OMFG - 4 year olds suck sometimes.

[vanillacourage]

DS1 turns 4 tomorrow. He leads a blessed life due to our flexible budget - he's used to going out to eat frequently, and getting to do fun stuff all the time. He's somewhat spoiled - he doesn't appreciate what he has because he's never known it any different.

We have partial season baseball tickets. Tonight was the first Friday game we had - it's "Fireworks Friday" with an awesome fireworks display after the game. Since tomorrow is his birthday we said we would take just him and leave the baby with grandma - "special big-boy time". We even took him out to dinner first. He was such a little sh!t at the restaurant, even after DH pulled him aside and gave him a stern talking-to, that we ended up drawing a line in the sand and carrying him out of the restaurant screaming, going straight home with no baseball game for anyone. No more idle threats.

We sent him straight to his room when we got home - where he's currently screaming and banging on the door. And tomorrow is his birthday, and neither DH nor I feel like being very "yay, special day!!" in the morning. So pissed right now.

[pugz]

bah that sucks such a nice night for a royals game too! we are going tomorrow afternoon.

have a glass of wine!

[megs193]

This sounds exactly like my 2 year old and it kind of makes me want to go curl up and cry that it doesn't magically get better after 2. Today he threw a giant fit because I told him it was time to go inside after we had been playing with sidewalk chalk and sidewalk paint for over an hour. It kind of makes you want to not do the fun thing to begin with if it is going to end in a fight.

[Wines Not Whines]

Ugh, I'm sorry. It sucks when you have to discipline kids in a way that ruins your own fun.

[vanillacourage]

I just screeched at him to get back in his room. He screwed up his face and bellowed "BUT I HAVEN'T HAD ANY FUN YET!!!!!"

[Willis Jackson]

My 3 year-old has been acting like a complete shithead all week. There must be something in the air.

[pugz]

Jun 1, 2012 19:36:16 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

I just screeched at him to get back in his room. He screwed up his face and bellowed "BUT I HAVEN'T HAD ANY FUN YET!!!!!"

o.m.g. send your husband out for ice cream, immediately! eat it in front of him just to be mean

[luvmagoldn]

Uggg....I feel your pain. These lessons suck for everyone involved. Good for you for standing firm. This is important stuff for him to learn.

This one's for you. :beer:

[hannamarin]

Just remember the kid isnt bad, just the behaviour is.
Eye roll. I learned that on ?nanny show today.

Good for you for being strong and cutting your own fun

[6fsn]

A baseball game is easier at 4 than curfew at 16. At least that's what I try to remember. I want to imprint on him now that I'm in charge so hopefully it's not so hard later.

[Deleted]

My almost 3 year old is on the little shit train too.
Deep breathe plus beer.

[ijack]

Yes, yes they do

[keh2oblue]

I know it doesn't help, but my 3yo has been acting the same way lately and you did the right thing. I guarantee he WILL remember this tomorrow and hopefully it will change eventually (that's what I tell myself

[Deleted]

Jun 1, 2012 19:36:17 GMT -5 Willis Jackson said:

My 3 year-old has been acting like a complete shithead all week. There must be something in the air.

I think it's the heat. DS's tantrums are almost unbearable when the temp. hits high eighties/nineties.

Hang in there OP. I know how disappointing it is when 3/4 yos become dead set on ruining a special occasion or fun outing. Contrary little buggers

[GailGoldie]

that sucks. My older son was much worse at 3yo and got better at 4... hopefully yours will, too... but 5yo is a PITA in a whole new way now, lol.

good for you - so many paernts would put up with it b/c it's his birthday, etc- I'm on board with you and your DH - i don't accept behavior like that no matter what the day.

as for him not appreciating things - you can work on that with him - he's at an age that he can learn how fortunate he is. I talk often with my older son about how lucky he is to have XYZ (not just material stuff, but family that lives nearby, good teachers, good doctors, etc)... and explain that many kids live in places that they don't have XYZ, don't have money for xyz, etc. We pray each night and thank God for things we did that day -and always thank God for our health and safety- he knows that it's the "most important thing... b/c we could have nothing, but as long as we have each other, we'll be OK"... you just have to talk about it often - and he'll learn it.... even if he's never been without.

[whitepicketfence]

Jun 1, 2012 19:33:45 GMT -5 megs193 said:

This sounds exactly like my 2 year old and it kind of makes me want to go curl up and cry that it doesn't magically get better after 2. Today he threw a giant fit because I told him it was time to go inside after we had been playing with sidewalk chalk and sidewalk paint for over an hour. It kind of makes you want to not do the fun thing to begin with if it is going to end in a fight.

This sounds just like my 2 year old, too

[frlcb]

Everyone said 2 was bad, but I thought 3 was the worst.

Until my son turned 4.

4 sucks ass.

[jena]

Sorry, that sucks. But no 4yo really appreciates what they have - everything they have is simply life as they know it.

Try to not hold today against him tomorrow. Start fresh in the morning. I grew up in a grudge-holding household and it really freaking sucked because you never knew how long something was going to be held against you. If you want to punish him then he needs to know at the time that if you do X we will not do Y tomorrow. Not just mommy's mad and I'm in trouble until she's not mad.

And the 5th birthday is no magic bullet. DD's better than she was a year ago, but we've already had several incidents as a 5yo. And she's only been 5 for 5 days.

[savannah11]

I'm sorry. 3/4 year olds are assholes.

[nannersp]

This thread scares me. Our gal will be 4 in October, and she's definitely been testing our limits more lately.

GAH.