1 yr old meltdown after getting home from dc/work

ns1

DD has done this a little in the past, but has really started it pretty much every night recently!

When we get home from work/dc (after about a 40 min. car ride where she naps) she is just a crabby little thing until she's fed.  I try to quickly get dinner ready but I have to warm some things up and it takes a little bit (I even do freezer meals so I have less prep to do!).  But she walks around my legs crying, or throws herself back in the living room and just wails!  Sometimes DH can entertain her and keep her occupied, but mostly that doesn't even work because she'll just walk over to me and start crying and staring at me while I make dinner.  She's probably hungry...but I have to get the food ready before she can get it.  And she's probably tired...but she has to eat before bed!

I want to enjoy the little time after work and before bed I get with her, but I also have to get everyone fed.  It's becoming stressful to come home now and it's quite the bummer.

Anyone have similar experiences or any suggestions for me?  TIA 

pitterpatter129

Just comiserating.  My almost 2 year old has been terrible about this the past week.  He's just exhausted and mad I left him at daycare (he's started crying every morning and grabs his stuff and runs out the door when I pick him up!)  He just cries from the minute we get home until bedtime.  It's really exhausting for me too!  Today went better because I brought a snack for the car (even though we live all of five minutes from the daycare!)  I think he might need food in him right away.  Since I give him fruit with dinner anyhow, I figured eating his banana or something as a snack right after school instead of with dinner is fine. 

 

 

bluejetta

This just happened for the first time today and I do think its hunger as DD was fine once she ate -- I offered to nurse even though we're weaning a bit but she refused. I am going to try the car snack (only a 10 min drive) and see if that helps a bit.  We are also just having some meltdowns with any kind of transition (leaving daycare, going to naps/bed etc) so we just try to be calm and give her warnings (5 mins till bed etc) to help prepare her even if she can't quite understand it yet.

Lahardy96

We had this problem as well, and hunger seemed to be the main issue. We have a car snack for the ride home, which sometimes he finishes when we get home. Has made things better, but we still have days (especially since we're going into the terrible two's, most of the time when he had a short nap, and those nights we go to bed early.

jeffsjayme

Haven't been there, but how about a small snack in the car or right when you get home?  An apple or veggies or a cracker?  Something with no prep.

honeybee111

If you think she's hungry, could you give her(or have DH give her) a small snack while you're getting dinner ready?  Or give her something on the ride home - unless she needs to nap.

Also, this isn't hunger related, but I've found that DD will leave me alone to make dinner if I spend the first 10-15 min. playing with her when we get home.  She gets my undivided attention for a little bit, which I think she misses after her long day.

Jenny952

I agree with all the pp that it sounds like your LO is hungry.  Maybe try having daycare do a late snack or have something ready in the car for when she wakes up from her nap.  I'd also maybe suggest trying to get her to nap at daycare so she's not sleeping in the car everyday.  Good luck, that sounds like a tough situation.

KathrynMD

I would try a "heartier" snack on the way home from daycare - like a banana or piece of cheese so you take the edge off.  And, then when you get home, give her 5-10 minutes of your TOTAL undivided attention - lots of affection, hugs, kisses - really give her that time to reconnect with you.  And, don't worry so much about dinner.  She really shouldn't need that much and so if you push it back 15 mintues to give her a litlte quality time, it shouldn't be a big deal to her and you and and DH should be able to deal.

groovygrl

I struggled w/ this a lot b/w 1 & 2 and I think part was hunger but part was just a long day & seeing me & wanting the attention and I was trying to cook dinner (it was only me & the 2 kids after daycare, MH never gets home until an hour or more after I do).

I started bringing a snack in the car- some cheerios, goldfish, a banana, a cheese stick (I would put an ice pack in a little lunch cooler & leave the cheese in there all day & they stayed cold). BUT I made dinner right after getting home b/c at that age they were still going to bed around 630 so I ran into the problem of them not being hungry for dinner b/c they just had a snack... so I had to cut back and limit the amt of snack they had or try to offer smaller things.

The other thing that works at our house but not everyone's is that until around age 2 1/2 to 3, they always ate before we did b/c MH was not home until later (this is still often the case but now I make one big meal for all of us b/c they are much better able to entertain themselves while I cook & DD is really into helping too). I premade a lot of meals for them b/w 1 & 2 and had them in the freezer so each morning I would take something out & put it in the fridge so there was minimal prep for them when we got home, usually just heating up or something easy like scrambled eggs, etc. Then I made MH & my dinner after that or right after they went to bed & sometimes there were leftovers that would become the kids' dinner the next day.   It was just easier for us this way.

Tink112011

Your situation sounds exactly like my household in the evening!  I can't even get out of my work clothes because DS will throw a huge fit when I put him down.

For us, I don't think it is hunger.  Most nights he will hardly eat dinner.  He eats well at daycare, do I don't think he's that hungry come dinner time.  I think he just misses me, because he is totally fine after his "dinner" when we go to him room to play.

Our LOs are so happy to see us at the end of the day, and they don't understand why mommy is putting them down and why mommy isn't giving them attention.  Since DS doesn't care about a fancy dinner, I don't either.  He gets something simple and quick, and the rest I give him 100% attention.  Even if that means staying in my work clothes until he is in bed. 

 GL!

ns1

Thanks for the ideas and commiseration!  I think I'm going to try a "hearty" snack and see how that goes.  I've tried giving her my attention before going to dinner to see if that was an issue, but then she either is okay and then is super-crazy when I try to make dinner or she just won't even have that - she doesn't want to be held or put down, she just wants to fuss and cry!  Hopefully a snack will help her stay happier until she can get a full dinner!