15-Month-Old Cries All the Time
Kids will always have “out of the box” reasons to cry about. They’ll throw tantrums because you wouldn’t let them poke your eye, cut their sibling's hair, or even eat the dog’s food.
While this could be a completely normal part of your toddler’s mental development, it could be quite stressful for you.
When a 15-month-old cries all the time, the reason can be anything from being tired to needing extra attention.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the entire process of dealing with your toddler's constant whining healthily.
Why Does My Toddler Whine All the Time?
Some parents worry about their toddlers being whiny or crying a lot. Some might even worry it’s an early sign of a brat.
We’re here to tell you to put all worries aside because it’s perfectly normal if your 15-month-old cries all the time.
There’re many legit reasons for a toddler’s crying which include:
Your Kid Doesn’t Know How to Communicate
At the age of 15 months, your child is barely starting to catch a few words.
While your kid might be abusing words like mama or dada, the use of other words will be less frequent and more random. There’s a big chance your toddler doesn’t even know the meaning of some of the words he uses.
Toddlers at such an age are learning how to interact with the outside world. This could be a bit of a burden if you don’t know the lingo.
How Can You Help Your Toddler Communicate Their Needs?
One great way to ease communication for your toddler is sign language.
Studies found that kids who know how to sign are less likely to throw tantrums. On top of that, kids who use sign language will have a broader language capacity and will express their feelings better.
This way your kid will have an outlet for their emotions and will whine less.
Your Toddler Is Tired
Do you know the feeling you get after a long, tedious day at work? This could be the same thing your toddler is experiencing.
Regardless of what you might think, goofing around all day and making mama’s life a bit harder is still exhausting for your toddler.
At the age of 15 months, kids will go through periods where they need more rest than usual.
How Can Your Child Rest Properly?
Your child can get enough rest by squeezing in a few extra sleeping hours in their schedule.
Adding an extra nap for your child or bringing forward their sleep time an hour or two is just about perfect.
Your Toddler Needs Your Attention
At 15 months of age, your kids will start playing by themselves and doing some tasks alone. Yet, a toddler still needs a massive amount of love and interaction.
Mostly, the child will go through a clinginess phase a while after they’ve shown signs of independence. A big part is because they fear separation from their parents.
Consequently, the child will try to have your attention in any possible way. This will include crying, whining, and throwing tantrums.
How Can You Fulfill Your Child’s Need for Attention?
You can avoid going downhill on the whining road with your toddler solely by being attentive. Your kid needs the lion's share of your attention.
It’s important to note that your attention should be positive where it fulfills your child’s emotional needs. Negative attention can come out as micromanaging your child’s every move, which can hinder their independence.
Your Toddler Feels Bored
15-month-old toddlers are at the peak of their outer world exploration phase. They’re usually very interactive and curious about everything that goes around.
Unfortunately, your child’s idea of scouting the world might include flooding the house to see if any dolphins would pass by.
Accordingly, parents will limit their toddler’s movement to one secured room. Even worse, some people surround their children with screens to avoid the playing mess.
Studies proved that high screen time will compromise the child's behavior and attention span.
How to Keep Your Toddler Entertained?
Offering your toddler a variety of entertaining activities that keep them occupied is a whining antidote.
Consider making time in your schedule for playdates, finger painting, or even building a fort. Additionally, try to make sure that your toddler has a fun physical activity to do daily.
When Will a Toddler Stop Crying?
Whining is a sign of emotional underdevelopment. Naturally, as your child grows, their emotional and cognitive skills will mature. In turn, their crying will decrease.
Teaching your kids independence from a young age will be a great asset to their development. Independent children will be more responsible and less likely to adopt the habit of whining.
What Should You Do If Your 15-Month-old Cries All the Time?
Getting on with your day while the soundtrack of a crying toddler is playing in the background could be quite the hassle.
Moreover, the way you deal with such behavior could determine whether your child will develop a habit of whining.
Simply stick to being as calm and compassionate as possible. Try to find common grounds for communication between you and your toddler.
Remember, despite how frustrated you might be, avoid an angry response at all costs.
Conclusion
If your 15-month-old cries all the time, you must go beyond the whining to figure out the reasons behind that behavior.
For instance, your kid could just be trying to communicate with you but doesn’t know enough words to use them. Here, teaching your child sign language can be very useful.
Another reason is that your toddler might be tired. In this case, extra naps and early sleep time could be quite beneficial.
Although at that age, your kid might seem to have learned how to do little things on their own, they still crave their parent's attention.
Lastly, your toddler might just be bored and need active playtime.
In the end, you should keep in mind that whining is a normal phase in your child's life. It only needs compassion and patience to get through it.