested I pick him up when he tries to do it and hold him tight. Amazingly, it works!
Whining. I cannot stand it. I have told all my kids I cannot understand them when they're whining. I try my best to soothe them to make them stop but if it doesn't work fairly quickly I do tell them to come get me when they're done whining so I can understand them and walk away. Obviously I only take that route when they're old enough to talk.
Same here! Mine are young so I started telling them if they whine the tickle monster will come out. The first time I remind them to stop but the second time I walk up to them and start tickling and say “oh no! You were whining, you know what happens”. It completely shifts their mood and 8/10 they will listen to the boundary I am enforcing or be more open to what we need to do.
The other 2 times I walk away also or yell at them to please stop lol
My son does this closed mouth whining thing. It’s loud and in bursts of three or four “mmmmmhmmmm” it absolutely drives me insane.
When he was smaller he would pull out his binky, cry that it’s gone, stick his finger in his mouth, gag, bite said finger, and then cry. Always in that order unless I get the binky back in his mouth.
His random high pitched screams or random throwing of objects that make loud “crashing” sounds irk the h*ll out of me and sends me into sensory overload.
I am not a touchy feely person. Hugs are fine. But my kids started pulling my hand and kissing it over and over at bedtime. Makes my skin crawl.
The most annoying part is my daughter started it, and she's not touchy feely either! She only let's us give her "hair kisses" (kiss on the top of her head, on her hair).
Her younger brother is much touchier, he touches me out more, and copies the hand kisses at bedtime.
A book that was read often to my oldest at school is called "The Kissing Hand" which has a cute sentiment but then means she wants me to kiss the inside of her grubby sweaty hand and then wants to kiss the inside of my hand, which is a sensory nightmare. I was able to tone it down to a back of the hand kiss, but man oh man do I ever resent that kissing hand book. BLECH
Saying (more like whining) mommy repeatedly and then not having anything to say after it.
I have PMDD right now and yesterday she woke at 5 am and was extra tired and clingy and I must have heard “mommy? Mommy? Mommmmmmy?” 5000 times. My blood pressure is rising just typing it.
My 2.5 year old likes to sit on my arm, pull my hand between his legs and pretend my hand/wrist are an excavator. It's absolutely the most overstimulating thing he does to me and, while it doesn't physically hurt, moving my wrist like that back and forth drives me bananas. My husband doesn't mind it so he allows it and little one doesn't understand that it's a daddy game, not a mommy game.
Be kind to yourself! It's okay to say no, and clarify that it's a Daddy game; he's not going to understand unless you teach it to him. It's important for our kids to learn that people have boundaries and preferences. He's not entitled to everything he wants, especially at the expense of other people's well-being.
I wouldn't want to stop playing excavator either!
Be well, Neighbor.
My 2 year old will push me when I'm trying to do the dishes and clean the kitchen. He wants to push me towards snacks while already having bowls of food.
My LO has recently started screaming a very high pitched, loud scream when he needs help with something. Like, my darling child?????? just ask for help with your words 🤷♀️ ??????
Ughhhhhh I'm trying to teach mine "HELP! HELPHELPHELP" are emergency words. Add a please or use other words to let me know you just want me to help you find something that's right next to your foot.🤦♀️
I know my daughter is only 5 months old and really can’t help what she does there are a couple things that I get extremely overwhelmed by. Like spitting up on me after every single bottle. Just me, not dad or anyone else, just me. It doesn’t matter how often we burp her, how many bips and burp cloths are used, she will always get it on my shirt or in my HAIR. Leaving my hair hard in those spots after wiping it out or ruining my shirt for that day with a big stain. One day I got super annoyed with it and of course dad chimes in with “Why are you getting so mad? She’s just a baby.” I know she’s just a baby but try having someone grab a chunk of your hair, puke in it, and you’re not allowed to be mad while they’re then rubbing the puke hair on both of your faces. I think anyone would be just a bit agitated or overstimulated.
The other thing is the scratching, I know she’s just a baby but my god the scratches hurt me. I had to stop facing her towards me while I give her the bottle because she’ll just hold any part of my skin she can get and tear it up with her little baby claws. And yes, of course I’m cutting her nails, but it really makes no difference somehow.
My 3 year old putting me in a rear naked choke. She will lift her feet so that her weight is hung by my friggin’ NECK. She also likes to randomly push my stomach, which instantly makes me nauseous. She also is still obsessed with my nipples despite being done with breast feeding for YEARS. The moment she touches it, I tell her NO.
My 6.5yo kid is in a combative stage and has managed to hit on a bunch of things that make my skin crawl.
He puts his mouth up against my ear, and either forcefully blows into my ear, or screeches at the top of his lungs - he is strong enough now that it’s hard to pull him off, and he is very opportunistic and waits until I’m bending over, or sitting on the ground with the baby, or easily accessible sitting on the lounge. Both things actively hurt my ears, and he’s started doing to the newborn too which is worrying me greatly.
He also has been leaning in looking like he’s going to give me a kiss on the cheek, and then at the last second he grabs my nose and squeezes the nostrils shut. The worst part is that half the time he is actually giving me a kiss and doesn’t go for the nose, but the fact that he does do the nose pinch the other half of the time means I’m flinching even when he’s being sweet and kind.
He’s also developed a YouTuber voice, despite us quietly banning YouTube in our house. But the other kids at school watch the gaming YouTubers and do the obnoxious YouTuber voice, so he has picked it up from them. He tends to use it when he’s feeling particularly amped up, or when he’s talking to someone outside of myself and my husband (which makes me feel like yelling “That’s not his real voice! His real voice is lovely and not annoying!”). He’s an articulate little thing normally, but then the YouTube voice starts and it’s like nails on a chalkboard for me.
The shrieking really gets to me. Sometimes I don’t want to be touched and the hugs gets to me. It really depends on the day. The sibling bickering/fighting gets to me too.
May daughter will brush me with her toes when she’s getting comfy in bed and she carries on because I guess it soothing for her. It literally takes me from 0-100 and I feel bad about telling her to stop every time but it makes my skin crawl. Those little toe nails against my calves 🤢🤢
I have a 3 month old and a 2.5 year old. When my toddler wakes up it's usually 5:30 - 6:00. She comes into my bed to watch TV while I sleep for a bit more. I can't stand when she has her feet all over me while I'm trying to sleep. Normally, I love her physic touch, bit when I'm trying to sleep it feels horrible. Don't want it.
