I need advice about my 18 month old baby

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LaurieB

Senior Member
Mar 12, 2018
177
10
18
#1
I have an 18 month old who acts up: she is a picky eater, she knocks things over in the supermarket, she cries when I put her down for her nap, she cries at night for me to pick her up. What should I do?
 

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
70,869
9,601
113
#2
That's what babies do. :) Find foods that she likes to eat. Correct her when she knocks stuff over in the store. Let her cry, she'll fall asleep eventually. If you cave in to her and coddle her, she'll be a nightmare to handle when she gets older. You need to set the ground rules now.
 

Tommy379

Notorious Member
Jan 12, 2016
7,589
1,151
113
#3
I have an 18 month old who acts up: she is a picky eater, she knocks things over in the supermarket, she cries when I put her down for her nap, she cries at night for me to pick her up. What should I do?
You said she, so give her to daddy. Worked for my daughter. She always calmed down with me.
 

Tommy379

Notorious Member
Jan 12, 2016
7,589
1,151
113
#4
Me and my daughter, we would go to IHOP, get pancakes with the smiley face on it. I'd cook a steak, and she would share it with me. Not really share, more like eat the whole thing, leaving me a bone. She loved riding in my truck with me, I'd take her to the park.

With mommy, she would be rotten.

Little girls need their daddy time.
 
M

MissCris

Guest
#5
Hi Laurie :)

Babies are a handful, aren’t they? I know my two gave me a run for my money (now 7 and 5). My son had nights where we simply could not set him down. My daughter used to wail every time I took her to the store with me. It can be so stressful, trying to be a good mom but not getting enough sleep and trying to figure out how to handle when our little ones act up.

The good news is, babies grow out of most of their confusing or frustrating behavior. And what they don’t grow out of, we eventually figure out or teach them to stop.

Most kids go through at least a phase of being a picky eater. Most doctors will say not to worry unless your child loses or gains weight drastically. Just keep offering different foods and don’t be discouraged if they don’t get eaten- babies and young children also self-regulate, eating what they need. If they don’t need much, they won’t eat much. They’ll eat when they’re hungry, don’t worry.

As far as knocking things over in the supermarket (which is both frustrating and embarrassing), how is she getting to things to do it? Can she be contained in the shopping cart seat and not parked next to any shelves or displays? My kids at that age learned to turn in the seat and throw items out of the cart...so I feel for you. But again, with time and teaching, they stopped doing this.

The crying at night and nap time is probably the worst of what you mentioned- and also totally normal. My daughter didn’t sleep through the night until she was four years old...because I gave in to her crying all the time. I knew she was fine. But she knew crying would eventually bring me running to quiet her. It’s easier to end the habit at 18 months than 4 years. So make a plan with your daughter- feed her, give her a bath, a drink, a story, a snuggle, and put her to bed; when she cries, don’t pick her up. You’ll know she’s fine because you just spent time with her giving her everything she needs. So sit down and do something else and do not pick her up. If you have to go in, lay her back down but don’t hold her or talk to her. It will be tough for you to hear her crying, but the more you give in, the worse it gets as she gets older. It might take a few nights for you both to get the hang of it. Keep trying though- you need your rest to be a good mama, and she needs you to draw the line for her.

I hope some of this can help you. If you’re still concerned or having trouble, you can always talk to her doctor about what you should do.
 
Dec 26, 2017
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#6
Hi LaurieB,

im sorry your going through this. I understand how you feel my 19 month old and almost 3 year old are so very picky. What I had to do is ask my doctor about it,she told me this so normal and to feed them what they like. Since my kids o my like Oreos that’s not going to work. I have been taking things they do like and making different meals out of it, or trying other options with it. I also hide veggies in some of their meals,even though sometimes they did them. The supermarket, both of mine cry and scream at times, so I usually give them something to keep them occupied like let them watch an educational show on their tablet or bring their favorite snack. Last with naps and bedtimes, they cry but I try to lay them back down and rub their back untill they fall asleep, itcan be hard but one she understands she can’t be picked up and it’s time for bed it does get better. Mine both are in my bed which I’m having a hard time breaking them from, but we’re almost their.
 

Lucy68

Senior Member
Jan 21, 2011
2,538
22
0
#7
My children had to be trained to sleep through the night...only after I felt sure that they were not hungry or needing a diaper change nor sick. I would put them in the crib with their comforter (a teddy bear and pacifer)...give them kisses and hugs and tell them good night. Of course, they'd cry some. By that time, I could tell a complaining cry from a 'I'm very upset cry'. The complaining cry would usually stop after a few minutes. If it kept escalating, I'd go back in, lay them back down, pat their back, say soothing words (getting mad will not help!), and leave the room. Sometimes I had to repeat this several times...eventually they learned to put themselves back to sleep instead of making mommy do it :).

