C was in time out before 7 am today for kicking and hitting me. When I tell him that we do not hit, he just laughs.
He started his new school 2.5 weeks ago and is still upset that he doesn't get to eat his own breakfast anymore. We used to pack his breakfast at his old school, but now it is provided by the school and we can't bring it in. He's not picky, and he eats it all anyway, but he seriously gets so worked up about "my breakfasssssttttt" most mornings and freaks out with all the emotions. Today it wound up with him hitting me, then time out, then he refused to apologize. We tell him he can pick a snack for the ride (commute to school is about half an hour) but that doesn't really help. I'm afraid I'm raising a total sociopath.
He's basically dropped his nap in the last few weeks, which is also making him super riled up and loopy and emotional in the evenings.
So please tell me this is normal and why your three-year-olds suck too.
When people said that three is worse than two, I thought maybe we'd get lucky and that wouldn't apply to that, since DD1 was already quite the little asshole at two. Nope. While she definitely has her good moment and can be a lot of fun, she can be a total shit lately and her tantrums are definitely getting more violent. Recent reasons for meltdowns have included:
- Wanting me to paint her nails. - Turning off the light at bedtime. - Unable to find a toy pacifier for her baby doll (using her own Wubbanub would not suffice). - Wanting to crap in the downstairs toilet instead of the upstairs toilet.
And when we threaten her with a time-out, she usually tells us she wants a time-out. It's a fun age, huh?
Well mine is almost 3, but her daycare teachers asked us Monday to reinforce good listening skills.
And then yesterday she only napped for a hour and was apparently disruptive when she woke up.
Then this morning the Director told me she went in and E was reading a book and she looks up and goes "Miss T, I'm not being a good listener" and then just smiled.
They are little sociopath dictators. I feel your pain because mine does pretty much the same thing. She's also into lying right now and saying, "But I love you" to get her way. Everything turns into an end of the world event with melt downs and sometimes hitting.
I can't even go over all N's stuff, or else I would be here for days. Suffice to say, "sociopath" nails it because it's seriously a switch that he can flip on & off.
Mine is lucky he made it to school alive this morning. He had a meltdown because he was going to school instead of Grandma's today. Too bad, so sad kid. But this made for an epic meltdown before I had my coffee
Then he was mad because we didn't have time for Paw Patrol. If you spent less time fighting me about Grandma's house, maybe we could have snuck 10 minutes of tv time into our morning routine! Alas, 3 year olds don't understand this!
Mine likes to tell us she's "so mad" and rolls her eyes and gives us the evil eye a lot. Usually there is no reason for it because she was smiling a second ago. Sorry I said hi to you I guess.
I'm enjoying reading these. They make me laugh but it's an "I feel you" laugh.
Post by CheeringCharm on Feb 10, 2016 12:31:42 GMT -5
I vote totally normal. Kids get ideas stuck in their heads and then perseverate on them.
My 3 yo dd is SO sensitive. It's hard to discipline her because she can't take it when I speak to her in a stern voice. She actually is really good when it comes to behavior/listening but she does occasionally whine and I do want to tell her to cut it out but then she gets this hurt puppy look on her face and starts to cry like I kicked her. SO different from when the boys were that age (DS1 would just laugh at my attempts to discipline him). It's weird how siblings can be so different.
Post by dancingirl21 on Feb 10, 2016 12:32:29 GMT -5
I don't have a 3 year old yet, he's 2.5. But, we went for our 20 week ultrasound yesterday for baby #2 and the doctor said, "So how old is your son now?" When I replied with 2.5 he says, "Oh, so he's a handful then? Well, 3 isn't any better!" Uhhh, thanks as I'm sitting here gestating #2 that will be born approximately 2 weeks before I have a 3 year-old.
Post by jessesgirl08 on Feb 10, 2016 12:38:20 GMT -5
Mine has been potty trained since the summer, but has recently been pooping in her underwear. We've tried it all, making her clean it up, throwing away her cute underwear, etc. It's awful.
So, right or wrong....I took her iPad away, stating "iPads are for big girls who poop on the potty"
Then this morning, when she didn't want to wear her coat, she says "NO! Coats are for big girls who poop on the potty!'
Oh yeah, us too. Last night while we were eating dinner, DH & I were talking and N held his hands up and yelled "be quiet, you guys are interrupting me! I'm trying to concentrate on eating my dinner". Except he had been an asshole about eating his dinner for the past 15 minutes and was mad that we were talking, i.e. he wasn't getting any attention.
Post by zeewifeandmama on Feb 10, 2016 12:40:28 GMT -5
Based on both kids- totally normal. DS is juuuusssstttt starting to turn a small corner now at 3.5.... But still not pretty most days. Commiseration fist bump!
Mine has been potty trained since the summer, but has recently been pooping in her underwear. We've tried it all, making her clean it up, throwing away her cute underwear, etc. It's awful.
