Wanted: advice re toddler

[aj693]

So, there may well be a thread about this sort of thing already (I kind of hope so), but I'm new to this and can't find it if it's there.... so please feel free to redirect me!

My 2 1/2 year old has been going to nursery two days a week, Tuesdays and Fridays, for the past 4 months. For the 9 months prior to that that he went to a child minder on Fridays only. Although he is always very keen to go and always seems to have had a fun time, wanting to talk about it all the time, etc, etc, pretty much since the beginning he has been really hard to deal with on Saturdays - after a good night's sleep, waking in a good mood and staying that way for the first 2 hours or so, by 9am he turns grumpy and demanding, always on edge and ready to throw a tantrum at the drop of a hat. We try to strike a balance of giving him loads of positive attention and redirecting some of his negativity and frustration, but it's incredibly tiring and more than a little disconcerting.

My husband and I thought maybe it had to do with how tired he gets with other children all day, and he used to not nap at the childminder's, but he does nap well at nursery, and we can't work out is why he doesn't also behave like this on Wednesdays. The rest of the week he is up and down like any good toddler his age. Has anyone else experienced anything like this and have any tips?

[Jessie]

Hello

I call it Saturday Morning Syndrome - if my son is going to act up, it's generally on a Saturday morning. I think it's partially tiredness from being at nursery all week, but I also think it's him being allowed to act up - he's in his comfort zone with me, knows he can be rude and demanding and hard to deal with and to a certain extent get away with it. Being a fairly laid-back parent, I just put up with it and allow him to get it all out. As he gets older though it's getting to be less of an issue.

Jess

[aj693]

Thanks for responding - always nice to hear you're not alone...!

[Curmudgeon]

I suppose it might help to consider what you're doing on Saturday morning and just change the routine. So if by 9am he's having a meltdown - take him out to the park at 8.45?

It's worth a shot.

[Fuschia]

Is his dad there on a Saturday, but no the other days?

[quickbrownfox]

Go out shopping/ for coffee and leave Dad to sort it out :)

[aj693]

Saturdays are not any different from Wednesdays or Thursdays - I do early morning, then Dad takes him for an hour or so, then the rest of the day/night is with me. Unfortunately the meltdowns don't seem to be site specific, they're just over anything and everything...

[jenren]

I know exactly what you are talking about, that sounds like my boy since turning two! Most days are a rollercoster of very very good and very very grim moods. We've decided to view it as a phase. I hate to admit it, but I'm actually a bit relieved that someone else is going through what we are!

[Goodliz]

I agree with everyone - it is an age thing.

Knowing that my 2 1/2 year old son would be a nightmare this morning I took him straight to Soft Play so he would be happy climbing etc rather than at home with me throwing a wobbler every five minutes!

[Sarah&Sam]

I can relate to this unfortunately! Our 22 month old son goes to a childminder Monday to Wednesday and on Thursday he behaves appallingly for most of the day, usually perking up later in the afternoon. I think it is a combination of tiredness from his busy three days and also letting it all out knowing i'm his mum and he can get away with it! I also wonder if he's trying to make me feel bad but i think it's unlikely he is that manipulative (tho i sometimes wonder?!!)

I think they like to make things hard for us when we leave them in childcare, even though they enjoy it when they're there despite themselves.

Generally fierce tantrums are a feature of life at the moment, triggered by something as small as putting milk on his cheerios when he wanted to eat them dry...the poor love!;-)

[aj693]

Ha ha! We've got the dry cereal thing going on here too! It's amazing that however different they are, they all seem to have acquired these same little quirks... :)