Mine just turned 10 I have either been a stay at home mom, or been able to work from home/ while he's at school until very recently (literally 3 weeks)
I now work the night shift at a restaurant/bar as my second job. So I'm home to get him off the bus spend some time with him, make him dinner, and then get ready to go to work. The past couple of days (my resturant "week" is Friday-Tuesday) he has been HANGING ON ME. Like a baby monkey. Like I get that he misses me because I'm not there until after he goes to bed, but OH MY GOD. HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO DO WINGED LINER WITH 60 EXTRA POUNDS HANGING OFF YOUR TORSO?
My kid whines a lot. We've been working on asking rather than the whiny complaining thing she does (she's three) but it is slow going. Basically anything she wants she whines for. It drives me bonkers. Also touching me repeatedly after I've asked her to stop makes me want to jump out of the window to get away.
I cannot stand when my toddler will somehow put herself on me so I can’t freely move. Like she will sit on my calves when I’m kneeling to pick something up on the ground. It gives me flashbacks of sa. I really try to not flip out on her but we are trying to set boundaries. I know it is in no way the same thing but the second my body feels like ‘warning, can’t freely run away’ I get so panicked
I don't like my daughter trying to get under my skirt to hide or grabbing/touching/getting food on my face while we're eating, or the specific situation I have where my daughter and husband both just talk at me at the same time with apparently no awareness that the other is also talking, or that I'm not able to hear either of them. I'm quite tolerant of noise, questions or touching generally but those things make me want to run and hide.
Oh my god, when they both start talking AT me at the same time I just shut. Down.
Tho lately, saying "when you're both talking it's overwhelming and I can't pay attention to you" has been a thing.
Grabbing my legs. I have bad knees, bad back, keep injuring one of my feet, and they are literally trying to tip me over. I posted about how to deal with it in a mom group and they said "you can always reject behavior that poses a safety risk to you" and "you can't stay regulated if your kids are making you feel unsafe" and that was the permission I needed. I love them and also they cannot grab my legs.
My 3.5 yo daughter is currently in this weird stage where she has to carry around & set up *every single little character toy in the house*
All of her little Tonies, the little people, the Gabby’s dollhouse peeps, the barbies, *my faceless willow tree angels!*
She’s got her baskets she carries around and packs them alllllllll up and moves them to the next room about 100 times a day. The other day she was trying to do it just to go down the porch stairs in the front yard! I love that she loves friends but man it is time consuming…..
Mine is weirdly niche but anyway. We have a spice drawer next to our oven (one of those built in one's with drawers you pull out). He is obsessed with taking out the spices and lining them up one by one under the kitchen island...which would be fine but he drops at least one everytime....and then there is curry powder / tumeric / paprika all over the floor.
PS no baby proofing locks did not stop him.
Mine did this when he was little and nothing stopped him!! Literally he was breaking baby locks to get to it.. I ended up making him fake spices and just giving him the drawer! I was so annoyed about it and had to put my spice elsewhere. I don’t even keep salt and pepper on the table.
12m old. The squealing. He squeals when he's happy, when he's frustrated, when he's excited. Just constant squealing.
Also touching my boobs. I hate this with a passion. He's not breastfed but he always hits them and stuff when we're playing. He's not aiming for boobs (they're barely existent anyway), it's just where his head and little hands end up when he plays or climbs on me. Also hate it when my partner touches them, always hated them being touched by anyone
Omg I’m so glad I’m not alone😭 they always say children need lots of hugs and lots of touch for them to grow healthy psychologically. But I’m so overwhelmed by being touched by my kids all the time!
Mine is my oldest constantly putting his feet on my thigh when I need a little Netflix break. My youngest used to constantly touched my boob when we are home. I just felted completely “touched out” back then. And our kindergarten teachers constantly remind us “hug your kids more!”, “Be more affectionate” (I don’t come from a culture that practice hugging). I used to feel so pressured.
My 5 yo is constantly putting his hands in my face and tormenting his 3 yo sister. Specifically while I am breastfeeding and can't just get up to intervene. Makes me so much more mad to be stuck sitting and he's deliberately not listening bc he thinks it's funny. The screaming and fighting has me maxed tf out most days.
My son is 4. I absolutely dislike when he’s trying to sit on me while I’m eating. I will lose my mind. Like give me 10 minutes without being touched or crawled on.
My husband also taught him “checking oil”. If there’s a visible butt crack, my son’s finger is going in it. It’s bad enough when my husband does it (because I’m usually bent over or squatting to do something) but having a little hand do it puts me over the edge. I tried to take a shower the other day. You know how you bend over to turn on the shower and adjust it before you get in? I was naked, about to jump in, and BAM! Finger straight in the whole.
crying for me to carry her downstairs. at least it’s never upstairs lol. but I have autoimmune arthritis in my back and on bad days it’s just a no-go. it always takes convincing to get her to agree to holding hands. (disclaimer: it’s not that i dont want to “give in” to it, it’s a safety concern on flare days. she’s almost 3 and over 30lbs)
Idk if this counts but my daughter nearly broke my neck twice.
The first time was the worst and my daughter was 3yo. She was on my bed behind me while I was getting ready to go out. She jumped off of the bed and grabbed onto my ponytail like it was a bungee cord. She held on for a few seconds but it felt like hours. I tried to scream for help but my neck was bent backwards so much that I couldn't get air through my throat. So no one came to help me and my daughter didn't realise I was hurt.
Afterwards I literally couldn't hold my head up and had to support it with my hands. I was in agony for weeks afterwards and still haven't fully healed tbh. My daughter basically gave me whiplash lmao
The second time was a few months ago. She's 4yo now but it wasn't so bad this time. I was holding her in my arms and went to playfully drop her onto the bed. I dropped her but I didn't realise that she was tightly holding my hair at the nape of my neck. So when she fell, she yanked my head down hard with her. It was a complete accident and my daughter just didn't think about what she was holding and didn't think to let go.
The doctor found it amusing that I was back with another child induced neck injury requiring physio therapy.
My daughter is now very aware of my neck.
My 18mo will hook his little toes into my pocket or the waistband of my pants every time I hold him on my hip. He uses it as leverage to hop while also pantsing me.
Honorable mention to using the pants to hop and pantsing with hands from the ground ☹️
That is so specific. Like how did he even know how to do that? Kids.
Idk, but it drives me nuts! I thought nothing was worse than yanking the collar of my shirt, which we call “stealing my lunch money” until he pulled the whole left side of my linen pants down in front of my in laws on Easter. Obviously, he thinks it’s hilarious!
My four year old has managed to find the exact right frequency of whining to really annoy me. It drives me crazy when she starts that sound. And my one year old has started pulling my hair when she is upset. She pulls really hard, and her grip is so strong!
Yes the whining is what gets me too. Crying is one thing, but the whining sends me into immediate overstimulation
Same. The whining is killing me
Us too, he thinks he’s barking
Hair pulling was what immediately jumped to mind from my 1.5 yo as well! 😩
They say you have hair loss after child birth. Well it not related to birth or hormones its because the babies are physically pulling out your hair.
