Winey Spoiled Toddler

Have you read The Happiest Toddler on the Block? I loved it and think it really helped us get thru toddler hood without problems

I laugh. You want to be mad? Be mad! But mom's going to be over here thinking you're ridiculous, and you're totally not getting your way just because you're acting like that. Eventually, they get the hint, that NO ONE is giving in, they get bored with it, they move on to the next big thing :) Persistance is key! Hope it gets better :)

I totally agree with Rachel. My daughter hated it when I would laugh at her when she was trying to get her own way. And if she tried screaming I would tell her to scream louder, while I was laughing, because "I can't hear you". Eventually the screaming hurt her throat and she would give up. Yeah, that phase didn't last long... Ahh, memories :)

More details will help people give better answers.

When DS wanted to be held, we held him and hugged him. It won't be that long before you will be the one wanting the hugs and your kid will want nothing to do with that.

Whining is a stage they all go through. We tried to separate what DS wanted from how he was asking for it. If what he wanted was reasonable but he was asking poorly, we modeled a better way to ask - 'Mommy, may I please have a glass of milk?, why thank you so much mommy'. We only did the 'I can't understand what you are saying' thing when we truly couldn't understand it. Just because we are adults doesn't really make it fair (or fun) to laugh at them. We did use - ok, now please ask again the right way - a lot.

Also making sure he/she is not hungry or tired will help a lot.

if he is screaming and throwing a tantrum over not getting his way he usually gets a time out, if he he is crying because he wants to be held i try and distract him (and if he is throwing a major tantrum because i cant hold him i dont feel right putting him in time out for wanting his mommy) i ask him"where is pooh bear?" and he will run off and try to find his favorite stuffed winnie the pooh, and alot of times he will get distracted by something in his room.

How old is your child?

Does your child do this at certain times?
When tired?
When hungry?
Or all the time?

Some babies and toddlers require more reassurance and Mommy time. Maybe he's having a lactose reaction to milk, many toddlers do and Mommy never knows because they just write it off as the kid being whiney.

Why not remove most mainstream milk, replace with 2% organic and use organic only yogurts and cheeses for awhile. Must do for 3 weeks to notice a difference. If that doesn't work, then take out dairy entirely for 3 weeks. If that STILL doesn't work, then it's probably gluten.

I don't have an answer. . . more of a follow-up question to those saying to just ignore it. What do you do when they stand at your feet and tug on your clothes or leg or whatever they can to stop you from getting around? I try to ignore when my daughter does this, but it gets to where I'm afraid she'll stretch my shirt out or she's tugging on me so hard that it hurts. Do you still keep ignoring the behavior? I

Yep, ignore him/her.
The only way to break the habit it to show that you don't respond to that type of behavior. Applies to everything in toddler behavior, not just being held.

DH and I have a rule - if you're whining for something, you don't get it. Period.
Ask nicely, different story.