Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school Temper Tantrums on Infant

DD10mo starts throwing fits, jumping up and down, crying when we take things (e.g. small toys that are choking hazards) away from her. DS3 did not throw temper tantrums until he was much older.

I was reading that most children don't have temper tantrums until 1.5 yo. Who knows that having temper tantrums is a milestone.

I guess I should be proud of her new "milestone"!

My D (now 17) was already have massive temper tantrums at that age. However... in retrospect, I think it is more likely that it was related to her learning disability (she is 2E with a Non-Verbal Learning Disability, and can be VERY inflexible because of it) than related to her giftedness. Pretty hard to distinguish the reasons at 10 months, of course.

That's about when it started with my dd, too. She was about 10 months and we were looking at the Christmas display at Target. When I started to leave, after we had looked up close at virtually light-up thing there, she did one of those back-arching, crying fits!

Congratulations on the early milestone!

Wow... I had no idea. Both mine threw tantrums (i.e. clearly mad at me for taking something away, etc) as infants. I just assumed it was typical.

I love this forum

My ds threw his first tantrum. (big one) at 8 months! He got it out of his system early though and was pretty easy as a 2 year old. Dd started later but was INTENSE at two.

Our DD was experimenting with tantrums well before her 1st birthday. We'd put her on timeout in response, and my MIL thought we were being cruel to do so to a child at such an early age, who clearly couldn't know any better. Then DD would spend an afternoon with MIL, where she'd learn fussing or tantrums could be productive, so she'd have to come home and experiment again.

By the time the "terrible twos" arrived she'd pretty much finished with that line of experimentation. We could take her anywhere, and she drew tons of positive attention wherever she went.

I think that the two things I've learned through parenting three children is that a) the "rules" are over-simplified and there are all kinds of outlier kids out there - high IQ or not high IQ, and b) chances are, if you have more than one child, the second is going to be different in personality than the first

None of my kids hit the tantrum stage at 2, no matter what the books all predict - some were earlier, some were later, some cycled through the tantrum phase more than once, one was a relatively mild case of tantruming, one almost sent me over the cliff, and the third is, um, headed into puberty and apparently going for the gold in experiencing hormonal mood shifts... and she was my "easy" toddler lol!

Enjoy your sweet baby - it sounds like she'll grow up to be a woman who knows how to stand up for what she needs

polarbear

It's funny you mentioned that.

She started to wave both of her hands to show her dislike when she was 6 months. She definitely knows what she wants.

what kind of link do you think exists between giftedness and kids who tantrum early? i'm just curious because my 4 year old started about 3 months old. it was wild. i have always been curious about him, and although he could do puzzles at 12 months, and knew all his letters and sounds by 18 months....at 4, he doesn't present as "typically gifted" like my older son was at this age. but he has some other behaviors that make me think maybe it is time for testing. insight?

DS1 startedat 2 mos. I wouldn't let him drop Dr. Sears on his toes a fouth time, and that was THE END of THE WORLD.

DS2 started around 6 mos, but is only really getting into it now, at almost 9

DS1 still tantrums mmm, well, mostly continuously. The second he spends time with someone who lets him get away with stuff we endup with a week of damage controle. But he's starting to have monements when he really seems to understand why it's a bad approach. He just finds it really hard to break the pattern once he starts. Oy.

Just venting. I don't have anything useful to say. Sorry.