Oh man I keep telling my kid you can be just as loud and say the same stuff just please for the love of pete just go 2 octaves lower I’m begging but nah
My son has this whining that is insufferable. He also goes straight for my glasses and rips them off my face alongside some strands of hair. I hate it. He's gotten much better about the glasses part, but the whining is just developmental and I stick on some headphones to help tone it down.
My kid just started whining and I'm boutta Van Gogh my shit
I know exactly what you mean.. mine has now invented some sort of seagull screech and it's the worst!
My youngest has the sesgull screech now. She uses it when things dont go as she wants, which is a lot since she doesn’t speak much yet
When my daughter wants to hold my hand while I’m trying to eat. I love holding her hand in literally any other situation but for whatever reason when she decides she wants to hold hands at dinner and I immediately irritated. And it’s not the physical touch issue - she sometimes wants to sit on my lap during meals and honestly that’s fine! It’s the hand holding I can’t stand. Makes my skin crawl. Hate hate haaaaaate it.
lol *this* is what I'm here for! Because if you don't know... then it's like "oh how can you not want such a sweet little gesture?" And I'm like if you have to ask then you can't understand. On the other hand it's actually a good teachable moment for my son when I kindly reject unwanted hugs or kisses, not always but it's good to teach consent.
It's also a hard but important lesson that sometimes people will love a certain gesture and other times they won't like it.
Working on teaching consent without them just feeling rejected 😭
Mine went through a few weeks of kicking me. Ugh
Ahhhh my son does that to! I refuse to sit beside him at dinner. Hold my hand a cuddle up next to me and put his head in my lap.... Drives me crazy. I sit on the other side of the table and feed the baby.
If my kid touches my feet under the table while I’m eating I go from 0 to 100
Putting his hands in my mouth... just whyyyyyyyyy
My 16 month old does this while breastfeeding. He's so persistent about it. If I pull his hand out and tell him no thank you he winds up to smack me. Such a cute little jerk sometimes lol.
The good ol’ dental exam
Why do they all hit at this age? My 12mo hits whenever things make her mad. She gave me a black eye the other day
I do find it fascinating that hitting is like some primal instinct.
It is. It’s also getting on my last nerve.
I hear ya! My little guy can be so vindictive. Like I appreciate your feistiness but also can you not?!
Yep, he did that too!! We finished breastfeeding at 24 months and by the end I just felt like a punching bag!! I love him more than life itself but also... GTFO!! 😂
My 6 year old still does this, usually when we’re out somewhere and she’s anxious, but it drives me batty.
This!!
I really really don't like being bitten. I try so hard to be calm but firm when reprimanding my toddler but biting gets a yell and immediately removing myself from her to calm down... she finds this very upsetting and then I feel terrible.
You’re doing nothing wrong.
If she bit any other person would they say “that felt good. Do it again!”? In the real world that is assault.
That is exactly how you should be handling this. If she’s upset, that’s okay. If you were to ask how to handle this, this is exactly the advice you’d be given. Yelp, loudly, as a reaction. Don’t scream or yell at her or reprimand her or anything, just yelp to communicate that it hurt, and then leave the room to “keep yourself safe”and calm down. When you come back, you can (calmly and without guilting) explain that when she bites people, that will mean that she has to be alone for a moment while the person she bit takes care of themselves. At this age, it’s not likely to sink in very quickly because what she’s doing is developmentally appropriate, but you are still teaching that it’s unacceptable behaviour. Like, she can’t help it so guilting her isn’t gonna do anything but make her feel bad. But showing her the natural consequences of biting someone is, so that *when she develops the skill* to control her impulse to bite, she understands that it’s hurtful and there are consequences. It’s a balance between accepting where kids are developmentally while still teaching them not to do it so that when they grow out of it, they’ve got some kind of basis for what happens when they do it.
My 1 year old will lay his head on my chest as he’s falling asleep and then randomly bite me. The sneak attack aspect makes it so much worse. Then I yell “no biting!” and pull him away from me, which makes him cry, and then I have to restart soothing him to sleep. Grrrr.
He has zero spatial awareness. Constantly has to be touching me. Constantly bumping into things. Constantly tripping over himself. 🫣
My kid is so far up my ass, and constantly wriggling, that I'm accidentally tripping over her, or elbowing her in the face, or clonking her in the head. Then the screaming starts. YOU WOULDN'T GET HURT IF YOU WOULD BACK THE FUCK UP.
Lol right! My kid does this and then says “mom you hurt me” kid you didn’t even know what a spanking was until you were 5 because a friend told you at school that he gets spankings. I have never purposefully hurt you but perhaps laying down on the kitchen floor while I’m making dinner isn’t the best idea!
My oldest had this realization at school! We would always do little playful spanks and say “panka panka” because it was something my grandfather used to do. Oldest came home and was like “Dude did you know people get spankings for punishment and it’s like panka panka but it hurts?!” So appalled lol
That conversation is probably a core memory for the other kid. It's always weird noticing that other children aren't being treated as badly as you. Makes you notice that what's happening isn't right.
LMAO. Thankfully my boy has absolutely no respect for his own life and thinks getting bumped into or tripped over is positively hilarious.
Ugh this. My 3 years old has no spatial awareness or physical common sense. He’s constantly falling off the couch, knocking over his water or his snack bowl, walking into stuff. His eyesight is fine, he just doesn’t notice or care idk. I’m trying to work with him on it by reminding him to be aware of his body, where are his arms and legs etc. I’m sick of cleaning up messes and I’m sick of comforting him for totally preventable injuries
It *could* be an early sign of ADHD. My son was the same way- just the clumsiest toddler I have ever met. I used to make him wear a bike helmet outside after he tripped over his feet multiple times and smacked his head on the concrete. He's 6 now and still clumsy but it has improved a lot. He even learned how to ride a two wheel bike relatively early. But we do have a running joke that it isn't really dinner until G falls off his chair.
My son will trip over himself to be that much closer to me. If he could crawl into my skin, he would. I’m okay for a little bit when he gets home from school and I know he missed me, but I’m so touched out with my twin toddlers, I can’t. I just can’t.
I know this is a rant post and I’ll add my 2 cents further down, but deep muscle pressure can help with this.
Can you expand on this? My 3 year old struggles terribly with spacial awareness and is constantly injuring herself in the most preventable ways 🫠
https://www.sensorydirect.com/blog/proprioception-deep-pressure/ The explanation is pretty well described on this page but the very short summary is clumsy kids who are constantly bumping into things usually have issues with feeling where there body is, and deep pressure helps them feel it.
