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Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Behaviour/development

How stubborn is your 2 year old? And yes it IS a competition

48 replies

suzywong · 27/05/2006 10:27

OK I 'll go first

Ds2 was asleep in his pushchair in his room as usual at nap time. Me and dh went out for a drive, DS1, 5, and MIL at home.
When we arrive home, we hear ds2 howling from his bedroom and MIL tells us he has been in there for 15 minutes, soaked to his socks in his own wee, refusing offers of help from his brother and his granny to get changed and come out of the room. What a stubborn little tyke.

Who's next?

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cece · 27/05/2006 10:34

The only way I can get my ds to put his pyjamas on is to tell him not to put them on under any circumstances. Does that count?

suzywong · 27/05/2006 10:42

well technically that is Reverse Psychology, but I will allow it, yes.

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cece · 27/05/2006 10:48

Also when asked a question such as do you want a banana? His reply is no, yes, no, yes, no. Then when we are out of the house it is a yes and he has a screaming fit because I didn't give him a banana..... Arghhhhh

arfishymeau · 27/05/2006 11:45

Ahhh. SW. Where do I start?

DD gets her uber stubborness from DP (who is also too stubborn to acknowledge this fact)

I think we've already had a chat about bedtime (which I am unable to start without a very large glass of wine).

DD refuses to let DP get her up, dress her, give her breakfast, clothe her, put her in her pj's, do teeth, hair/clean her teeth etc.

If we even suggest that DP does bedtime she goes into the mother of all meltdowns, and that's to do with any component of bedtime - teeth/hair/face/bath/pj's but especially story and the obligatory chanting "don't let the bedbugs bite". DP is allowed to do the monster inspection around the perimiter of the house however.

PS. You have 2 and you left the house together unaccompanied?

edam · 27/05/2006 12:08

Mine doesn't want his nappy changed, doesn't want to get dressed, doesn't want his breakfast/lunch/tea, doesn't want to get his coat and shoes on and leave the house, doesn't want to come back in again once we have actually managed to somewhere, doesn't want to brush his teeth, get in the bath, go to bed ... all day long. Managed to get his clothes on this morning by counting how long it took but bet that trick will never work again.

edam · 27/05/2006 12:10

doesn't want to go to gym club, but when we walk past the building on days when it isn't on, tries to get inside because 'I WANT gym club'.

suzywong · 27/05/2006 12:13

some fairly strong entrants so far
I shall be announcing the winner or counting votes in 14 hours
Bon Chance

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arfishymeau · 27/05/2006 12:54

You made me get the big guns out because it's a competition now.

Hmmm. Where do I start?

Starting from getting up:
OK, I am unique in having a fussy 3.5 year old who lets me dress her I admit.

But we go to:

Won't do hair (screams to neighbours of YOU'RE HURTING ME MUMMEEEEEE!)
Teeth/face (Flannel is clearly soaked in acid)

Breakfast: Not eaten unless it's on the right plate/in front of the right DVD/spread with the right knife/with the right spread/next to the spilled sultana bran (spot the mum choice) [at this point slippers must be kicked off for maximum it's cold mum stress]

Lunch: On the right bar stool (yes, wish we had a bar), with the right implement to whisk the right number of cracked eggs/with the right amount of butter in the right bowl/ and the right shape ( 3 squares and three triangles - we nipped the diamonds in the bud) of toast to go with said eggs.

Dinner: In the right 'relaxing clothes' with the right colour of tomatoes (yellow, not red fgs), on the right Postman Pat plate, with the right juice and the right forks.

Bedtime {summarised for everybodys sanity} The right books/ night time nappy/ blankets / toys / monster ritual / door open by x cm / don't let the bed bugs bite said really fast / rice cakes by the side of the bed / orange sippy.

For my prize I'd like to have a long weekend away anywhere from here, with plenty of wine and shoulder massages. Rice cakes not welcome. Thank you.

suzywong · 27/05/2006 12:59

while I am sympathetic to your tyrannical child, I must inform you that you are disqualified
she is 3.5.
The thread title clearly states 2 year old
sorry

what does the other competitor cece think
and the lurkers, what do they think, yes YOU

OP posts:

SaintGeorge · 27/05/2006 13:05

Am I allowed a late entry. DS is 4 but he was 2 at time of the following:

Insists on toast for breakfast despite no bread in house. Refuses all other food because he wants toast. Screams and tantrums for 2.5 hrs despite my best efforts to offer other items. Fights getting dressed - doesn't want to go out. Hangs on to door frame by finger tips whilst I am trying to get him (half dressed) into the porch to put him in push chair. Fights out of straps and insists on walking to shop. Moans all the way to shop as wants pushchair. Purchase bread, return home with ensuing moaning and screaming.

