Rescheduling trip due to toddler tantrums??

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

I have a trip coming up but am seriously considering rescheduling because my toddler has been extremely defiant and unruly. It has gotten so bad that I am starting to think the trip might be too stressful. It's not really the money. I just worry about taking such a big vacation and being constantly stressed. So tormented on what to do!

 

[Sjm9911]

Your stressed now, just take it a day at a time and take the kido. While it might not be the trip you envision, its the trip you have. Just take breaks, and let the kid be a kid. Bring a stroller for nap time etc. Rest in the quiet areas of the park. I have to say it, but you are the adult , and you dictate what happens( to a point) . Dont let the kido dictate to you, it will get worse. This is from a father of a well behaved ( sort of ) 7yo i raised myself. The twos were hard, threes were worse for me! Lol. Take a breath, you need it. And vent all you need to. Its not easy, and not like on tv where everything is unicorns and ranbows. I my self had to give myself time outs, 5 mins or so to compose myself. You'll do fine.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

The twos were hard, threes were worse for me! Lol.

With this one I do wonder if it will only get worse? I am so on the fence and final payment is due shortly!

 

[SG131]

I agree, three is worse than two.....
Just give it a shot and got at your toddlers pace.

 

[Sjm9911]

If you always hold out for a better age, you will never go anywhere! And it gets better.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

If you always hold out for a better age, you will never go anywhere! And it gets better.

This is what I worry about! Please do tell me it gets better. I would have never imagined i would ever be uttering these words.

 

[Sjm9911]

It does, and then it gets worse. Lol. Its growing up. Like i said my daughter is 7, i still remember the i hope she crawls soon , then shortly after dam she can crawl now. Same with walking, school, etc. Its your job to worry. But dont worry. You can still travel, and kids arnt made of porcelain, they dont break, and they will love you even if you loose your temper sometimes.( yelling not hiting) Like i said, its not tv, its real life and stuff happens. Do the best you can ,and you will do fine. No harm in uttering words or feeling down and stressed. Its a parent thing.

 

[Sjm9911]

Forgot to mention the best part! ( never did disney with my daughter ) but when they get older and you show them the pictures at like age 5 and say who is that, they say thats me as a baby! Its atually cooler then it sounds.

 

[Summer2018]

My daughter started tantrums at 18 months. By age two, it was over. Those six months were really hard.

I was lucky that most of it happened at home, and I was able to ignore it. The goal was to not feed into it and keep her safe.

The only time it happened in public, we were at the grocery store and I had a cart full of groceries. She wanted another box of cookies, and I said no. She screamed and flipped out. I picked her up, grabbed my purse and walked out of the store leaving the groceries behind. I didn’t say a word. I put her in her car seat and we drove home. She was shocked. She didn’t make a sound.

She never did it in public again.

My advice is to provide a lot of structure. Don’t break promises. Don’t give in. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Stick to routines, bedtime and schedule. Don’t give attention to the tantrums. Just keep your child safe.

We chose to wait to take our daughter to WDW until she was 6. At 2, we did beach vacations that weren’t overstimulating. She ran on the beach and played in the water. She napped well and slept like a rock at night.

 

[Sjm9911]

My daughter started tantrums at 18 months. By age two, it was over. Those six months were really hard.

I was lucky that most of it happened at home, and I was able to ignore it. The goal was to not feed into it and keep her safe.

The only time it happened in public, we were at the grocery store and I had a cart full of groceries. She wanted another box of cookies, and I said no. She screamed and flipped out. I picked her up, grabbed my purse and walked out of the store leaving the groceries behind. I didn’t say a word. I put her in her car seat and we drove home. She was shocked. She didn’t make a sound.

She never did it in public again.

My advice is to provide a lot of structure. Don’t break promises. Don’t give in. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Stick to routines, bedtime and schedule. Don’t give attention to the tantrums. Just keep your child safe.

We chose to wait to take our daughter to WDW until she was 6. At 2, we did beach vacations that weren’t overstimulating. She ran on the beach and played in the water. She napped well and slept like a rock at night.

Too funny i did the same , except my daughter kept at it. It took me a week to go shopping for 1 day .in fact i had ( and some people would be mad at this) to drag her by her armpits as she kicked and screamed throughout the store. Givin that im a man, didn't help issues as everyone thought i was the bad guy. Lets just say this wasnt a good time for me.

 

[DizzyDis]

I would go for it, but remember that they will be stimulated a lot and don't pretend that it will be better because you are at Disney. I took mine at 18 months and tried character dinners and they were a disaster because he was exhausted. Halfway through, we realised mornings were awesome, so did character breakfasts instead and ensured were in our room will before 6, got quick service for the kids from the hotel and they were asleep by 7. Much better for all that way. So party attention to what is good at home, and plan for it to go to the extreme there, but plan for it. And like pp, of you say you will leave if xyz, then you need to follow through, even if only for your sanity.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

I would go for it, but remember that they will be stimulated a lot and don't pretend that it will be better because you are at Disney. I took mine at 18 months and tried character dinners and they were a disaster because he was exhausted. Halfway through, we realised mornings were awesome, so did character breakfasts instead and ensured were in our room will before 6, got quick service for the kids from the hotel and they were asleep by 7. Much better for all that way. So party attention to what is good at home, and plan for it to go to the extreme there, but plan for it. And like pp, of you say you will leave if xyz, then you need to follow through, even if only for your sanity.

I teeter back and forth between no better time than now, live in the moment, life is too short, to this surely will be a big mistake and a bomb of a trip.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Too funny i did the same , except my daughter kept at it. It took me a week to go shopping for 1 day .in fact i had ( and some people would be mad at this) to drag her by her armpits as she kicked and screamed throughout the store. Givin that im a man, didn't help issues as everyone thought i was the bad guy. Lets just say this wasnt a good time for me.

Yes I know this struggle all too well.

 

[Sjm9911]

Take the stroller , and take breakes like on toms Sawyer islands. And rock the stroller, or head back to the hotel for a nap, break. A little disney will be enough. I stil remember disney , even at that age in just feelings and pictures i saw procing that was me. Most of those rides are gone now. But i still have memories of them, my parents probably have memories also, but as me being a terror. .

 

[ArtieRyder]

So the little one is 2.5 now? How long till the planned trip?

The one thing I can add is that kids at that age change from day to day, week to week, month to month. You never know what is causing it, at that age, even just pure physiology is causing big changes. Things that adults can't sympathize with. Growing pains are a real thing and that might be causing it - their SKELETONS literally go thru growth phases. That can't feel good, and I'm sure if we had to deal with that, we might be a little moddy.

Point is, today might be the last day of that growth phase and tomorrow things could turn around. You'll never know if today is that day, or not. So, just go and you might be pleasantly surprised.

The change of scenery, routine, stimulants, diet, etc..., might change it as well.

 

[Bjkandma]

Everyone who has kids has experienced what you are going through!!! I'm going to tell you, go through with the trip. No one can predict what wi

Take a stroller and the special "cuddly",Take your time and start creating special memories.

 

[LSUmiss]

Don’t have anything to add, but, OP, if you end up going I’d like to know how it went! We go frequently & DS has been at 7mos & 14 mos. I’ve had the exact thoughts you’re having on difficult days at home weeks or days leading up to the trips...thoughts like will this even be fun?! But, so far they have all been priceless! The next trip is booked for when he’ll be 21 mos. But, the trip after that is tentatively planned for about the age you’re dealing with now. I know every kid is different, but I like to hear about other ppl’s experiences.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

I have a trip coming up but am seriously considering rescheduling because my toddler has been extremely defiant and unruly. It has gotten so bad that I am starting to think the trip might be too stressful. It's not really the money. I just worry about taking such a big vacation and being constantly stressed. Has anyone rescheduled their trip due to terrible twos, etc? Or did anyone still go with a fresh toddler and how did it work out for you? Did you regret it? My thoughts are what if the tantrums don't stop and I rescheduled it for no change in behavior anyway? (rescheduling it for about 6 months after original date booked). Please do not quote my post, I may remove it in some time after some comments. So tormented on what to do!

There's nothing wrong with waiting to go. My son first went when he was 5, and it was magical. Age 2 or even 3 would not have worked well for us due to tantrums & in-progress potty training. He also would have been scared of the characters. Even Santa scared him at that point. Five was perfect because he believed the magic, wasn't scared of anything, and he didn't need as much structure as he did when he was a toddler.

 

[wendlle]

Tantrums come and go. When our DD was 2 she was perfect, she is now 3 and can be a nightmare!
We're going anyway.

 

[QueenIsabella]

It's totally your choice if you go or not. I've had wonderful trips with that age child, but they're done at the child's pace, and centered around the child's needs/wants.

A few suggestions, if you choose to go:

Keep to your regular schedule, as much as possible. This might mean you miss the fireworks each night, in order to get her in bed at her regular time. That's okay--you'll be back.
If you make a threat, follow through if necessary. If you say, "One more outburst, and we're going back to the room", then follow through. Hopefully, one time will send the message you want.
Aim the trip to your child's level. This might mean running on the grass or doing Dumbo three times in a row. Character meals are great at this age.
Look for signs that your child is overwhelmed or overstimulated. These might not be the signs you think! When our niece was little, she wouldn't poop for 5 days in WDW. She also stayed up too late, too many times, and wound up sleeping in her stroller for the entire "Magic Kingdom Day". Meanwhile, one of my kids found, at age 3, that if she wet herself, she would be immediately taken out of her current situation. This was her "escape route" when something seemed scary. Man, I wish I figured this one out earlier in the trip!
Always have snacks available, plan plenty of potty breaks, have a back-up plan or three.

You can have a magical trip, but it may be different than past trips. Or, you can choose to put off the trip, and have a magical trip in the future. Postponing does NOT make you a bad parent!