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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think 3 is a hell of a lot harder than the "terrible" twos?

49 replies

smokinaces · 02/06/2011 09:36

Oh My God.

I remember DS1 being difficult at 3, but think I blamed it all on having an 18mo as well.

But DS2 was 3 in March and I am pulling my hair out.

He is cheeky and loving, but my god he is antagonising, bullying, argumentative, destructive, disobediant and such hard work. And he knows exactly how to wind his 5yo brother up.

Tell me it gets easier. Please. Terrible twos are nothing on this! AIBU to think the terrible twos are just a warm up for the Terrifically Tiresome Threes?!

OP posts:

elliepac · 02/06/2011 11:16

YADNBU. Dd is 3 yrs and 4 months and an absolute terror. She has the face of an angel but the temperament of a devil at the moment. She bullies her brother (ds, 7 and I agree 7 is the loveliest age) and generally wants everything her own way...now. The latest tantrum involved a packed supermarket, the trolley and the screaming of ' i hate you mummy, i am going to punch you in the face and then kill you.' Cue mortification on my behalf and a swift exit from supermarket. .

OryxCrake · 02/06/2011 11:20

I found three bloody hard with DC2 - much harder than two (It was all hard with DC1 as he has AS and there were lots of behaviour issues!)

Found three much harder than teens, too - they aren't necessarily horrific as teenagers, although I know lots can be. The grunting and inability to see mess are annoying but I found that much easier than the all-singing, all-dancing tantrums of three and four.

It will pass...

CrapBag · 02/06/2011 11:21

YANBU.

My friends and I have been having this conversation recently. We were told that 3 is the magic number and it all gets better.

They were lying. 2s were no where near as bad as the 3s.

CharliesAngela · 02/06/2011 11:24

It depends on the child...

DC1 was a nightmare at 2.5, but angelic past his third birthday .

DC2 was angelic through the 2s and turnded into a tantruming screaming heap in her 4th year .

DC3 thinks 18 months is the new terrible twos

ThePrincessRoyalFiggyrolls · 02/06/2011 11:26

3, yes, 2 was a doddle, my 3yo only likes Daddy, whines (where did that come from) although is not destructive.........listens to all except moi.

Love her though but not looking forward to ds being 3, he will be a menace and a half.

I do feel slightly better though when I see worse behaving 3 year olds than mine

RatherBeOnThePiste · 02/06/2011 11:32

Aw Smoky...

DD was at her hardest when she was 3 or 4, she was so challenging, argumentative, raging and articulate, but she has grown into herself since then, worked life out and at 14 is lovely (obviously they all have their moments) I absolutely agree with OryxCrake about teens..

DS has just pottered along really, likes the quiet life, but having said that he has always known how to push DD's buttons! And if I have to sort a dispute out I have to be v v v careful to get to the bottom of it and get it right, which is not always easy! But I really do think it is hard to be a big brother or sister.

Good luck with them!

IgnoringTheChildren · 02/06/2011 11:37

My DS1 was pretty easy to manage at 2 as well (a couple of tantrums before 2 though!) but since he turned 3 has been trying to assert his independence/dominance (!) through the medium of complete meltdown on a regular basis. DH and I are determined not to give in over his tantrums so we've had a few lasting over an hour.

He'll be 4 in August and I'm convinced he'll be over it by then. I'm not listening to anyone who says otherwise!

Jennytailia · 02/06/2011 12:20

IMO no, 2's were the worst. You just couldn't reason with my DC at 2. My DD is now 3 and it is Definately better round here now. DD2 is coming up for 2 now. gulps

NestaFiesta · 02/06/2011 12:34

Terribe Twos, Threenagers and the Fg Fours.

My son was a holy terror at three and I have another one who will be three in 18 months.

A friend brought her bratty horrible whining 3 year old girl to stay recently and I actually disliked her (not the friend, the 3 yr old). They are horrible and nobody warns you. Four is slightly better and five is lovely

ManicMother7777 · 02/06/2011 13:13

YABU. Wait til he's 13

saffy85 · 02/06/2011 13:17

YANBU my DD was an angel aged 2 compared to now. She's great fun most of the time but she's definately got more stubborn, wilful, lazy and has an answer for bloody everything nowadays.

Dreading her getting older tbh as her cousin is just turning 5 and he is a horror! DD's cheek is one thing but if she starts on acts of mindless vandalism and the other shit he gets up to I'll be looking into boarding schools....

Original poster

smokinaces · 02/06/2011 17:31

I am so glad its not just me!!

Today is a bad day - started at 5am by said 3yo deciding to wet the bed for the first time in a year. And he picked my bed to do it. Its got progressively worse from there. I am just so tired of saying the same things over and over again. I know its worse because DS1 is off school, but has been devilish for a while anyway.

Am going to check out the 3yo support thread!!

OP posts:

Original poster

smokinaces · 02/06/2011 17:32

*and yes, I know he didnt wet the bed on purpose. Doesnt stop me being miffed he did it in my lovely king size, or miffed at being abruptly awoken by a wet patch at 5am

OP posts:

lubberlich · 02/06/2011 17:41

The 2s and 3s are nothing compared to the buggering 4s.

BellaBearisWideAwake · 02/06/2011 17:46

I blame myself for slight smugness on not having a terrible two year old. Boy did that bite me on the arse a year later.

PacificDogwood · 02/06/2011 20:53

Ok, here goes:

Terrible 2s
Traumatic 3s (also like 'threenager' btw)
Frigging 4s (or your choice of f-word )
Fearsome 5s? Fabulous 5s?
Sizzling 6s?
Serene 7s
Amazing 8s
Nice 9s (a bit lame - I am typing this whilst watching Scrubs)
Terrific 10s

Then we enter the territory of preteens which I cannot even begin to contemplate and will ignore as long as humanly possible. Some boys don't enter puberty until they are 16, isn't that true??

baboos · 02/06/2011 21:18

YANBU...................I have 3 year old twin sons, and they mostly just run rings round me all day like a bloody tag team, so I would gladly settle for just the one.

razzlebathbone · 02/06/2011 21:22

YANBU - my DD is 3 and can be the most frustrating thing on earth. She takes no notice of me, is a complete drama queen and has just decided she will not only wear only dresses but only dresses with no sleeves.

petisa · 02/06/2011 21:25

YANBU!

Shannaratiger · 02/06/2011 21:25

4 yr old boys are loads worse - believe me!

HumperdinkFangboner · 02/06/2011 21:30

Oh YANBU.

It gets better at 5! My DS was a terror at 3, now lovely, but very cheeky.

3yo DD was lovely at 2 but now has moments of true hideousness.

IprivateI · 02/06/2011 21:40

Yes, they're worse at 3 because they can answer back and tell you exactly why they want to get the thick marker pen from the top shelf and use it to colour in their colouring book . Little terrors.

Booandpops · 02/06/2011 21:53

My Ds was easier at two. Harder at three He is STILL easier than his drama queen sister tho who had terrible 18mths-5.6yrs hahA

Groovee · 02/06/2011 22:00

fucking 4's
fabulous 5's

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