Produce perfect little slices of toast, with crusts cut off to avoid further complaints.

DS now wants weetabix.

Mercy · 27/05/2006 13:05

ds' current favourite expression is "dont like".

This is his response to everything. For example, he's obviously quite hungry so I make him breakfast/lunch/dinner and he says "don't like" to every single piece of food, including his favourites. He gets to the stage where he's almost hysterical because he's so hungry but still bellowing "don't like".

suzywong · 27/05/2006 13:08

God, they are so WEIRD aren't they? Wonder what the evolutionary purpose of this stubborness is?

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arfishymeau · 27/05/2006 13:15

But she is worse than your 2 year olds!!! She was sweet then (well, she did have a great line in hurling to the floor-ing but no 'you can't call me/tell off 'DD' because my name is 'Lisa' behaviour)

Still want a voucher for a back massage at the very least because I've given you prior warning about what it's going to get like.

suzywong · 27/05/2006 13:19

S'pose
Voucher on its way

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edam · 27/05/2006 13:36

Think StG would win if she wasn't outside the age range.

Does ds casting himself to the ground, thrashing around and sobbing because mummy forgot that we always have to stop and admire the fire hydrant on the way home count?

And stop and look for the ducks that have taken up residence in the neighbour's garden?

And take the short cut through the hotel grounds so we can stop at every sign while I read out 'parking for hotel customers only' or 'fire assembly point'?

edam · 27/05/2006 13:37

(the hydrant and signs are my fault, btw, one day thought it was good idea to get all excited about the next feature of our walk home just to get him to bloody well hurry UP in the general direction of our house).

suzywong · 27/05/2006 13:40

well we are straying in to the common or garden tantrum there edam, I liked the Gym one but the hydrant paddy is just that, a paddy.
I 'm sorry biut I am governed by very strict rules here in the Stubborness Stakes

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edam · 27/05/2006 13:42

Hmmm but isn't it stubborn, insisting that we have to follow very exact rules for our journey home (all 300 yards of it)?

SaintGeorge · 27/05/2006 13:43

Mine was in the age range at time of said events though.

I shall sulk if a 3.5 yr old imposter wins.

sugarfree · 27/05/2006 13:48

PMSL@this thread.Specially the Weetabix StG.

Does 45 mins to open a Babybel on his own count?
30 mins screaming on the floor when he fell out of bed because he wouldn't let me lift him back in?(Bedrail bought and fitted today)

It would be hilariously funny if we weren't living it.

suzywong · 27/05/2006 13:51

I 'm liking the refusal to be picked up off the floor and put back in bed. I 'm qualifying stubborn as refusing to be helped out of a situation they got themselves in to, even if the help would benefit them. I also like arfy's stubborn daughter. I like the hydrant, but that is more idiosyncratic than refusing help IYSWIM

sorry but there are rules if we want to do this properly

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arfishymeau · 27/05/2006 13:54

OK. Will step down. Mine was just not tyrannical enough at 2. She saved it all for 3.

I'm waiting for you SW. You will be posting this about three year olds soon. And then the prize will be mine.

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suzywong · 27/05/2006 13:56

you can be a judge with me arfy, not that I'm a meglamanic or anything
and I've ahd a 3 year old and all, he wasn't as bad no where near as bad as his mum

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Marne · 27/05/2006 13:58

DD 2.3 has to choose her shoes when we go shoe shopping, she will only try on pink shoes and has a pair of dirty sandals that she insists on wearing evry day even though they are too small.

She will only talk to granny if granny has her glasses on.

Grandads not aloud in the house unless he takes his shoes off and washes his hands (she screams until he does it)

She wont eat veg off her own plate but is happy to eat it off mine, mummys is yummy yummy.

suzywong · 27/05/2006 13:58

TITTER
especially the glasses on granny

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