3 year old tantrums

[Malsmum]

Hi, just looking for a bit of moral support really. My 3 year old (was 3 in August) has always been "strong willed" (!), and had the occasional tantrum, but just the usual really.

Then this last week he has become impossible. From the second he wakes up until he goes to bed he is either moaning, shouting or screaming about something or other - it's wearing me an DH down. DS was poorly last week (bad cold, off nursery for a couple of days (he usually goes 3 days a week)), so I don't know if he is just finding it hard to get back to a normal routine, or he is pushing boundaries as he liked getting lots of lots of attention?

Am taking the approach of trying to keep calm, not telling him off but saying "you need to do x or y will happen" etc, and following it through, ignoring him when behaviour very bad and making a big fuss of well behaved brother (who is 5). That doesn't seem to be getting anywhere though, and I'm at a loss.

HELP!! Any thoughts/ suggestions greatly appreciated.

[carocaro]

Just keep doing what you are doing, they are like dogs with bones, my ds2 who is 3 nearly 4 asked me for another biscuit no joke 67 times, as I counted!

One thing that worked is that we he is/does something good, even the tiniest thing eg: putting something in the bin you make a total massive fuss of him got totally, lots of whooping and a hollering, cuddles and kisses and big claps! This may help reinforce the love and attention he gets for good and the zero love and attention he gets for bad.

I can't get over how a 3 year old can take over the whole house and family life with their behaviour at times - mind boggling. But we have DS1 who is 8 and totally devine and easy to be with so they do grow out of it, eventually, DS1 was about 4ish.

[Malsmum]

Thank you! Friday morning came and he was like a different boy. Ignoring the behaviour / putting him in his room to calm down really seems to get through to him. Trying to talk to him about what he's doing just winds him up!
A

[Comma2]

Ugh, this just made me cry. Just put dd 3yo in her bed with dire threats to stay out of my sight. God, I really don't want to be, but her behaviour makes me so angry sometimes that I can't help myself. I'm really very ashamed of myself to not be able to deal better....