Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Can anyone help troubleshoot my 3 yo?

36 replies

User24689 · 05/10/2020 22:07

Really going through the mill with my just turned 3 year old and feel like I must be doing something really wrong. So in desperate need of the collective experience of MN to help me parent my way through this rather than just getting angry/ stressed which never helps.

  1. My 3 year old will not listen. Example morning dialogue in our house: "DS, come and get your shoes on please... DS, can you please come and get your shoes on?... DS. Listen to mummy... Please come and get your shoes on... OK, I'm going to count to 3 and you need to come and get your shoes on or you will need to sit on the mat by the door (our version of timeout). 1, 2..." Shoes go on.

This is for every single instruction, all day long. My 5 year old is not much better but can at least be reasoned with. I say everything at least 5 times and then end with a threat. There isn't often outright defiance, just purposely ignoring me. I think it's more annoying than being told no.

I massively praise the times he listens first time, though it is a vanishingly rare occurrence. Have tried star charts etc but he doesn't really make the connection.

  1. Transitions. I have started to dread taking him to visit friends because it loses his shit when it is time to leave. Always give a warning of "last play". He will usually not even acknowledge this warning. He will then say no when it is time to leave. Often leave with him screaming, carrying shoes plus him as he has refused to put them on.
  1. Random refusal to do things, particularly when in a rush. Most common one is getting in the car. He will appear to co-operate until last moment, usually when I am stressed and against the clock to take DD to school. He will then sit in footwell and refuse to get into car seat. Nothing I can do as he needs to get in, can't leave him behind, can't wait for him. I often end up begging him to just do as he is told and get in seat. Often he will then get in but be kneeling or flopped across it on his tummy so I'm standing there, often in the rain saying "on your bottom DS. Please turn around and sit in your seat. Now, DS, please. Please sit down!" And yes, I do often end up shouting as by this point stress levels through the roof. We then have exactly the same again after drop off, getting him back in the car.
  1. Won't hold my hand. Every time we walk anywhere that requires hand holding eg next to a road, it is not really hand holding but me holding his hand really tightly while it slowly is pulled from mine, his entire body leaning backwards while he walks to try and get his hand out of mine. He will often just refuse to walk if hand holding is required so lots of our walks take an insane amount of time because we have to stop to sit him on the pavement and wait for compliance.

Pretty much all of this behaviour has arrived in the last month, since turning 3. Although he sounds like an absolute nightmare above, he is an otherwise lovely boy. Very affectionate and loving. But lately he is just miserable/ angry/ defiant. Nothing in life has really changed. He is apparently an angel at Preschool.

I feel it is all some sort of need for control. I do worry about his inability to tune into me and his attention/ focus is terrible.

Anyone got any ideas about what might underpin all this or how i should handle it?

Any wisdom welcome!

OP posts:
Bubbletrouble43 · 06/10/2020 08:54

3 year old twins here and this resonates. I often feel I spend my life screaming into a void. I'm just ignored all day long and I'm relieved this appears to be normal.

Mysa74 · 06/10/2020 08:57

My dd2 was 4 last week, I thought I'd escaped it this time. I was wrong,..

NameChange30 · 06/10/2020 09:00

My DS is 3.5 and exactly the same.
I've just had DC2 and DH and I are extremely sleep deprived which is not helping our patience one bit!
Thank god for childcare, that's all I can say Grin

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

BlackeyedSusan · 06/10/2020 09:22

1: reduce language eg, dsname, shoes on now.

3: choice, are you going to climb into the car seat or do you want me to put you in? rigidity can be combated with a tickle to the middle so he collapses into the seat.

4: sn reins or a buggy. If you hold their wrist they can not pull out so easily, lift it quite high up and move reasonable quickly they need to keep trotting along. this works if they are not completely in refusal mode. otherwise tuck up under arm and carry on. (yes it is hard but if you do it regularly enough you will be able to manage it as you build up the muscles and can kkeep up with carrying them until they are about 37 kg. though I can get a 42kg child up the beach to avoid sandy feet. )

LadyIronDragon · 06/10/2020 09:32

My 2.5yo DD is like this. Everything is a monumental battle and in the last month or it's been accompanied by very loud emotional breakdowns, usually in public.

I don't remember by DS being like this but I think I've probably tried to block it from my memory, for good reason.

Because DS was my first and at that time an only child I think I had a lot more patience and willingness to discipline, follow-through etc. I'm worried that because I have two to juggle I give in/bribe my DD far more for the sake of ease and the long-term consequences will not be good...

BertieBotts · 06/10/2020 11:41

Sounds like a normal 3yo.

For 1, don't expect him to comply with verbal requests, that just gives the impression it's a choice, and no 3yo is going to want to stop playing or whatever. Take the shoes to him or take his hand/shoulders and steer him to the shoes. Never ask more than once, just state "It's time to get your shoes on" and then do it. Asking multiple times = "I don't really have to do it unless she threatens the step" or "I don't really have to do it until the 5th time". You can also try the closed choice method which is where you give two options which are both acceptable to you e.g. "Do you want to wear wellies, or shoes?"

