RE: 15 month -- the terrible ones?!?!?!?!
Gabrielle started being terrible right about 16 months. Now at 26 months she's finally getting past it. This too shall pass.... :D
The things that really helped her the most were being able to communicate and giving her warnings.
Communication wise, at 16 months, she only signed. When I saw she was starting to have things frustrate her, I taught her to sign 'help'. Then when she'd get mad at something, I'd ask her if she needed 'help, wait for her sign and then help her. Knowing she could ask for 'help' helped a lot!
The other thing is giving her warnings. As in, "In a few minutes we're going to be done swinging and go inside, take an nap, go bye-bye, take a bath, whatever". Giving her advanced notice of what was going to happen let her have a few minutes to get used to the idea that change was coming.
~~AngelaS~~
Mommy to 3 girls: A, G and M. (15, 11 and 8.5)
The education of all children, from the moment that they can get along without a mother's care, shall be in state institutions at state expense.
– Karl Marx, "The Communist Manifesto"