And the second behavioral change is a dramatic increase in autonomy. It's interesting to hear you say that during the toddler stage there really is an increase in irritability. That's absolutely so. If you listen to moms talk about some of the behaviors that you see that seem totally unrelated, you do have a sense of where the irritability is coming from. There is an occasional increase in sleep problems.
Some toddlers get very active.
Some toddlers find it very difficult to settle down and pay attention even though they were able to do that wonderfully well a few months earlier. And it's like being propelled into a whole new environment with lots of new skills. If we found ourselves in this situation, I think we would be irritable too. Some children get irritable if their noses are wiped. Some get irritable if they're told they have to go outside.