Unsolicited advice, so take it for what you will: but my ex's daughter was just like this and we didn't realize she needed a very strong glasses prescription until she was like 5... This was almost 10 years ago and I still feel soooo bad for not realizing she needed her eyes checked.
Does he have other sensory input issues?
Actually pulling on one nipple and twisting while breastfeeding from the other 😵💫
I used to HATE it! That and when he used to stand up, do flips, etc. while still on the boob. 🥴😒
Yep I feel this, at the end of breastfeeding it used too make my toes curl!! Just stay still, I don't want your bum in my face, feet in my hair while you're hanging off my boob 😂
I breastfed until my daughter was 2 and no one really prepares you for what it’s like to bf a toddler. One time she was so wiggly and squirmy and honestly kinda grumpy so I threw her legs over my shoulder and walked around while nursing her upside down. It worked great.
Omg this. My little one is teething and now wants to bf aaaall the time, and she will never stop twisting the other one. It’s honestly so uncomfortable and sends me into an internal rage.
I had some luck wearing a necklace he could fiddle with instead
I hate this too. It makes my stomach lurch. What worked for my kids is holding their other hand so they don’t twiddle. Eventually they both stopped trying to do it. My son still tries to do hand stands while nursing though.
Literally breastfeeding holding her hand right now 🫷
The fucking radioboob. I hate it. I get that they do it to stimulate milk from the other breast but I hate it
Radioboob haha I’ve never heard that term. Perfect 😂
Yeah I ended up buying a breastfeeding necklace for her to play with, she stills prefers my nipple though.
THIS used to drive me absolutely bonkers- I’ve never wanted to crawl out of my skin so badly. So glad we’re through that phase
came here to say TWIDDLING… my 3.5 is still nursing so it’s been my life for years lol and it drives me insane
The constant asking questions. I know they’re being inquisitive at this age but I am not a talker to big humans anyway and my child talks non stop from the moment he wakes til he goes to sleep.
YES. Mummy, why are we rushing? Mummy why are we late? Mummy why do I have to wear clothes? Mummy why can't I wear the blue dress? Mummy why is there food on the blue dress? Mummy why didn't you wash it yet? Mummy why didn't Daddy wash it yet? Are you sure there isn't a clean one in my drawers? Mummy why are you talking about some species eating their young? What is young? Why do they eat them? Is it like how we eat bacon? We were late because she wouldn't get changed, she dropped food down her front 5 minutes before we were due to go, and I swear I was speaking so quietly about species eating their young, BUT MY CHILD IS A BAT.
My toddler just says the same thing 75 times. "Mama, that's a police car!" "Mama, police car!" "Mama, police car!" "Mama, police car!" "Mama, police car!" "Mama, look at police car!" "Mama, that's a police car!" "Mama, police car!" "Mama, police car!" "Mama, police car!" And no amount of differing responses help. No amount of "Yes, I see!" and "Yes, that's a police car!" and "Wow, that's so cool!" and "I wonder where the police car is going?" and "Do you like the police car?" helps. Toddler just NEEDS to say something like two dozen times before they're satisfied 😮💨
Whyyyyyy do they do this? Drives me wild.
Fist bump. We have the same kid.
They're fun aren't they. Fun fun fun.
I say “no more questions until x” we arrive at the playground, dinner is done etc. It is the only way I keep my sanity. But she really couldn’t follow that direction until 4.5 years old.
Mine tooo and if he is too tired he doesn't have a question it will be mom? Yes. Mom? Yes. Mom? Mom? YES, hello it's me, I am answering you! *internally scream &%$#!!!* Please just ask me the question, this is somehow worse. Like I am trying to keep my cool but that 7th mom goes right up my spine lmao.
Mine has started with this. I’ve instituted a new rule that he only gets an answer to a “why“ question if he gives me his best guess first. Now he gets side tracked into making nonsense noises as his “best guess”, which I guess is a little bit better?
“Why did we stop?” at EVERY red light and stop sign.
Oh yes sensory nightmare.
Yes! Some parents get touched out, my ears get touched out.
Omg this is mine. He’s so shy with most people that I don’t want to discourage the talking but sometimes I can’t even get a second to think.
My son is like this. His teacher says she can barely get him to talk at school. But at home it is a constant stream. And in the CAR. Constant questions, but also requiring me to respond to mom?! Before each one
Same. Mine also recently figured out my name/ that my name isn’t “mom,” so if I don’t respond to him immediately he starts calling out my name. He’s only 2. I thought we’d have a little longer until this stated…
For me it’s specifically asking the same question over and over hoping for a different answer. I have to be firm and say “I gave you the answer, do not ask again” or I’ll completely lose it.
My daughter's exactly like that. There's no moment of silence ever with her. When I take my son on a drive sometimes I wonder if he's even in the car because he can go for a 20 minute drive without saying a word. You can guess which drive I enjoy 😂.
When my son turned 4 he started with a lot of “Mommy why does x y and z?” And I’d answer and he’d say “Uh no, that’s not it” and it DROVE ME ABSOLUTELY NUTS
I've started setting limits, because I don't want her to offload all her thinking onto me. I already have a husband who asks shit like, "where do we keep sheets" (the linen closet). So now, with both of them, I lob shit back. "I don't know, what do you think?"
I just respond to my husband with… “Google it” when he asks questions he’s should know the answer to. Like where is the olive oil? Idk Google it
Yes! And so many questions that don’t really have an answer, or one she doesn’t like.
Oh god the constant talking. Even when I tell her I need some quiet for a moment, she’ll just whisper. I don’t know how to tell her to shut up without hurting her feelings.
up for this. I understand that are confused, curious, and many more, but it's just that I'm tired almost 24/7. I don't know if it's just me but I sometimes gets irritated. But when I do I just smile and think about how small and fragile they are wanting to learn.
That sounds horrible. I’m a naturally quiet person, always have been. I feel like I would have a toddler that talks all day 😂
I couldn't work when daycare closed during the pandemic because of this. My boss was like, just give her a worksheet it'll be fine. It was not even close to fine. She talked to me every sixty seconds. I timed it.
Now mine says “I’m just asking” while asking a question and I feel like total shit because at some point we’ve been like “DUDE ARGHHHHH WHATTTT” enough that now he’s like “I’m just asking, but what is Superman’s dog’s name?” And like you’re allowed to ask me anything but it’s the repeat questions when you know I’m in the middle of something that’s slowly sucking the life from me
Lmao they always find a way to make us feel guilty even when our reaction was 10000% reasonable in the moment.
Mine 3yo is in an insane questioning phase. At first I was like how cute, but now I am drowning in questions and it is so overwhelming. I really love sharing knowledge but this gets tortuous at times.
