Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

If you had an easy infant, did they grow a second head when they grew to be a toddler? And if so, which would you rather?

Megan was a DREAM infant. ALWAYS slept. I never felt deprived of sleep like lots of new moms. She never cried. Was content anywhere she went. We kept our lives pretty much the same because she was just so good. It shocked me because I didnt expect having an infant would have been so easy.

Well, when she turned one, that ALL went down hill. I would never say shes "bad", just EXTREMELY high spirited with more energy than the darn energenizer bunny. Sometimes I look back and think, maybe she could have given me a couple of more sleepless nights when she was an infant if only she were a bit calmer now. I was talking to a few moms recently and they all said that as infants, their children were impossible but as toddlers (besides the normal terrible 2's phase) they were so much better. So I was wondering the other way around? I LOVE my daughters spirit. I LOVE that she is always on the go and loves every second of the day but sometimes I think I am just going to fall down from exhaustion. If I only had a quarter of her energy.

Message edited 10/21/2008 11:45:36 PM.

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

I don't know...I feel like I gave birth to another husband.

It seemed like he demanded to be treated like a free adult since day one.

Held nonstop.

It still amazes me that some kids lay down and go to sleep. If Josh did that, I would take his temp instantly.

The allergies, seizure, and asthma.

The meds now...I don't even know what his real personality is anymore!

I will say, he plays well. By himself, with someone...he knows how to keep busy. He's not a whiner or a crier...listens really well. He's pretty low maintance at home.

I was sleep deprived till 20 months. That's when we moved his bed into our room. Now, he sleeps through the night. He never understood the concept of his own room, ever.

my long winded point he was a ton more work as a baby, but I feel like I was handed a handful anyway. He marches to his own drummer....a good boy who is very driven to be treated like an adult.

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

YES!!!!

This is my exact situation!! DD is 22 months. She is so strong-willed and spirited. But at the same time she is so happy and so funny.

Today she looks at my rain boots and says "I love those shoes!!! Sorry, she cracks me up.

But when she does not get her way...watch out And discipline seems completely lost on her. I am consistent and stern but she does not care (kind of remains me of someone I know ).

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

As you know Noreen whenever you post about Megan I swear you are talking about my own child. I was going to add well at least she is a great sleeper but being that she's been up since 5:30am just because, I'm going to temporarily retract that statement.

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

I have the opposite---I guess I am thankful for that. The first 6 months DD was just a cranky pants all the time (and she was colic). Since then, it's been pretty smooth sailing.

Message edited 10/22/2008 6:56:58 AM.

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

I got the double whammy - collicky, no sleep baby, plus a difficult toddler.

Lucky me!

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

Posted by Disneygirl

Posted by Bxgell2

I got the double whammy - collicky, no sleep baby, plus a difficult toddler.

Lucky me!

Going by your stories I know your little girl is destined to do wonderful things in her life.

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

I feel the exact same way with miki...she was DREAM up until like a month ago, then the monster was released

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

Posted by nycchic24

Posted by Disneygirl

Posted by Bxgell2

I got the double whammy - collicky, no sleep baby, plus a difficult toddler.

Lucky me!

Going by your stories I know your little girl is destined to do wonderful things in her life.

ITA!!!

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

for me
hard infant=hard toddler
She is and always has been a cryer and very clingy, always wants to be held. I know there will be a day I will miss it but for now...

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

You already know that Megain is Lauren's twin. Lauren was such an easy baby, then the minute she could walk around 15 mnths or so, all hell broke loose! She is getting better now, in her defense, since she can talk and tell us what the problem is.

and I will say she has always slept well, for naps and at night, so while she can be a devil during the day, at least she sleeps well.

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

DD was a wonderful baby. She still is. BUT since she turned a year old, she is becoming....well....STUBBORN! I don't know if they can be defiant at this age but I swear she knows exactly what she's doing! Oh she makes me laugh though.

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

:raising hand:

I can reassure you that Hard Toddler does not always equal difficult pre-schooler or elementary schooler

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

I don't know. Christopher was a pretty easy baby (once we got the formula thing ironed out) and he is a pretty easy toddler so far as well.

I actually think he is my gift for my pregnancy from hell. I was a little nervous that when he was 9 months old it would all go down hill, but it hasn't yet.

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

Message edited 10/22/2008 11:40:31 AM.

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

Yes. DD was such an easy newborn (besides the colic) she started sleeping through the night consistently at 10 weeks. She was a little angel. Now at 11 months she is an angel with an attitude. She throws tantrums and is very high-spirited

So my hope is that when she turns into a teenager she will go back into being an easy kid....hopefully it's a cycle

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

DS has been a challenge since day 1. He was colic and needed to be held/rocked- though he did start sleeping consistently through the night by 5 months. But he has so much energy you can't even believe it. Plus he's taken to face grabbing/scratching, which is tons of fun.

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

Johnny was definitely not an easy baby. He had good moments and good days followed by awful days...crying on and off for a full day sometimes...BUT he was always a great sleeper and still is, so we were thankful for that.

As he's grown he has become easier and easier. He is happy and fun loving, affectionate and just so much more calm than he used to be..so I guess we have the opposite over here! (Not to say we don't sometimes have rough days, but they are few and far between!)

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

Steven was an ANGEL until her tuned one!

It's not that he is bad, but like you said...he is VERY energetic. He is not afraid of anything and soooooooo independent.

Re: Has anyone else experienced this...easy infant = HARD toddler?

Emily was a very good, fairly easy baby. Nothing out of the ordinary, not colicy or anything like that, and was really sleeping well by 2 months.

As a toddler she can be spirited, stubborn, bossy at times, but all in all I have to say that she is a really great toddler. She is so much fun to be around, has a fantastic, funny personality. She is loving and cares about other people. She drives me crazy sometimes but I think that just comes with toddlerhood.