wwyd - terrible toddler habbit

[mamato3]

I'm sure this is everyone's favorite topic, so if you actually clicked and are reading this - THANK YOU. my 15 month old son has this terrible habit of making himself vomit when he doesn't get his way. I am actually 2 for 3 with my children doing this at this age! anyway, it is really disgusting and i am at a loss for age appropriate discipline that will get him to stop. I'm sure he'll move on to something else before long, but in the meantime, I am going mad. Oh, and I also can't get him to stop climbing on the tables! He was the easiest of babies and seems to be making up for lost time. ahhh.

[dangermom]

He's 15 months old and doing this? Zowie. I do have a niece who used to do it, but she has grown out of it now. I don't know what to do with a young toddler who does it, but you have my sympathy!

[Miss Marple]

I had a toddler do this, but in his case I wouldn't say he made himself do it. He would get very upset and cry to the point that he would vomit. He just got so upset - it wasn't something conscious. We had to discipline very gently or he would get extremely upset. He grew into a very sensitive boy who would often get an upset stomach when he was bothered about something. He had a highly developed conscience and we often discovered he had done something not allowed because he would be sick to his stomach. He outgrew the vomiting for the most part.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I would guess that, since he's only 15months, he just has a weak stomach in terms of how he does when he gets upset.

 

Some people just do have upset stomachs, even to the point of getting sick, when stressed (angry, scared, etc). I am generally not very weak in that way, but I can be when stressed enough.

 

But he may grow out of it as his system regulates a bit more efficiently and effectively.

 

If he were older, I'd absolutely believe it possible that he's making himself do it. One of my children had behavioral vomiting for several months. Another may have done so also.

[nono]

Oh! First :grouphug: for you, because this on a regular basis must be sending you round the bend (well, it would me!). Second, try to remember, this is a little child. I am pretty hard-arsed in general, but I bet the thing to do (risky! to be sure) is to pull him close and hug the dickens out of him when he's been sick. It might be very frightening to him to have his body betray him like that. Imposing disciplinary measures on a child who can't keep his own body in check, seems, well, kinda harsh for 15 months. Just something to consider. You are there and I am not.

 

As for table climbing, yes, discipline is in order...for so many reasons! Safety and cleanliness, to name two.

[unsinkable]

I can't imagine that a 15 month old could deliberately make himself vomit if he doesn't get his own way!

 

The idea is so far from my parenting POV, I can only tell you I'd never view it the way you are.

 

[mamato3]

Thanks to all who have commented. Maybe I should add that he will laugh and play in it. I'm almost certain he feels just fine. Tonight he did it when getting strapped in for dinner. Didn't want to be confined and ended up getting a bath(perhaps that was positive reinforcement, but he really needed it). I know he was hungry too because he ate just fine after his bath. My daughter used to do it because she didn't like being strapped in her carseat. Ahhhh. This too shall pass :)

[blondeviolin]

I agree that I'd doubt the vomiting is a conscious choice.

 

Now, the climbing in the table... I just constantly pull them down and say, "We don't climb on the table." Over and over and over...

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I can't imagine that a 15 month old could deliberately make himself vomit if he doesn't get his own way!

 

The idea is so far from my parenting POV, I can only tell you I'd never view it the way you are.

 

 

This is what i was thinking.

 

If he is just getting so worked up that he vomits, that's completely different. I would try staying ahead of him and redirect.

 

What kinds of things does he want that he's getting worked up over?

[Julie Smith]

My toddler had a horrible habit. (For lack of a better description)

 

When something he didn't like happened he would hurt his breath. Then he would fall backwards like a block knocked over. If you didn't catch him he would wack the back of his head. He would then continue holding his breath till his limbs stiffened and his back would raise off the floor. His eyeballs would roll back till you only saw the whites of his eyes. His lips would turn blue. It was scary.

 

But after he started breathing again he would be picked up by me. I would cuddle him close and breast feed him. If he didn't get this he would stop breathing again.

 

Because of this I had to be close to him till he was almost 3. :glare:

 

If I was in your situation I would do something similar When he vomited stop and snuggle.

 

(Okay honestly seeing vomit sometimes makes me vomit. Cleaning it up almost always makes me vomit. So If my son vomited, my first reaction might be to vomit. But I would not recommend that. :laugh: )

[Melissa in Australia]

I have only ever seen children this young vomit because of getting completely stressed out. I have also seen the holding of breath one as well. In all cases it wasn't a "bad" behaviour by the child, rather a result of their completely stressed state.

[mamato3]

some of your comments really helped me reflect and here's what I think is going on - he's not so much protesting being strapped in (because I know it when he's protesting something). he just needs something to do. He discovered gagging himself while he was teething with his molars and as is the case with most toddlers is fascinated with the discovery of cause and effect. So, the plan is to make sure toddler has something to teeth on and play with whenever he is strapped into high chair or carseat to avoid the potential for boredom and temptation to "create" something to play with. thanks ladies!