Try motivating him to do it himself by keeping the morning routine the same every day. Consider a visual timetable so he can "see" each step - you can even laminate it and a picture of him so that he can move his picture (blu-tac) onto each step.

For 2, understand that the transition is hard, and will be worse if he's any of the following:
Tired
Hungry
Sugar crash
Hyped up

So prioritise naps (if he still has them), smooth bedtime and mealtimes and if he does not nap, your dinner-wind down-bed routine is likely to need to be absolutely solid because his energy and blood sugar levels will be at a total low in the late afternoons. If he's had a break from nursery and recently gone back this will also be very tiring for him. This might mean that any afternoon activities are a total no go for a while. If you have any which are non negotiable such as activities for the 5yo, bring snacks with protein - a cheese string, ham sandwich, yoghurt drink etc.

If you notice there is a particualr time when it's worse e.g. playdates after nursery, with one particular friend etc, put a pause on those for a while (unless you think it's worth it). To actually handle the transition, make it as simple with as few steps as possible, gather everything together yourself, let him know you'll be leaving soon (I would place hand on shoulder and make eye contact so he acknowledges this) and be prepared to carry him out under one arm if you have to!

It does pass.

Random refusal (especially when in a rush) is likely transition related as well. I sometimes find distraction e.g. talking about whatever it is we are doing next after this thing, helps shift their focus and get them interested in getting to the next activity, in which case they stop blocking whatever it is you're trying to do like get into the car. That could be guessing what's for dinner, choosing pudding, which DVD they want to watch or game they want to play, or something as silly as do you want to hop into the house like a bunny or walk like a robot?

Try to allow time. I know that's not always possible, but whenever it is, do. As you've noticed, rushing is stressful for them which causes more obstructive behaviour.

We did a lot of races at 3 as well. "Bet you can't get your shoes on before I get mine on!" "I really need a wee, I hope nobody beats me to the toilet!" Accroding to all the sibling books, don't encourage races between siblings - get them to race against an adult or something neutral like an egg timer.

Will he hold hands in certain situations e.g. when you're near a road? I found I could do OK with having DS1 walk on my left side if the road was on my right, and warn him as we got near to a crossing he had to hold hands, he'd usually comply. Or I'd say "Can I hold your hand?" Or what about one of those bikes with the parent handle? Or a backpack with strap. He might like putting his things in the backpack. Beware many coats have emergency pop off hoods, so don't use grabbing hood as an emergency stop. And if the hood is attached you can only use it if the coat is done up.

User24689 · 06/10/2020 20:12

I am so glad I started this thread. Literally every post has been valuable and helped me - even the ones just offering solidarity! Thank you all so much.

@ihaventgottimeforthis silent physical prompting. I didn't know this was a thing, but I have discovered through my own trial and error that it works some of the time. Other times, if he is already stressed, I find the slightest 'guide' on his shoulder causes an "I DO IT MYSELF!" rage. So I think I need to be better at anticipating where that line is for him before he will no longer let me help him.

@bertiebotts Amazing advice thanks so much for taking the time. I think some days I definitely expect too much of him. He gets up between 6 and half past and goes right through til 7.30. he hasn't had a nap since around his second birthday. He dropped it really early. I usually have to resettle him at least once in the night too. He eats really well and we do have "rest time" in the afternoon which is tv time because that is the only way I can get him to sit still and he usually lies on the sofa for an hour then. But I'm sure that by afternoon school pick up at 3 he must be exhausted even if he doesn't show it. I will change up the snacks for more protein thanks for that tip. The afternoon school run is often a real nightmare with hand holding refusal at its peak, refusal to stand in the line to collect DD etc. The current business or having to stand on a spot on the ground = actual nightmare Grin Snacks save me. We often go to the park next to the school for an hour after pickup too so he does get run ragged I suppose.

Our bedtime routine is really good and we never deviate from it. I have much fewer issues with him getting ready for bed, weirdly he accepts and complies with every step of that (have never considered that before!) Maybe as he is mentally ready for bed so isn't fighting against it?

Have ordered how to talk so little kids will listen - thank you!

Today we pretended to be lions on the way from the park to the car and it worked a treat - thank you!

OP posts:
User24689 · 06/10/2020 20:15

Should prob add - he has never been to any form of childcare ever then started preschool in September, though only does 2 afternoons. He absolutely loves it, and would go more often if it was up to him. But I'm wondering if that extra input - new adults, new children, new things to learn, has affected him generally. Maybe there is just a lot of processing going on.

OP posts:
Ihaventgottimeforthis · 06/10/2020 21:01

I think you sound great - you are watching him very closely, trying to understand and read his moods and respond appropriately to his needs. You don't have all the answers yet, but then we never do.
I find for myself the first thing to do is try to manage MY reaction - if i can stop myself from losing my rag, it makes any behaviour easier to deal with.
Best of luck :-)

LittleMissEngineer · 06/10/2020 21:26

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

BertieBotts · 07/10/2020 11:19

YY sooo much processing which really tanks their energy levels. Think about how tired you are in the evenings after starting a new job, it's just the same for them.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread