16 week old A whining a LOT?

[CattyPads]

Hello,

I am having trouble during A time with my 16 week old baby boy...for the last 3-4 weeks he has been quite difficult during A time.
We usually play with him for a while (looking in the mirror, singing, play with colourful toys, on top of the usual nappy/clothes changing etc). Then when we put him on his chair he is usually ok for a bit then he starts sucking on his fists and starts goign "aaaah aaaah" which gets louder and louder, veeeery loud then ends in screaming and crying.

Is he bored? Is he too little to spend time on his chair on his own? (I leave him with toys etc and I am in the same room). If I pick him up he stops crying, but I don't want him to learn "I cry, they pick me up"? How can I stop him from getting angry/shouty? 

By the way he is supposedly a textbook baby, maybe I did the quiz wrong...!! 
Thanks in advance 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Though I know some lo's do fine with a bit of time playing on their own, some just don't...DD1 was happy as a clam to be in her playpen looking at toys at that age, DD2 was in the same playpen maybe twice in her life. The also are not capable of using/learning to use crying as manipulation at that age...he really is just communicating the only way he knows how and it is perfectly fine to respond to that!

[brummum]

At this age little one was exactly the same. he was a touchy textbook baby and looking back on it I'm pretty sure that most of the issue was that he wanted to be on the move and able to explore his environment hence why he was fine when I was holding him and taking him around with me. He would only ever tolerate short periods on the play mat, in his bumbo, in the highchair with toys etc.. He settled down alot when his mobility improved and then hardly ever wanted picking up. He's still the same in terms of having a shorter tolerance for staying still and playing with something but now he can control that more (ie move on when he's had enough) and isn't relying on me to do that the whinning/frustration has gone, well not gone totally but used for other reasons and even that is lessening now that we can encourage alternative ways of showing/telling us what he wants. It doesn't help you much now and I know it can be really grating at times but I think if I had realised what was going on at the time it would have been more tolerable you know?

[CattyPads]

Thanks for your replies.
He just seems to have some days better than others, where he whinges less/more... I guess it's boredom then seeing what you are telling me. Also, when we are out he is usually very good, I guess it's cause he is entertained by the sights and sounds of the street?!
So when do they start realising that they can "manipulate" you by crying? I am so worried about him learning that!!
Thanks 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Honestly I have no idea. I always attended to cries (not necessarily by picking up....I would get down to their level or just talk to them from where I was depending on the cry) and I really never felt they were manipulating me, but truly just needed something, whether help or a hug or just to be asked "are you okay?".