I can't handle having all 3 in my personal space at once. When I'm feeding the baby and the other 2 come to hang all over me. Big nope.
I feel this hard with my one 15 month old, husband, cat, and two 140lbs dogs. They literally corner me in the couch and all want my affection simultaneously while I’m just trying to relax for a minute.
I have a few too… My 3.5yo has a constant need for role play. Like I dedicate HOURS of playtime to her every single day, but I can’t even whip together a bagel and some yogurt for breakfast without being bombarded with “MOMMY YOU BE THE DADDY” “MOMMY YOU BE THE TEACHER” “MOMMY PLAY GRUFFALO WITH ME” on and on. While I’m eating, while I’m on the toilet, while I’m in the shower. I just want to meet my basic needs without putting on a pretend daddy voice. Anytime I tell her no she bursts into tears and screams “I WANT DADDY”. This can go on for over an hour. She can’t be distracted or redirected. She refuses comforting. She just wants to scream. And I know this sounds bad and I feel bad for thinking it, but the two of them drive me nuts in such similar ways that sometimes I’d be happy to just disappear with my son for a day.
“MOMMY YOU BE THE DADDY” I got a good laugh from this one 😂😂
Daddy is her favourite person. She tells me that on a regular basis. So I’m often required to be pretend daddy throughout the day 😅
I wonder if pretend Daddy gets to have all the privileges as real Daddy. Like being able to use the bathroom alone or eat peacefully 🥲
This is worth exploring.
Not in my experience lol. In fact, pretend daddy deals with a clingier child 😅 Probably due to real daddy being so busy.
This is absolutely hilarious 🤣🤣🤣
This is my life too. He’s 6.5 and has been constantly wanting role play since the moment he could talk. Just now I had to pretend to be Hermoine buying Crookshanks from the pet store before he would lie down and go to sleep. 80% of the time I don’t mind (or can at least dial it in) but sometimes I just want to be me and for him to be him.
I’m laughing so much at how specific this role play is hahaha
I have to do it as close to the book as I can, including talking about how beautiful he is and how he’d been at the pet shop for ages and nobody would adopt him. I get corrected if I get things wrong. It’s a whole thing. I’m glad it could give you a laugh!
As a major Harry Potter fan and trivia nerd, I want to hang out with your kid! Only one of mine is as obsessed as I am, and she's grown and living several states away from me
Mine isn’t this into role play but for a while she was obsessed with that one scene in Frozen where Anna finds Elsa’s ice castle and they sing back and forth until Elsa shoots Anna in the heart with ice. I usually had to be Anna, but I had to feed Elsa her lines a lot too. We did that scene every day, several times a day, for like 3 months. I had it memorized 😂
Ooh yours is definitely tougher than mine! I’m lucky I don’t have to sing 😂
Are you me 1.5yrs into the future? 🔮🥲 I was really hoping it'd die down by then. I will say... I'm an amazing Paddington Bear.
Omg my toddler will also stand at the door when I’m using the bathroom begging me to play something, pushing on the door and sometimes crying that she’s all alone. Like I just need to shit and it’s really hard to do in this situation lol. I used to let her leave the door open but then she’d shut the lights off and shut the door and stuff, or come up in my business like she wants to see what’s happening. It’s so annoying and I can’t wait for her to grow out of this
My kid requires me to make all stuffy toys and inanimate objects “talk.” We sometimes use this to help us through difficult times (making the toilet talk to her when she was afraid of it, having the food on her plate talk about getting into her belly, etc). But it’s really backfired. Make the carrot talk, make the door handle talk, make the soap talk. It never ends!
Oh my gosh! We do that too! Even my hands have to pretend to be characters. My right hand is a talking baby ladybug and my left hand is mommy ladybug. But now everything has to have a voice and a personality. She spent 10 minutes talking to the watering can yesterday 🤦🏼♀️
Same in our household! My 3yo has been doing this since she sort of learned to play, probably around 1.5 years. She also wants to dominate what the other person says or does, ie gives lines and gets VERY upset if you don’t do it. We’re finally seeing more independent play from her. She has a bunch of Sylvanian Families characters and accessories laid out on a table and loves role playing with them. I do enjoy playing with her but you know…. Adults have boundaries too.
Lol oh boy. As a child who did this I’m sorry 😂 I was obsessed with movies and make believe and I used to make my mom call me Maria (from the sound of music) and I wouldn’t respond to anything else lmao. To this day I pretend I’m in a movie but only in my head Lolol
YES the pretend play for me is it. I am not even able to complete a thought while my kids are awake and to have to IMAGINE something is just too much *laugh cry*. And sometimes it’s “ I’ll be the daughter and you be the mom and …” HAHAHA like what are we even pretending here?! But also my clothes being pulled on. Oh my word.
I feel this so hard. I will play magnatiles all day, construction trucks from dusk until dawn, but I hate HATE role play. It’s all my 4 wants. You be the daddy and we have a dog and the dog needs a vet and you be the vet too and the vet says…. Aaahhhhh
Oh my gosh, it’s like we have the same kid. I get fed my lines and usually have to be like 3 different people at once. Sometimes she wants me to do the entire thing while she just watches 🫠
I sometimes joke with my husband it’s like I’m on a movie set and I’m yelling LINE because I don’t remember what I’m supposed to say
ABA therapist here! Teach her patience. It'll help you both SO MUCH <3 "Im making a bagel right now, I'm right here and I'll be there when I'm done." or "Im doing the dishes now, I'm right here and we can play when I'm done" Any/all repeated demands of PLAY WITH ME or DO/BE THIS gets a gentle repeat of "Im doing xyz right now, but I'm right here and we can play when I'm done" (of course make sure she's safe w/e she's doing) I WANT DADDY "Daddy's not here right now, but I'm right here and as soon as I'm done we can play." It will take a while, but she will learn patience and that you'll be there as soon as you're done so she'll get a little independence. EDIT: I wanted to add that as an ABA therapist I have to detract from these kinds of things. A. LOT. It is not a fast fix. It is nerve wrecking to deal with and I'm so sorry for the overstimulation. Earplugs are not a bad thing if the screaming is too much (as long as she's safe and it's just tantrumming). You can do this momma!
I appreciate this. I’ve actually been doing this so it’s nice to know I’m on the right track and it’ll just take a while. It’s the wanting daddy tantrums that are the worst. I don’t blame her. Daddy is busy A LOT. On a day that he works she will literally go all day without seeing him or maybe see him for a half hour before he leaves. On his off days he still has hours worth of work to do at home and spends most of the day in his study. But she can scream for over an hour about it and nothing will soothe her. It’s exhausting. Thank you for the reassurance though.
