Bored? Fussy and demanding all the time!!!

[RebekahDSC]

My DD is 9 months old. I took the "Know Your Baby" quiz and she is #1 Spirited and #2 tie between Grumpy and Angel. Interesting combo, huh?!      She is fussy, even angry sounding, CONSTANTLY.  I give her things to play with while I try to do housework and very often she quickly starts fussing and making loud, angry screeches (that really is the best word to describe it.) She'll stop if I either pick her up or find something VERY interesting to hold her attention.  She is VERY easily bored and VERY demanding about it.  I can't keep up with it - trying to keep her happy and do everything I need to do!  Her screeching really frazzles me and makes me feel anxious.  Sometimes I get really frustrated with her and then I feel like a bad mom.  I've started to wonder if I should stop picking her up or giving her new toys when she does it because I'm worried I'm just encouraging bad behavior!  But it's really almost CONSTANT!!!  Ugh... how should I handle this?

BTW, this is nothing new.  She has been an extra fussy baby since AT LEAST 5 or 6 months old.  My mom (a very patient and loving woman who raised 4 children and a very doting grandma to her one and only granddaughter) even commented when we were there for Christmas (DD was turning 6 months around that time) that she doesn't know how I do it day in and day out... after half an hour of watching her and listening to the constant fussing she was ready to hand her off!  If doting grandma can say that, I know it's not my imagination!

P.S. She is not yet crawling but she is scooting around trying to get into stuff!

[becj86]

Its probably mostly spiritedness and partially the age - now is when we wonder if the phase will ever end

I just took DS out to a park/swimming or something every day then did work during his long nap (thankyou hours of intensive exercise, for exhausting the baby). She may well prefer being outside... in which case take her outside if you can.

DS is much better now at 11 months. He can stay inside the house if he has to and is not so screamy that I can't stand it...

[*Becky*]

DD is quite like this atm and has been for probably about a month or so so started about 9 months. She was/is a textbook baby but now when I take the quiz she comes out as spirited/grumpy too. I think it is a really common stage for this kind of behaviour even if they are not spirited. There is so much going on in terms of development, SA kicks in and teeth etc.

It is hard, I know....some days I find my patience is pretty thin and I cannot wait to hand her over to DH when he comes in!

What I would say though is try to fill her mummy cup so give her as much time and attention as you can. You are def not spoiling her and it is not really 'bad' behaviour she is displaying, more a need for attention. Some lo's just do need more attention than others and the less you give it the more they tend to demand it or that is my experience. I find being out and about helps i.e. in the buggy or even with other people as she seems to be less whiny and/or screechy.

[creations]

Those high pitched screeches are AWFUL aren't they?  They really grate on me.
DS is in his third phase of high pitched screeching (surely one was enough?).  My tips are talk and sing as much as you can to your DD so there are fewer gaps for her to fill with screeches, some thing like old macdonald had a farm is a good one as it can be almost endless and doesn't take up much of your brain power leaving you almost completely free do get on with housework.  Once you run out of real farm animals you can fill it with any other animal, or objects that make noise.
I also ask DS to 'speak' rather than scream and then demonstrate with some babble sounds that I know he can already do, and if/when he makes those sounds I encourage it a lot by echoing back and keeping up communication.
I know communication doesn't solve the entire problem, but hope this might help a bit.
I also have a busy box in each room, so there are a few things to play with before he gets the chance to screech.  At that age (and beyond) anything new or different will fulfil the need for a few or more minutes, safe food packaging, cookie cutters, washed out soap bottles (without choke hazard lids), all sorts that would other wise go in the bin or for recycling.