DS2 is 18 months old and is a total mama's boy. He has been pretty much since birth, but it's really ramped up over the past few months. He's wonderful when I am not around. He's giggly and playful and cheerful and is so good at entertaining himself. I see some of that when I am with him, especially if he has my undivided attention, but mostly he's just very clingy with me. If I walk out of a room or out of his sight or try to leave the house, he screams and sobs and tries to follow me. He follows me around with his arms in the air for me to pick him up, if I cave and pick him up then he clings to me like a koala and loses it if I put him down. This breaks my heart because sometimes I don't pick him up because I don't want to deal with the aftermath of when I have to put him down so I just avoid picking him up altogether. Ugh. This is complicated by the fact that I also have a newborn who I spend a LOT of time feeding and holding (although DS2's behavior was like this before he was born). He's good with his baby brother though and wants to see him and touch him (and sometimes poke him in the eye).

It seems like once he gets upset then every little thing for the rest of the day sets him off. I am a SAHM so he spends most of his time with me and it makes me so sad that he spends most of his day crying at me and I have no idea what to do about it. He's only 18 months old, do I ignore it? Give in? Try to put him in timeout? I HAVE NO IDEA but I can't keep listening to him whine and cry all day. It makes me sad and frustrated. Right now the only things that calm him down and distract him are a binky and Paw Patrol. I have an older son who is 4, and playing with him is a good distraction too, but I can't rely on my 4 year old to handle my toddler for me.

Today has been particularly stressful and I end up losing my patience and yelling, then I feel so sad that I yelled at a little toddler who just wants his mama to hold him. Sorry this is long and rambling, I am just at my wit's end with all of the crying.