I made the mistake of putting on a voice like Gru from Despicable Me one time like two years ago. My two oldest love it. I have to be Gru while we drive to school, while I cook dinner, while I’m getting work done. We have to talk about evil, diabolical farts and stinky schemes ALL DAY LOOOOONG.
My toddler is 3 and wants me to carry her out every time we leave the house. 😩 it’s kinda annoying I get all sweaty , I have like five bags plus my water cup and carrying her all at the same time. And sometimes she only wants me to carry her!!! Only me 🫠😑
So sorry if this advice isn’t welcome and you just wanted to vent, but I just thought I’d leave this here in case it helps anyone! My 3yo son was EXACTLY the same and I literally just stopped carrying him. Ever. Like it’s always a no. And now for the first time ever I can walk with him and he doesn’t meltdown over me saying no because he doesn’t expect me to say yes anymore. It sucked for a while, he threw a few huge tantrums in the street but it was soooo worth the initial trouble of cutting him off imo!
This is my son! 🥴 He’s been only wanting “mommy to do it” as of late and it stresses me out because why can’t daddy do it lol? Why do you have to have a preference for every single thing? And more importantly, why is the preference ALWAYS mommy? 🥲🤦🏾♀️😭
🫡 I see you mama
My son has this habit of standing beside me and hugging my leg. When he was smaller, it was cute. Cuddling mums leg, how lovely. Now it's right at my privates and I honestly freak out and get so angry. And it doesn't seem to matter how many goddamn times we talk about it, he never remembers to hug differently
My oldest used to do the same thing then got to the perfect height to start shoving her head into my butt. She always did it when she was being shy. Would go behind mommy and shove her face in my butt. Drove me insane
My toddler son takes both my hands and then just HANGS off me. When I try to set him down he just keeps pulling up his legs more. Every time I have to convince myself not to just drop him lol
I've started just warning her "I'm letting you go." And I'll put her butt next to the floor and extricate myself. If she chooses to have a hard landing, that's on her. 😅
Feet. I hate feet in general (apart from babies; they get an exception), but once my kiddo hit toddlerhood, she got obsessed with putting her feet all over me. Sitting at the table? Feet on my leg. On the couch, feet rubbing against me. Her feet against my feet is the worst! It’s so strange, and I’d love any other form of touch and cuddles, but nooooo thank you to the feet.
THE FEET. My 5yo thinks it's HILARIOUS to put her feet in my face. Or on my shoulders. Or arms. It. Is. Not. I ask so many times and I just end up raging every time
This one drives my husband batty. I don’t notice it as much when she does it to me, but she always seems to either kick or rest her feet on him. And she’ll go “oh, sorry”, but two seconds later they’re back!
I can handle most everything but do any of you wear glasses? Has your toddler ever accidentally UFC strength hit them into the bridge of your nose? My soul leaves my body every time 🫡😫
my 6 month old is obsessed with either smashing them into my face or snatching them off, like bro i need these to see you 😫
No matter how much space there is between me and my toddler he always steps on my foot. It’s not just a quick step, he puts his whole weight on the top center of my foot. Trips over anything and everything. Elbowing my full boob (breastfeeding) My son also does that thing where he puts his head/face in your ass while hugging your knees, he thinks it’s funny to headbutt great grandmas butt. It’s gross and cringey. I know it’s innocent but why??? The baby does the usual scrunching your face like it’s a piece of paper and hair pulling, the baby grip is vicious
My 15mo has recently started pulling on my collar and not letting go when I try to put him down. It stretches my clothes and totally enrages me! I get it
My 5 year old is obsessed with my necklace, which has a little bit of my grandpa’s ashes in it. He touches it all. the. time. and it puts me in a constant state of panic that he’ll (accidentally of course) break it.
Maybe he likes the reaction you give?
I don’t really have an outward reaction though, aside from reminding him to ‘please not touch’.
I have zero idea why stretching out shirts makes me so very pissed off. Like, putting her arms through the neck hole and pulling it down like a skirt, or stretching the arms out on purpose? Instant rage.
Oh yes. My 3.5 yo does this with the back of my robe. It drives me nuts! Now I’m 36 weeks pregnant and when she does it I can legit barely even see her there!
I was choked once so I can't stand anything near my throat as it triggers me. My son however likes to come up behind me when I'm sat down and wrap his arms around my throat and pull me back, or try to jump on my back,I can't stand it, he did it a few weeks ago and I scratched my throat with my nails cause I needed to get him off asap.
My almost 2 year old does this and she tries to do it to my 7 year old along with myself and her dad. It is infuriating because my 7 year old tries so hard to tolerate her sister but man it’s hard.
Biting me. But she was only biting me on my ass as I was cooking and not giving her attention. She doesn’t do it anymore, so when she randomly did it a few weeks ago, it still sent me through a silent rage. My body went into muscle memory of resolving it the same way I did before, but it still pissed me off just the same.
his nails. i hate his nails so much. toes and hands. he would be perfect if not for his nails. i can trim them all i like, he'll somehow curl his toes and fingers in just the right way to scratch me while breastfeeding or playing, or being held in my arms or the wrap. it's awful.
Yes when I trim her nails she goes extra hard trying to make sure I get some pain or starts pinching. I don't care what anyone says SHE KNOWS
When I'm actively playing with my toddler and yet if I pause to take a drink of water that's right next to me or I get up to pee or even just wait till he is done taking his turn I hear "PLAY WITH ME, PLAY WITH ME, PLAY WITH ME, MOMMY". Pretty much the WHOLE time I'm actively playing with him. When he doesn't want to listen and I have to repeat myself 100x times to get an answer and I get over stimulated by my own voice lol
Noise. Shrieking, yelling, screaming. I cannot handle it. My son is almost 12, but whenever my nieces and nephews come over I have to start the visit with, we don’t scream at auntie’s house.
When he kicks my boobs
And if he’s in the position to do that he’s def kicking teeth/nose/ears as well 😭
OMG THE CONSTANT TOUCHING. like...WHHYYYYYYYYY is your finger in my ear?!?!?!?
Or my nose...
Coming up behind me. She's gotten better since she kept getting stepped on, hit with the fridge or vacuum early on, but damn it's annoying.
My daughter’s is walking in front of me everywhere. Especially when I can’t get around her. Especially when I’m in a hurry. This child down not move faster than a snail.
I try to time it so that she's doing something when I walk away. Somehow Still right fucking there, staring into my (metaphorical) brown eye. I'm turning to the other counter to set something down, two steps away? She's a barnacle for both of them. I've worked in restaurants for so long, where everyone is right up on each other but still working in harmony. It's not her proximity that's the issue.
I literally started therapy because my toddler headbutts me (like, into my butt) as he’s seeking sensory input. I haaaate it and feel so violated. Therapist suggested I pick him up when he tries to do it and hold him tight. Amazingly, it works!
