On the verge of having a nervous break down!

My 16 month old cries all the time! If he is not crying then he's whining! I don't understand, Me nor his doctor can find anything wrong with him. I think he just does it because he is spoiled! I'm so irritated ALL the time and I have very little support. My husband/his dad doesn't think its that bad! I'm a stay at home mom and he is a leasing agent, and he also owns a photography company....so he's not around him nearly as much as I am, so he doesn't understand why I get so upset! I feel like i'm literally losing my mind! I really don't know what else I can do, I'm ready to just throw my hands up and say I quit!

[kellym]

Get him out of the house. Explore new parks in your area. For my kids, they are happiest out and about, especially at parks and new parks. (may be too cold in Chicago, lol)  I have an almost 15 mo old and he is so busy all the time playing with his older siblings or trying to keep up.  I let them play in the backyard with tunnels and such for hours on end. Oh, it gets cold here too and I just set them up all over the house.  At this age, blocks, trains, cars, we love all of those things. I hope you get some peace soon, I'm sure you are very frustrated :(

[jenkaye21]

Set up playdates with friends' kids close to his age.  Join a Mommy and Me class. Check out an indoor park or children's museum.
You know, what you describe is one of the reasons I could never be a SAHM.  Maybe that's terrible, but it's true.  I love my kids to death, but both they and I are happier b/c I work and they go to a fabulous daycare where they get to play with their friends.  We would all get bored/frustrated/whiny if we were home all day-- it's just not for me!
My 18 m/o is happiest when there are other kids around. Luckily, he has 3 older siblings to follow around. He also loves "new" toys, so I rotate his toys in and out every week or two, and they are new again to him.  :)

[Ashelen]

First, take a deep deep breath!

Ok. I think you got some really good advice from Kellym and Jenkaye....they have had experience with this and they are absolutely right...if you stimulate your son more, he will whine less because he will have less reason and desire to whine!

Parks are a wonderful idea, but if getting out of the house is difficult, I would recommend starting a schedule. Get a bunch of fun ideas together, (google "play ideas for toddlers" or something similar....blocks, tunnels, the crayons that are safe for young children, etc) and just set out times during the day to do each so you're not running around like a chicken with your head cut off if he comes to you bored and needing something to do.

Also...it's OK to allow him 'free play' time. You sit on the couch, give him some toys, and make him entertain himself. He's old enough to do that now and it's good for BOTH of you. You don't want to do this for TOO long or he'll become bored and frustrated, but he needs to learn and you need a few minutes to breathe, so it's OK to do.

I, too, am a SAHM and there are times when my 2year-old's whining will drive me up the wall. But usually I Just take a breath, tell her to go play by herself, and get away from the situation mentally for a little bit. I also have a 6-month-old though so I very rarely get the breathing space that I want, lol.

But really what you need is a *mental* break. You can stick your son in his highchair in the bathroom with some toys and take a nice warm bath, even if he cries as long as he is safe and you are watching him its OK if you REALLY need a break. do you have any friends or family who can take him for a few hours once a week to give you a break? My dad usually takes my oldest for a few hours on fridays to give me a break and some time to bond with my youngest and I have to tell you; that time is GOLDEN. when my husband tries to stay home on fridays and spend time with me i'm like NO!GO TO WORK! because I so desperately need that time to decompress lol.

Anyway...you're not alone. I remember how stressful it was having a 16-month-old...and then my son was born when my daughter was 21 months and for some reason my whole perspective changed and I got a lot more laid-back and even though my daughter was MORE difficult, I had an easier time dealing with it.

You'll get used to it. hang in there...and take some time for you; if you take care of YOU, you will be able to take better care of your SON!