Re: Define the "Terrible Twos" for me?

toto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> On Tue, 02 Dec 2003 08:13:45 GMT, "Jim Beaver"
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
> >I'm the original poster who asked the question.  First, thanks to all of you
> >(even the perfect parent) for answering.  I asked the question in the form I
> >did, seeking observational and generic responses because I didn't want to
> >start off by describing my situation and thus generating answers that
> >unconsciously remodeled my situation into the situational experience of the
> >respondent.  At any rate, here's what I've got going on:
> >
> >My two-year-old (+ 3 mos.) has been an incredible child, mellow, outgoing,
> >extremely compliant yet lively and assertive.  Suddenly last week, she began
> >having periods of near- or total hysteria--wanting to be picked up but
> >immediately wanting to be put down if we picked her up, asking for all kinds
> >of things and activities yet instantly reversing course the moment we made
> >any attempt to act on her request, saying "no" to everything offered or
> >suggested, yet also saying "no" to the withdrawal of those offers and
> >suggestions, asking for a bottle then pushing it away the moment it was
> >handed to her, all at a rising level of hysteria.  None of it seemed to be
> >deliberately oppositional behavior.  Rather it just seemed that she suddenly
> >had no idea whatsoever what she wanted and was asking for everything she
> >thought of and then rejecting it if she got it.  Trying to hold her and calm
> >her escalated the situation immensely until she was screaming and crying
> >uncontrollably.  Yet leaving her to her own devices or even completely
> >ignoring her led to similar escalation.  
> 
> This certainly doesn't sound age related..   
> 
> Has her caregiver changed?  Could something have happened that
> frightened her when you were not around?
> 
> >The worst part was that she began waking up once or twice a night, 
> >going instantly from a dead sleep to this same hysteria, and keeping 
> >it up sometimes for a couple of hours.  
> 
> Two is a common age for the beginning of nightmares.  Night
> Terrors is also a possibility if you think she is not really waking
> up fully when you try to comfort her.
> 
> 
> >She always used to wake up at least once a night and have a bottle, 
> >but always went quickly back to sleep, calmly.  This sudden new turn 
> >of events is not calm, nor does it include a bottle, which she now 
> >rejects and asks for in rapid succession, but never takes.  She 
> >eventually conks out after a couple of hours, but sometimes starts 
> >the same routine over again an hour or two later.  In the past six days, 
> >I've averaged 3.5-to 4.5 hours sleep a night, NONE of it consecutive.  
> >I'm at my physical and mental rope's end.
> >
> ((((((((((((((((((Jim)))))))))))))))))))))))
> 
> I can see why.
> 
> >She is taking carbatrol, a medication to prevent seizure activity, to which
> >she has shown some propensity.  But this medication has been part of her
> >normal life for a long time.  When I first described the hysterics and the
> >"no's", a lot of people told me, "Oh, it's the terrible twos."  But after
> >reading your many responses describing, without knowing the details of MY
> >situation, what YOUR idea of the TT's is, it seems to me this is something
> >different.  Particularly the part about the sudden hysterics upon waking in
> >the middle of the night.
> >
> Has the dosage of the medication changed?  Has anything in her diet 
> changed?  Is her routine the same?  
> 
> Have you spoken to your pediatrician about this?  Perhaps there has
> been a change in her body chemistry that causes a reaction to the
> medication.   I wouldn't presume to know if this is even possible, but
> your doctor might be able to help.
> 
> 
> >Anyone have any ideas?  I'm a 53 year old man with no one to help 
> >me during the night, and in less than a week, I've been driven nearly 
> >insane from exhaustion and worry about myself and my daughter. 
> >I cannot possibly continue in the current state of affairs until she's 
> >three or four!  I'm not sure I can make Saturday.
> >
> This is a tough situation all around.
> 
> How verbal is she?  Can you sit down with her when she is not
> hysterical and see if you can talk to her about her feelings?
> 
> Can you ask her to draw a picture of what is making her scared?
> or angry?  It's awfully hard to know what to do.  
> 
> >Jim Beaver
> >
> >Jim, 

       Did you ever respond to Peggy?  I thought that she was very
informative and nice in her responses.  She has more to offer than me.
 My 10 year old also takes a preventive seizure medication.  I have
noted some changes in his behavior also, but opposite of what your
seeing.  He was more high strung and since his seizure seems somewhat
less high strung.  We may both have to see a physican about our
children's behavior or discuss it once again with our neurologist.