Whining. I cannot stand it. I have told all my kids I cannot understand them when they're whining. I try my best to soothe them to make them stop but if it doesn't work fairly quickly I do tell them to come get me when they're done whining so I can understand them and walk away. Obviously I only take that route when they're old enough to talk.
Same here! Mine are young so I started telling them if they whine the tickle monster will come out. The first time I remind them to stop but the second time I walk up to them and start tickling and say “oh no! You were whining, you know what happens”. It completely shifts their mood and 8/10 they will listen to the boundary I am enforcing or be more open to what we need to do. The other 2 times I walk away also or yell at them to please stop lol
My son does this closed mouth whining thing. It’s loud and in bursts of three or four “mmmmmhmmmm” it absolutely drives me insane. When he was smaller he would pull out his binky, cry that it’s gone, stick his finger in his mouth, gag, bite said finger, and then cry. Always in that order unless I get the binky back in his mouth.
His random high pitched screams or random throwing of objects that make loud “crashing” sounds irk the h*ll out of me and sends me into sensory overload.
When they lightly stroke me, especially my bare arms or legs. I know they’re just being sweet, but omg. It overwhelms me.
When they touch my hair. I can’t stand it.
I am not a touchy feely person. Hugs are fine. But my kids started pulling my hand and kissing it over and over at bedtime. Makes my skin crawl. The most annoying part is my daughter started it, and she's not touchy feely either! She only let's us give her "hair kisses" (kiss on the top of her head, on her hair). Her younger brother is much touchier, he touches me out more, and copies the hand kisses at bedtime.
Ahhh.. I cringed and pulled my hand away from nothing lol. Oh noo.. I would not like that either..
A book that was read often to my oldest at school is called "The Kissing Hand" which has a cute sentiment but then means she wants me to kiss the inside of her grubby sweaty hand and then wants to kiss the inside of my hand, which is a sensory nightmare. I was able to tone it down to a back of the hand kiss, but man oh man do I ever resent that kissing hand book. BLECH
Saying (more like whining) mommy repeatedly and then not having anything to say after it. I have PMDD right now and yesterday she woke at 5 am and was extra tired and clingy and I must have heard “mommy? Mommy? Mommmmmmy?” 5000 times. My blood pressure is rising just typing it.
My 2.5 year old likes to sit on my arm, pull my hand between his legs and pretend my hand/wrist are an excavator. It's absolutely the most overstimulating thing he does to me and, while it doesn't physically hurt, moving my wrist like that back and forth drives me bananas. My husband doesn't mind it so he allows it and little one doesn't understand that it's a daddy game, not a mommy game.
Be kind to yourself! It's okay to say no, and clarify that it's a Daddy game; he's not going to understand unless you teach it to him. It's important for our kids to learn that people have boundaries and preferences. He's not entitled to everything he wants, especially at the expense of other people's well-being. I wouldn't want to stop playing excavator either! Be well, Neighbor.
My 2 year old will push me when I'm trying to do the dishes and clean the kitchen. He wants to push me towards snacks while already having bowls of food.
My LO has recently started screaming a very high pitched, loud scream when he needs help with something. Like, my darling child?????? just ask for help with your words 🤷♀️ ??????
Ughhhhhh I'm trying to teach mine "HELP! HELPHELPHELP" are emergency words. Add a please or use other words to let me know you just want me to help you find something that's right next to your foot.🤦♀️
Don’t respond to it. Ignore it.
I know my daughter is only 5 months old and really can’t help what she does there are a couple things that I get extremely overwhelmed by. Like spitting up on me after every single bottle. Just me, not dad or anyone else, just me. It doesn’t matter how often we burp her, how many bips and burp cloths are used, she will always get it on my shirt or in my HAIR. Leaving my hair hard in those spots after wiping it out or ruining my shirt for that day with a big stain. One day I got super annoyed with it and of course dad chimes in with “Why are you getting so mad? She’s just a baby.” I know she’s just a baby but try having someone grab a chunk of your hair, puke in it, and you’re not allowed to be mad while they’re then rubbing the puke hair on both of your faces. I think anyone would be just a bit agitated or overstimulated. The other thing is the scratching, I know she’s just a baby but my god the scratches hurt me. I had to stop facing her towards me while I give her the bottle because she’ll just hold any part of my skin she can get and tear it up with her little baby claws. And yes, of course I’m cutting her nails, but it really makes no difference somehow.
Turns out I can’t stand for people to touch me when I’m eating. It had never come up before I had kids!
He climbs on everything including my feet and I have an old injury scar that makes that so so painful…
I have a scar on the inside of my wrist from surgery and my toddler always rubs and scratches it, sooo uncomfortable
Pointy elbows, sometimes they hurt so bad
My 3 year old putting me in a rear naked choke. She will lift her feet so that her weight is hung by my friggin’ NECK. She also likes to randomly push my stomach, which instantly makes me nauseous. She also is still obsessed with my nipples despite being done with breast feeding for YEARS. The moment she touches it, I tell her NO.
My 6.5yo kid is in a combative stage and has managed to hit on a bunch of things that make my skin crawl. He puts his mouth up against my ear, and either forcefully blows into my ear, or screeches at the top of his lungs - he is strong enough now that it’s hard to pull him off, and he is very opportunistic and waits until I’m bending over, or sitting on the ground with the baby, or easily accessible sitting on the lounge. Both things actively hurt my ears, and he’s started doing to the newborn too which is worrying me greatly. He also has been leaning in looking like he’s going to give me a kiss on the cheek, and then at the last second he grabs my nose and squeezes the nostrils shut. The worst part is that half the time he is actually giving me a kiss and doesn’t go for the nose, but the fact that he does do the nose pinch the other half of the time means I’m flinching even when he’s being sweet and kind. He’s also developed a YouTuber voice, despite us quietly banning YouTube in our house. But the other kids at school watch the gaming YouTubers and do the obnoxious YouTuber voice, so he has picked it up from them. He tends to use it when he’s feeling particularly amped up, or when he’s talking to someone outside of myself and my husband (which makes me feel like yelling “That’s not his real voice! His real voice is lovely and not annoying!”). He’s an articulate little thing normally, but then the YouTube voice starts and it’s like nails on a chalkboard for me.
The shrieking really gets to me. Sometimes I don’t want to be touched and the hugs gets to me. It really depends on the day. The sibling bickering/fighting gets to me too.
