I have a bit of a “love/not liking what you are doing right now at all!!” relationship with my middle child these days.
One moment he’s smiling and playing and the next he is whining his face off or even crying about something that I cannot even understand. It’s like a switch flips in his little boy head and all the sudden he MUST have juice or he HAS to wash his hands because they are sticky (OMG the kids wants to wash his hands 80 thousand times a day!!!)
He’s very sweet at times and is my snuggle-bug but there are many other times that I really think someone is filming me for that show “Candid Camera” because he can be SO very outlandish ALL. THE. SUDDEN.
And then? My head kind of explodes because things are going along fine but then that switch flips and they are so NOT. And when he cries, many times Baby K starts to cry in unison. Oh what a party that is!!
Like I said, MY Head, KABOOM!
And he’s also the king of doing the EXACT opposite of what I (or anyone else) want him to do. I will tell him to put something in the trash or to clean up and he out and out says NO. So the other day I tried my theory and used the ole “reverse psychology” thingamagjig on him and said, “Do NOT put that in the trash.” Guess what he did? He went straight to the trash can and threw it away. No freakin’ lie.
So my question is, how do any of you handle this because my patience is thinning as I type. And also? How do you handle it when they are this bleepin’ cute? GAH.
pics taken with my iPhone
so cute..some days are a true test of patience.
I laugh…and breathe and I tell myself how lucky I am to have 3 great kids….and then I compose and retry….with a cup of coffee in hand!
Oh, my. He is definitely cute! Mmm. I have no advice other than to not strangle him when’s he spewing pea soup all over the place. And keep up with the reverse psychology…until it doesn’t work. ((hugs)) It’s a rough stage.
That’s how they get you, they are super naughty but then also super duper cute. It sucks.
Oh Elaine,
This is EXACTLY where we’re at right now.
Noah (the 3 year old) is out of control. Everything is NO and attitude and controlling and last night was the LAST STRAW for me.
So I’ve instituted an “obedience chart” and so far it is completely blank. Ha!
But I’ve told him that when I call his name he needs to come to me and say “Yes Mom.” and then I’ll tell him what he needs to do and then he needs to say “Yes Mom” again and then GO AND DO IT. Only then does he get a sticker on his chart. And when he gets 5 stickers in a row he gets a treat.
Anyway, we’re working on TONE and attitude lately.
I’m just going out of my mind most of the time trying to deal with it.
BUT as you said, they flip the switch and are RIDICONCULOUSLY adorable all of a sudden.
Sigh.
Keep at it.
Apparently it gets better?
Also, did you go through this with your oldest?
Oh and now I hear the crying begin.
Gotta go!
Well, all I have to say is, HE IS THREE!!!!! That completely explains it all to me. All of my boys were great in the so called terrible twos. The threes were horrendous. So I know exactly what you are talking about.
I completely ignored the crying and if it got too bad I would just send them to their rooms to cry and told them not to come down until they were done. If they told me “no” I made them do it anyway and MADE SURE they know that when I tell them to do something, they will do it. Telling mom and dad “no” in this house is a big no-no. 😉
It all sounds very typical of a dramatic child. Just like my Tommy. He is famous for fits, although they are getting better now that he is almost 6. HA!
Hang in there, Laney! You are doing a great job! 🙂
He sounds a lot like Lily. And all I can say is I try to take it one minute at a time and focus on the positive. But that is hard.
I echo what everyone has said, it is the being 3 thing. I wish I could say I remember it but I think the PSD has allowed me to block it out.
Kidding.
Kind of.
Hang in there, it gets better! I promise!
Ah, he must be three. My almost three year old is the exact same way and I know it is a stage. One minute is all “I wuv you Momma’s” and the next it is “NOOOOOOO! YOU (insert whatever I told him to do here).” And loud? OMG, he is so loud.
Oh, so cute. I know I’m going to need this advice shortly too. No is such a stupid word.
I definitely think one kid may butt heads with mama in ways (and frequency) that the other(s) don’t.
My best friend is the oldest of 6. She is like her dad, and has said that kid #2 is JUST like her mom, so it’s “feast or famine” with them. Kid #3 – a boy – does NOT get along with her mom at all. And it just goes down the line from there.
Not that I have any tips, just a general empathy for your plight. 🙂
Oh my. This is us for sure. We are always happy one minute and making me crazy the nexyt. NO advice. 🙁
Right now they are both happy. Thankfully.
God sure did know what he was doing making them so doggone cute, otherwise no kid would survive the toddler/preschool years!!! He sounds…well, three! (altho 5 can have its rough moments, too!)
My son is 3.5 and you could have written that post about him! He is driving me nuts and I find I am close to the edge with him, most days. Hopefully they make it to 4! {Hugs} from someone who is going through the EXACT same thing!