You think you know someone until you wake up one day and realize the relationship has changed. In my case it was, quite literally, overnight. One day my sweet little boy was just that – sweet. And the next day, not so much.
Well, he’s still sweet, in between his sudden attempts to bite me and take a chunk out of my arm (he’s come close several times with his five new teeth), but he’s been acting differently too. He’s started making this awful shrieking noise. I’ve heard other kids make it before – it’s that high-pitched one that makes dogs howl and little children cover their ears. It makes all the adults turn and give you dirty (sometimes sympathetic) looks when you’re out in public, by the way.
The thing is, I don’t know why he does it. Does he need his diaper changed? No. Is he suddenly tired? Probably not. Did someone look at him the wrong way? Who knows?
All I know is that it’s driving me crazy. To go from super sweet and cuddly to squirmy and screaming has been quite the change. The only one who hasn’t been at the receiving end of one of these little temper tandrums is Oscar. In fact, he and Henry seem to be getting along better than ever. (Side note: I love how patient Oscar is while Henry takes his ball from him. Cockapoos really are great with kids!)
Try to get him to play quietly with his mom, on the other hand, the one who gave him birth after carrying him nine long months, and it’s a whole different scene. Even the little games with Daddy that used to cause him to laugh out loud now seem to send him over the edge.
Lest you think I’m exaggerating, I’m including a video of this new behavior. (Side note #2 – he usually does have on more than diapers and Baby Legs, but I took off his shorts because he was hot and I was too lazy to put them back on.) If you can’t handle the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard, you may want to bypass the video altogether.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Do you see what I mean? I’ve gotten to where I just start laughing because really, what else is there to do? And I feel a little better today after reading that at around six to seven months old, kids’ personalities become more developed. Apparently they start to realize who they are and that they are an individual person.
I think that’s great that he is beginning to realize it and all, I just wish he wouldn’t do it quite so loudly!
Any suggestions on how to handle the shrieking? Just ride it out or is it a good time to try to teach him the word “no”?
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