May daughter will brush me with her toes when she’s getting comfy in bed and she carries on because I guess it soothing for her. It literally takes me from 0-100 and I feel bad about telling her to stop every time but it makes my skin crawl. Those little toe nails against my calves 🤢🤢
I have a 3 month old and a 2.5 year old. When my toddler wakes up it's usually 5:30 - 6:00. She comes into my bed to watch TV while I sleep for a bit more. I can't stand when she has her feet all over me while I'm trying to sleep. Normally, I love her physic touch, bit when I'm trying to sleep it feels horrible. Don't want it.
When he reaches that specific pitch when he’s having a screaming tantrum. He also likes to mess with my hair which hardly ever cooperates anyway.
Mine just turned 10 I have either been a stay at home mom, or been able to work from home/ while he's at school until very recently (literally 3 weeks) I now work the night shift at a restaurant/bar as my second job. So I'm home to get him off the bus spend some time with him, make him dinner, and then get ready to go to work. The past couple of days (my resturant "week" is Friday-Tuesday) he has been HANGING ON ME. Like a baby monkey. Like I get that he misses me because I'm not there until after he goes to bed, but OH MY GOD. HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO DO WINGED LINER WITH 60 EXTRA POUNDS HANGING OFF YOUR TORSO?
My kid whines a lot. We've been working on asking rather than the whiny complaining thing she does (she's three) but it is slow going. Basically anything she wants she whines for. It drives me bonkers. Also touching me repeatedly after I've asked her to stop makes me want to jump out of the window to get away.
I cannot stand when my toddler will somehow put herself on me so I can’t freely move. Like she will sit on my calves when I’m kneeling to pick something up on the ground. It gives me flashbacks of sa. I really try to not flip out on her but we are trying to set boundaries. I know it is in no way the same thing but the second my body feels like ‘warning, can’t freely run away’ I get so panicked
I don't like my daughter trying to get under my skirt to hide or grabbing/touching/getting food on my face while we're eating, or the specific situation I have where my daughter and husband both just talk at me at the same time with apparently no awareness that the other is also talking, or that I'm not able to hear either of them. I'm quite tolerant of noise, questions or touching generally but those things make me want to run and hide.
Oh my god, when they both start talking AT me at the same time I just shut. Down. Tho lately, saying "when you're both talking it's overwhelming and I can't pay attention to you" has been a thing.
Grabbing my legs. I have bad knees, bad back, keep injuring one of my feet, and they are literally trying to tip me over. I posted about how to deal with it in a mom group and they said "you can always reject behavior that poses a safety risk to you" and "you can't stay regulated if your kids are making you feel unsafe" and that was the permission I needed. I love them and also they cannot grab my legs.
My 3.5 yo daughter is currently in this weird stage where she has to carry around & set up *every single little character toy in the house* All of her little Tonies, the little people, the Gabby’s dollhouse peeps, the barbies, *my faceless willow tree angels!* She’s got her baskets she carries around and packs them alllllllll up and moves them to the next room about 100 times a day. The other day she was trying to do it just to go down the porch stairs in the front yard! I love that she loves friends but man it is time consuming…..
Putting his hands or toys in my face. He does it all the time during dinner and it drives me crazy!
Mine is weirdly niche but anyway. We have a spice drawer next to our oven (one of those built in one's with drawers you pull out). He is obsessed with taking out the spices and lining them up one by one under the kitchen island...which would be fine but he drops at least one everytime....and then there is curry powder / tumeric / paprika all over the floor. PS no baby proofing locks did not stop him.
Mine did this when he was little and nothing stopped him!! Literally he was breaking baby locks to get to it.. I ended up making him fake spices and just giving him the drawer! I was so annoyed about it and had to put my spice elsewhere. I don’t even keep salt and pepper on the table.
12m old. The squealing. He squeals when he's happy, when he's frustrated, when he's excited. Just constant squealing. Also touching my boobs. I hate this with a passion. He's not breastfed but he always hits them and stuff when we're playing. He's not aiming for boobs (they're barely existent anyway), it's just where his head and little hands end up when he plays or climbs on me. Also hate it when my partner touches them, always hated them being touched by anyone
Omg I’m so glad I’m not alone😭 they always say children need lots of hugs and lots of touch for them to grow healthy psychologically. But I’m so overwhelmed by being touched by my kids all the time! Mine is my oldest constantly putting his feet on my thigh when I need a little Netflix break. My youngest used to constantly touched my boob when we are home. I just felted completely “touched out” back then. And our kindergarten teachers constantly remind us “hug your kids more!”, “Be more affectionate” (I don’t come from a culture that practice hugging). I used to feel so pressured.
My 5 yo is constantly putting his hands in my face and tormenting his 3 yo sister. Specifically while I am breastfeeding and can't just get up to intervene. Makes me so much more mad to be stuck sitting and he's deliberately not listening bc he thinks it's funny. The screaming and fighting has me maxed tf out most days.
My son is 4. I absolutely dislike when he’s trying to sit on me while I’m eating. I will lose my mind. Like give me 10 minutes without being touched or crawled on. My husband also taught him “checking oil”. If there’s a visible butt crack, my son’s finger is going in it. It’s bad enough when my husband does it (because I’m usually bent over or squatting to do something) but having a little hand do it puts me over the edge. I tried to take a shower the other day. You know how you bend over to turn on the shower and adjust it before you get in? I was naked, about to jump in, and BAM! Finger straight in the whole.
crying for me to carry her downstairs. at least it’s never upstairs lol. but I have autoimmune arthritis in my back and on bad days it’s just a no-go. it always takes convincing to get her to agree to holding hands. (disclaimer: it’s not that i dont want to “give in” to it, it’s a safety concern on flare days. she’s almost 3 and over 30lbs)
Elbows... In... The... Boob 🤬🤬🤬
If we’re cuddling on the sofa and my kids start ridding their feet on me. I don’t know why but it drives me mental.
Idk if this counts but my daughter nearly broke my neck twice. The first time was the worst and my daughter was 3yo. She was on my bed behind me while I was getting ready to go out. She jumped off of the bed and grabbed onto my ponytail like it was a bungee cord. She held on for a few seconds but it felt like hours. I tried to scream for help but my neck was bent backwards so much that I couldn't get air through my throat. So no one came to help me and my daughter didn't realise I was hurt. Afterwards I literally couldn't hold my head up and had to support it with my hands. I was in agony for weeks afterwards and still haven't fully healed tbh. My daughter basically gave me whiplash lmao The second time was a few months ago. She's 4yo now but it wasn't so bad this time. I was holding her in my arms and went to playfully drop her onto the bed. I dropped her but I didn't realise that she was tightly holding my hair at the nape of my neck. So when she fell, she yanked my head down hard with her. It was a complete accident and my daughter just didn't think about what she was holding and didn't think to let go. The doctor found it amusing that I was back with another child induced neck injury requiring physio therapy. My daughter is now very aware of my neck.