"Confucius say....

......that toddler going through "a phase" and mummy with PMS do not make for good shopping partners"

*sigh*
We have had a long week. K is 18months old, and until now I have somehow managed to keep her entertained enough on trains/at restaurants etc with lots of little snacks, toys, raisins in a cup whatever to keep her attention and keep her sitting down in her stroller/on the seat for the duration. But this week, well, I think she has finally realised that now that she can walk properly, and mummy has been taking her for short walks to the park and the bread shop etc, that she wants to be doing this walking thing a lot more often. She wants to be doing it every time we leave the house. The ol' bribe of a snack or some milk to get her into the stroller is wearing thin too. On Tuesday we went to playgroup, the one that takes us about 45mins to 1hour to get to. It is the playgroup we used to go to before we moved here. We live about 4mins walk from the train station, but before the train even arrived, K was standing in her stoller wanting to get out. I managed to keep her in until we got on the train, but then she wanted to sit on the seat. Luckily the train was pretty empty, so we could sit in the priority seat, look out the window etc. But we still had to change trains along the way, and get on to a busy train (standing room only). So when we got to the station to change trains,I tried nicely (I swear) to get her to sit in her stroller. The banana bribe didn't work. The milk bribe didn't work. The carry strap didn't work. There were tears. There were screams. But we couldn't get on the train unless she was "contained", I only have 2 hands and trying to manuever her and a stroller on a packed train is not easy - she would only want to get down as soon as we were on the train too. These days she even hates being held. She somehow sat in the stroller, but then started to scream blue murder as we got on the train. The whole way. No consoling her. She finally gave up when some nice old lady took to her and started playing peek-a-boo or something.

After playgroup, the same issues, she didn't want to sit in the stroller. But by this time she was also super tired, and about to pass out asleep, so after a bit she sat in her stoller, and within 5 mins was sound asleep.

Then yesterday, we went to a closer playgroup. Only 13mins by 2 trains. BUT as soon as we got on the train she wanted to get out of her stroller. But we had to change trains in like a minute, so there really wasn't time to get her out, put shoes on, adjust the balance of bags hanging off the back of the stroller etc.... so there were tears. LOTS of them. And screams, PIERCING screams. When she gets like that, there is just nothing I can do to calm her down. (Of course, before the tears started, I pulled out all the snacks/toys/is there a doggy? tricks, to no avail).

So I end up frazzled and frizzled by the timke I get anywhere these days. I asked some other mummies for advice, but they all suggested the avert attention with toys/snacks method. What do I do when that doesn't work?? One mummy said it was just a phase...she will grow out of it, in about a year, lol...about the time she realises that sitting in the stroller is a lot easier!

This is not really meant to be a whining post - I know that she doesn't do these things to frustrate me (though somtimes...aaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhhh) . A bit of an internet search last night ("how do I deal with my 18month old!?!?") and although there was no new techniques per say, the best advice I saw was that I can't keep on using the old method and expecting her to fit into it anymore. It is time for me to adapt to her current sitation and try to combat this, pre-empt any "attack" and get through this stage with as little frustration for both of us as possible. Big sigh.
I don't know how you mummies with 2 or 3 even get out of the house - supermums, all of you!I have sooooo much to learn.