Oh Man Another Major Tantram From My 2 Yr. Old!

[Electra]

I'm trying to get her ready for the dr's appt today and she is IRATE!! She hasn't even eaten today, but I gave her gluten yesterday trying to evoke an attack because I'm hoping to get her tested today. She's screaming bloody murder flailing her body about on the floor as if she's having a seizure (but she's conscious)!! She won't let you talk to her, look at her, or go near her or she screams even loader and gets more upset. She just is not like this (or didn't used to be) and I need to get her out of this house to the dr's!! Man this is just not something I can emotionally handle right now UG!!

[Guest nini]

hang in there, God, I remember those tantrums well... my daughter's were terrible... remember to breathe and at the Dr. appt. PLEASE tell them about these tantrums and that you KNOW they are linked to her diet and you'd like to try a dietary trial as you suspect gluten. I wish I'd just done the dietary trial FIRST with my daughter instead of prolonging the agony by going to see specialists who didn't believe me...

[taweavmo3]

Oh yeah, those tantrums are still fresh in my mind too. I remember trying to describe them to the pedi one time, and he thought I was just talking about a run of the mill tantrum and started in on all the normal ways to diffuse them. It's very hard to convey exactly how bad they are!

We still have some days like that, and Emmie's almost 5. Although, we found out this summer that she also had urinary reflux, so I think that's the problem now. She still has tantrums where we have to physically stand by her just to make sure she doesn't hurt herself or one of the other kids. She'll pull her hair, bite her arm, throw anything within reach, etc. But thank goodness they don't happen that often anymore.

Good luck, hang in there, and just know that after you start the diet things will start improving!

[Fiddle-Faddle]

For what it's worth, when my daughter threw tantrums, I would take her into my walk-in closet, close the door, and sit in the dark holding her until she stopped--which sometimes felt like forever, but each time was less. The quiet, the dark, and Mommy holding her seemed to make a lot of difference.

She needed a lot of verbal preparation for everything, including the closet. Some children have a lot of trouble with transitions, especially when it doesn't involve getting their own way, and telling them in advance what will be happening, when, and why can make a lot of difference, even when there are other factors, like gluten. This also helps with those children who are just going through a control-freak stage, too.

Staying calm and quiet yourself in these situations is extremely difficult, but very important, both for your sanity and hers!

When you are on your way to an appointment and she loses it, you might just strap her (screaming) into the car seat, even if she is still in pajamas. Pack everything you think you might need (change of clothes, her favorite teddy, breakfast and a drink for her, etc.). Sometimes a favorite compact disc in the car can help, too.

I hope your doctor is cooperative (some of them throw tantrums, too! ), and that going off gluten resolves everything.