Help! I’ve asked around among my friends and googled around on the web. I’ve heard about frustration playing with toys in OLDER babies but never with younger ones. My son’s a little over 3 months old now but he’s had these shrieking temper tantrums playing with toys ever since he’s learned how to grab onto stuff and attempt to ram it into his little mouth.

They’re age appropriate things, single rings (or two chained together) or the toys hanging from his baby Einstein play mat, which is boggling in itself because he used to love his mat. Before he started reaching for stuff he would blab at the things hanging down. And it isn’t that he’s dropped the item and is crying… most of the time when he starts really freaking out, he’s still holding onto it. I’ve been teased because I’m reduced to giving him washcloths to grab onto, chew on and play with. They’re the only thing that doesn’t start a screaming fit within a minute or two.

I don’t think he’s having any developmental problems; he was socially smiling at 5 weeks, is currently working hard on learning how to roll over and understands and responds to the sign language for milk when he wants to be fed. Has anybody else experienced such grouchiness when trying to play? Is it a phase he’ll grow out of? I can’t help but think that my MIL (who I know has gone binge shopping for toys even though I asked for books) might have a rude awakening come Christmas
He does tend to chew a bit, but even with things he can’t quite get in he gets upset so not sure if it might be teething. Seems happy enough the rest of the time.