Help! Mikus has gone feral. I love him desperately, but lately he is very hard to manage. I know it's just a stage, but its him 'against the world' at the moment and close family members are in the direct firing line. I think it must be a combination of him starting to learn to talk, the frustration of not really being able to talk, realising that he doesnt always have to do everything that Matiss says, and that yelling REALLY loud sometimes DOES actually get what you want!
His favourite words in the last few weeks are "AND ME!" (with his finger expressively pointed at his chest), "MINE! " (roared while fiercely tugging toys away from another child), "I'll show ya!" (repeated incessantly while pulling on an adult's hand to get them away from whatever they're doing), and "Go!!! Go!!!" (yelled while pushing you to go away).
His tantrums are the most spectacular I've seen, where neither he, I, nor his father know how to calm him down. They often start for reasons only known or understood by Mikus and WATCH OUT if you happen to be the perpetrator. Every day I am confronted, numerous times, by this hysterical bundle of rage and frustration and am at a loss how to help him. I've tried distraction. And holding him close and telling him I love him. And completely ignoring him. And taking him to a 'safe place' so that he can calm down himself. And getting down to his level and TALKING to him, asking him whats wrong. Hey, I've even tried giving him whatever he wants, no matter how capricious it seems. But nothing helps. The only thing I haven't resort to is chocolate (methinks it would be a bit too much pavlovian training).
The way he finally stops is when he is too tired to physically fight me anymore, then I pick up the small sobbing bundle, and THEN try distraction. And then walk on eggshells for the rest of the afternoon in case he starts off again. Recently I have tried to fight through my own tears and fear of my sub-2 year old and to HOLD him more during the day (when he's not having a tantrum) and carry him around, talk more and help to translate to him this big, overwhelming world that he is just really starting to discover - provide him with a bit more attention and shelter. Don't know if it will work. Ideas, anyone?

PS. The photo above is Mikus eating his favourite food
The one below is him doing 'thumbs up'