Praying for you....patience and understanding. Parenting is hard work! But it really does go by fast. How I treasure memories of my children when they were toddlers :).
 

Dan58

Senior Member
Nov 13, 2013
1,991
338
83
#8
I have an 18 month old who acts up: she is a picky eater, she knocks things over in the supermarket, she cries when I put her down for her nap, she cries at night for me to pick her up. What should I do?
Sounds like a normal 18 month old girl? They are so immature at that age, but be patient, she'll gradually grow out of it and advance into the terrible two's :). A lot of 18 year old's are picky eaters, knock things over, and cry when they want something, so brace yourself for the long haul.
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#9
I have an 18 month old who acts up: she is a picky eater, she knocks things over in the supermarket, she cries when I put her down for her nap, she cries at night for me to pick her up. What should I do?
By the time we were 18 months old, we were not picky eaters. We did not knock down things in the supermarket. We had already learned we had to keep our arms inside the range of the shopping cart seat. We would have to lie down in bed for however long Mom told us we had to lie there. (Sleep was optional, but if forced to lie down for two hours or longer, it came eventually.)

Recommendation. Train your daughter that what you say you mean. Teach her consequences for her actions. And stick with it, even if it is inconvenient.

Kids learn quickly when No really means No! If what they're doing doesn't work for them anymore, they stop doing it.
 
Aug 8, 2017
315
4
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#10
correct her when shes wrong. love her all the time. and take lots of pictures because they grow up fast, it may not seem like it now but trust me one day your gonna say "i wish she was a baby again"
 
K

Karraster

Guest
#11
I don't envy young parents today, you have so many more challenges than we did in my generation. Research, that's what you should do. That behavior does not sound natural to me.

This list is 5 years old, but it's a start. https://vactruth.com/history-of-vaccine-schedule/

If I was pumped full of the junk that is "required" by our gov. today, I'd probably be screaming and knocking things over too. Behavior issues are increasingly obvious in our society. When we discover for ourselves what is being injected into our children, perhaps we will be better equipped to protect them. Autism is on the rise, and there are various degrees of it. Food allergies are on the rise as well. Read the ingredients.

God bless you and yours, and I pray you find the solution.
 

Angela53510

Senior Member
Jan 24, 2011
11,782
2,947
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#13
Vaccines have nothing to do with her daughter’s behaviour. Ignore that scaremongering! And she is wrong to push these, false, unsubstantiated and unscienfic lies by antivaxxers!

You daughter sounds like a typical -18 month old toddler. But you are not disciplining her, and I guarantee you will have problems whe she is older. You can teachoul 6 month old who sing on pitch with solfa. You can it consistently. say no to a 10 month old, and inif the disobey, lightly slap their hands, take it away from their hands. By the time my 2 youngest sons were 2 and 4, we went looking for a house to buy. They sat quietly playing in the back seat, didn’t drop crumbs or make a mess. The Real Estate agent said he had never seen such well behaved small children. It was so easy after the first while, and we never had a problems when they were teens.

Children are very bright, they figure out how to avoid punishments, which is exactly what good teaching does - reward good behaviour and then eliminates bad behaviour are the goals for you to direct you child to obey, make better choices, and to live
Biblically, you would spank the child. Do augtwebmake them the take a time out, and lose toys and privileges or not allowed to play with their friends or anything they like. Draw some Boundaries, and your child will be so much healthier adjusted.

Right now, it should like be easy to break her disobedient behaviour. In other words, running tough shod over you. I had 4 kids, 3 were very close to perfect, because teaching discipline stared at 6 months. Establishing consistent routines, firm boundaries results in happy, well adjusted children with self control. And I am not talking beating or abuse, By the time they are teenagers they become moral and finally ethical adults, that you can be proud you spent the extra work on.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and he will not depart from it!” Proverbs 22:6
it!”
 

LaurieB

Senior Member
Mar 12, 2018
177
10
18
#14
By the time we were 18 months old, we were not picky eaters. We did not knock down things in the supermarket. We had already learned we had to keep our arms inside the range of the shopping cart seat. We would have to lie down in bed for however long Mom told us we had to lie there. (Sleep was optional, but if forced to lie down for two hours or longer, it came eventually.)

Recommendation. Train your daughter that what you say you mean. Teach her consequences for her actions. And stick with it, even if it is inconvenient.

Kids learn quickly when No really means No! If what they're doing doesn't work for them anymore, they stop doing it.

How do I "train" her. She is only 18 months old. Do you mean smack her?
 

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
70,869
9,601
113
#15
She means teach her. When she reaches for something to throw, say "NO, we don't throw things in the store." If she cries at night say "good kids don't cry at night, they sleep." Teach her consequences of her actions.

