First time Mom- Need some advice!

**nastoe** · 10-12-2010 04:52 PM

My daughter is now almost 15 months old and she has been fussy since birth, when she was younger she would cry all the time and we ended up switching her to soy formula which seemed to help a little bit, but she has always been very easily distracted and easily bored. From the time she wakes up she is running around, whining, and moving from one thing to the next. She does not sit still ever! She can be very exhausting, and although she sleeps well she seems to whine and act like she is tired all the time. She hates to be held or cuddled. She absolutely screams when I try to trim her nails or brush her teeth, and I am starting to feel like I am at my whits end, and I just dont know if I am doing something wrong or if this is all normal. When she is around other kids she just seems so much more fussy and irritable and I cant help but notice a difference.
For the past several weeks she had been refusing to eat a lot also and I am worried that she is not getting enough to eat.
If anyone has any words of encouragement or tips I could try, I would really appreciate it!

**ROXY03** · 10-12-2010 06:22 PM

Haha she's approaching 'terrible twos'. As a mum of 2(soon-to-be 3) I've been here, its normal!! She's testing you, seeing how soft you are and how much she can get away with!! All kids do it. Be firm but fair as now is the time YOU need to establish YOUR rules.
Tips: structered day plan (7am-breakfast, 7.30am train set and teletubbies, 8am bath). That way she's never bored(so can't 'act up'), always knows whats next and to behave for, and gets her ready for school.
Sticker charts/books work well too-its kinder than smacking/shouting, i.e ''brush your teeth and you may choose a sticker, if you don't brush your teeth I'll have to take a sticker away and nannny/daddy/___ will be so sad when I show them your chart/book as you've been such a good girl'' worked with my kids?? hope it helps xx

**WildChild** · 10-12-2010 07:26 PM

Has she always resisted being held?
Sounds like she may have a food sensitivity.
With eating, I'll that if you kept a diary you would find that over the course of a few days she eats just fine. At this age little ones will tend to alternate what they eat, they may want peanut butter all day one day then not touch it the next. Lots of finger foods are good, things like frozen peas (pea pops) cheerios, and carrot nibbles will help her eat a balanced diet.
I would never encourage a child this young to watch TV. Read to her and snuggle, give her little ways to help you throughout the day, have lots of toys that challenge and facilitate learning. Puzzle balls, dexterity toys, pattern, shape and color recognition toys are good at this age. Duplos are great.

At this age a back pack is still a wonderful thing. Just pop her onto your back and away you go. She is close, is part of what you are doing and it can really cut down on the fussing.