So, right or wrong....I took her iPad away, stating "iPads are for big girls who poop on the potty"
Then this morning, when she didn't want to wear her coat, she says "NO! Coats are for big girls who poop on the potty!'
Uggggghhhhhh.
Oh snap.
They are both too stinking smart and not at all logical yet. It's a terrible combination.
Post by water*drop on Feb 10, 2016 12:41:17 GMT -5
Totally normal.
Today DD threw the kind of tantrums where they dramatically fling themselves into the air (and then add "myyyyy kneeee huuuuuuurtssss" to the list of things they are upset about) pretty much constantly from the time she woke up until I dropped her off at daycare this morning. I tried not to yell, but I failed, and then I feel really bad about it...but it was ridiculous.
Post by thebreakfastclub on Feb 10, 2016 12:41:59 GMT -5
I'm also getting a lot of him wanting to only do stuff with H, because they are both boys, and they need time for boy things that I cannot do. Have fun kid, I'll be downstairs watching Bravo.
Funny how the "no girls allowed" stuff starts up at this age.
Post by carolinagirl831 on Feb 10, 2016 12:44:16 GMT -5
E will be 3 in 3 weeks, I commiserate with all of these. In the morning, she doesn't want anyone talking to her, she yells stop talking to me! Anything you change she focuses on the old way and wants it - much like his breakfast Brie. UGH, the whining and tantrums are horrible!
Ok, well I guess this is making me feel...better? (wilted)
DS is 3 next month. He's pleasant a lot of the time, but OMG - the meltdowns/freak-outs that come more and more frequently are going to be the death of me.
Getting him dressed in the mornings takes foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - and every step requires negotiation. Of course, by that same token, then getting him UNdressed in the evenings is equally abysmal (PICK ONE OR THE OTHER, CHILD!).
I get a lot of shouts of "STOP TALKING TO ME!" or "I TOLD YOU I'M TOO BUSY" when he's told to do something.
He also barters time over EVERY thing. 'We have to go in 2 minutes.' '3 minutes!' '2 minutes' 'NO TEN MINUTES' etc etc etc.
ETA: Oh, during last night's meltdown that he couldn't bring the iPad to bed to do "Bob the Builder "art projects"' he laid on the carpet crying crocodile tears. DH and I went into the kitchen to remove his audience/wait it out. DS comes marching in to ask for paper towels to "wipe up the carpet." I asked him why. He said "it's so wet from my tears."
Petty vent but why do they talk nonstop then refuse to answer the only question you care about?
Corollary: why is everything "I DO IT MYSELF!" Right up until you WANT them to do it independently, and then it's "I'm a baby, mommy do it!" Drives me fucking crazy.
Post by game blouses on Feb 10, 2016 13:01:40 GMT -5
Normal and commiserating here. DS argues about absolutely everything. His favorite thing now is turning all my gentle adages into arguments.
"Mama, no one is allowed to touch my body if I don't want them to, SO YOU CAN'T BRUSH MY TEETH." "Mama, I can privacy in the bathroom if I want, SO YOU CAN'T COME IN HERE!" (even when he's not going potty) "Mama, I'm listening to my body to see if I'm still hungry, but it's not hungry for carrots, it's hungry for cookies." (shrugs helplessly)
Daniel Tiger songs are not spared. "Mama, I'm feeling frustrated, so I'm taking a step back AND NOW YOU HAVE TO HELP ME."
Post by leonard131 on Feb 10, 2016 13:01:54 GMT -5
Ughhh. Three year olds man. I swear he is going to be the death of me sometimes.
Time out doesn't even phase him. He says he wants to go in time out like he is taunting me. The tantrums are out of controls for the little list thing. And then when you do say he can have whatever it is that he is screaming about he doesn't want it. He turns on a dime - one minute he is listening, behaving, being super cute and the next he is pushing all my buttons.
H constantly wants to negotiate with him and I am so over it. When is 8:30, 1/2 hour past his bedtime and I have been up and on the go since 5:30 I AM NOT NEGOTIATING!!!
Post by turtlegirl on Feb 10, 2016 13:06:24 GMT -5
Oh yes, DS2 is 3.5 and his crazy behavior just seems to be ramping up more and more. I am just holding onto a hope that by summer time I'll not only be out of the baby phase with DD turning 1 but also the sociopath stage with DS2 turning 4 and my life will improve a lot!
Post by gibbinator on Feb 10, 2016 13:27:04 GMT -5
DS1 won't stop acting like a baby. It's maddening. DS2 will whine for something (because you know, he can't talk yet) and then ds1 starts whining and babbling and crying...whatever ds2 did that got him attention.
It's clearly attention seeking behaviour but seriously, use your big boy words! You know how to ask for milk.
He also intentionally just does not acknowledge when I'm talking to him. Maddening.