She's old enough to understand that no means no. BUT you've GOT to enforce that with her.
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#16
How do I "train" her. She is only 18 months old. Do you mean smack her?
She cries for four reasons:
1. hungry.
2. Thirsty.
3. Dirty diapers.
4. Attention.

All four reasons are legitimate reasons, but attention often turns into memememememe. And she knows if she cries long enough, you will come in and give her what she wants -- attention. Well, check. If she ate and drank, you can rule out the first two reasons she's crying. Check her diapers. If they're not dirty, it's not the third reason. She's supposed to be sleeping, so if it's the fourth reason, leave. She'll learn that she doesn't get attention from negative behavior. And, she'll learn "bed is for sleeping." Let her cry. She will stop when she figures out crying didn't work. For most parents it's 1-2 weeks of torture on them, while baby cries. (The yearning to take care of her stays, and the howling will drive you nuts, but resists. This has worked for parents for thousands of years.)

The grabbing stuff at the store? A simple hand swat works. Sure, it will likely set her off on a howl again, but if it last long, pull her out of the cart, leave the cart there, go out, and wait for her to cry it out without giving her attention. (You will have to watch her, since toddlers have mad running skills, too. lol) Then when she's done, go back in, put her in the cart again, remind her not to touch, and go back to shopping. If she does it again, (and she will), repeat.

It's like crying at night. As soon as she figures out doing that isn't working in her favor, she'll stop. That too usually takes one to two weeks.

AND, if she thinks being pulled out of the cart and taken out of the store is fun, try to find someone who will watch her the next time you go shopping. Let her know if she wants to go with Mommy she has to behave. She may be the type to test that theory, but don't make it theory. Make it true. Big girls go shopping. Misbehaving girl means less Mommy time.

BTW, we also could sit in church quietly before my memories of how my parents pulled that off too. No coloring books, no toys. Church was for church and we had to act like everyone else. (Which, sometimes we did by falling asleep, but hey! That's how many act in church. lol)

We weren't angels, by any stretch of the imagination, but we did what we were told before age three. The harder part for our parents was what we thought we could do because they never told us not to. (Mom did not tell us we couldn't climb out our second-floor window, until she caught us on the roof. She didn't tell us not to jump off the roof of the garage, until she caught us jumping off the roof of the garage. Lots of things parents forget to tell their kids simply because we tend to think common sense sets in way before it ever does. lol)
 

LaurieB

Senior Member
Mar 12, 2018
177
10
18
#17
thank you all for your advice and for taking the time. It helps to know what you all ... eperience is.
 

Deade

Called of God
Dec 17, 2017
16,724
10,530
113
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Vinita, Oklahoma, USA
yeshuaofisrael.org
#18
If you get the picture, you won't be abusive. Once they know it is possible the rod will seldom be necessary.

Prov. 22:15: "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."
Prov. 13:24: "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes."
Prov. 23:13: "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die."

 

OneFaith

Senior Member
Sep 5, 2016
2,270
369
83
#19
I have an 18 month old who acts up: she is a picky eater, she knocks things over in the supermarket, she cries when I put her down for her nap, she cries at night for me to pick her up. What should I do?

She’s a picky eater...

What she eats is totally in your control. When she gets hungry enough she will eat the nutritious meals you place before her. Leave the junk food for holidays and special times. Take sugar and red dyes out of her diet, they can cause bad behavior. Make sure her meal times and bedtimes are routine. Give her lots of positive attention when she behaves well.

She knocks things over in the supermarket...

Make her pick them up and put them back, every single time. If she throws a tantrum sit on the floor (or a bench) and hold her on your lap as if you were her car seat, until she stops, while speaking calmly to her, then have her put the items back on the shelf.

She cries when I put her down for her nap...

My granddaughter has a certain way that she likes to fall asleep, and I’m the one who figured it out, we all tried everything. She likes to sleep on her side, with a soft blanket on her cheek that she holds with her hand, and a pacifier in her mouth, while being bounced to calm down, then rocked when her eyes close, then I can lay her down when she suddenly feels heavier and I know she’s asleep. Even when put in the crib on her back at night, she soon rolls onto her side and sleeps that way all night. I hope you find your daughter’s specific combination. Try dimming the lights somehow, even if it’s with a blanket by her face. (Make sure it doesn’t block her breathing, and take it away from her face once asleep). Try rocking her.

She cries at night for me to pick her up...

Do you mean that once she is asleep she wakes back up after awhile for you to hold her? If so, falling asleep only postponed her need that wasn’t met. It could be more cuddle time with soft spoken words- if she has no doubt you’re going to be there she’ll calm down and start sleeping through the night. If she had sugar, dye, or caffeine (chocolate), that could be interrupting her sleep. Make sure she has enough physical and mental experiences during the day to tire her out by bedtime. Give her lots of smiles and eye contact during the day, talk to her alot and read to her alot.

Hope this helps.