Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To consider wine is the appropriate response - My 3 yr olds temper tantrum todays have included....

76 replies

TotallyFF · 01/04/2017 17:33

3.5yr old DS - very intelligent, very full on and always been a more 'intense' child - love him to pieces but so far today (and this is just a really small handful of the episodes):
Half hour shouting because he wanted to go swimming but his shorts weren't 'red' enough - we then went and had a lovely time swimming - afterwhich he decided the dog needed a swimming pool and attempted to flood the bathroom.
After enjoying art - 20mins screaming that clay wouldn't dry instantly - he then covered himself in paint (I literally was just taking things to the sink - the child moves at super speed!!!)
After playing a board game - 20 minutes screaming that he didn't win - then a further tantrum that his brother no longer wanted to play with him.
In addition, Mash potatoes wasn't 'mashy' enough, the dog wouldn't bark on command and I insisted he wore his socks when we were going out...
And topped off with a half hour strop that I couldn't fulfill the wish of buying him a 'real life, flying unicorn' as a pet.....
And it's not even bedtime yet!!!
This is said light-heartedly and though he is full on 99% of the time, the tantrums are normally more associated with growth spurts etc - but my goodness I need wine! Anyone else?

OP posts:
CigarsofthePharoahs · 01/04/2017 19:17

I have had an entire afternoon of:-
I waaaaaaaaant aaaaa naaaaaapeeeeeeee!
Potty training. This is our third attempt and as he's now turned 3 we really need to crack it.
He can hold it in all right, but can't bear to wee on a potty or toilet.
So he gets more and more desperate and more and more upset.
I'm skipping the wine and moving straight on to the vodka. Today has been loud and stressful.

CatsRidingRollercoasters · 01/04/2017 19:20

Lou I could kiss you! GrinGrin

Dd is just 3 and reasons for tantrums today have included but not been limited to...

  • Wanting a marshmallow with dinner and not being allowed one
  • Wanting to open the shoe cupboard all by HERSELF - I closed it again to allow this to happen (picking my battles) but it was "all just too late and now I am a sad girl, all just too late and now I am a sad girl, all just too late and now I am a sad girl!" and repeat for 22 minutes.

She is asleep and I have Wine

CatsRidingRollercoasters · 01/04/2017 19:23

Spreadthehappiness this is obviously a lighthearted thread. We're not all raging alcoholics.

Stop being so sanctimonious and have my first grip.

Original poster
TotallyFF · 01/04/2017 19:24

Spread read the lightheartedness of the post! Crikey if you take life this seriously maybe you need to reflect on your mental health a bit more rather than worry about mine! Wink
To other more relaxed reponses- we haveliterally just play acted through the whole of beauty and the beast and I think ds2 is finally ready for sleep!!! I shall enjoy (guilt free ) a glass of wine this evening and snuggle in and catch up on Masterchef!

OP posts:
karigan · 01/04/2017 19:25

These posts filled me with horror as mine is only 2.5 yrs... however her most ridiculous moments thus far was crying her little heart out on bonfire night because despite announcing "my turn daddy!" daddy would not allow her to light a firework!

Original poster
TotallyFF · 01/04/2017 19:29

Karigan ds1 was a very undramatic child - and we sailed through the toddler and pre school years, ds2 is a delightful terror that tests every turn - they're all diferent so don't be filled with horror just yet!

cigar ds2 took three attempts at potty training - against all the advice it ended up a battle of wills, we just put pants on him one day, he wet himself all morning and very much boated about it - then suddenly came into the Kitchen and announced he'd had 'enough of this' - and was dry as a bone ever since, day and night! He has the willpower which would bend steel!

OP posts:
TomaytoTomahto · 01/04/2017 19:30

Lou oh deary me I just spat out my wine at your comment. Here's to you for spreading happiness! Wine

PickAChew · 01/04/2017 19:34

It sounds like a whole bottle with a long straw kind of day.

fluffandsnuff · 01/04/2017 19:40

Glad to hear solidarity for the PITA that is potty training reluctant toddlers. DS 2.5 has been whinging all day and running off (that boy is fast)! DH is currently upstairs singing night night songs and if I wasnt preggers I wouldn't be drinking Wine but instead I'm working my way through an Easter egg Smile

cudbywestrangers · 01/04/2017 19:43

Ds (almost 4) didn't want our house to be ours anymore. That took up most of the afternoon. We went out in the car in the end and he fell asleep. Somehow came back via the beer shop!

scrivette · 01/04/2017 19:48

DS2 had a tantrum because I gave him the wrong spoon. I had no idea which one he wanted but got it right after about five!

DS1 had a tantrum because the water went NEAR his eyes in the bath,in his ears got wet when I washed his hair and his 'pet whale' was going to die because I let the water out of the bath he is fucking 6 and has more tantrums than the almost 2 year old.

I need chocolate and wine Grin

LouKout · 01/04/2017 19:48

GrinWine

IWillOnlyEatBeans · 01/04/2017 19:50

DS (just turned 4) had his first proper tantrum yesterday because we couldn't take all the tiny pebbles off the pebble-dashed house we walked past and stick them on our house instead! Part of me was quite proud of how passionately he felt about the whole thing!

Wine for those of you dealing with it multiple times per hour day

Waffles80 · 01/04/2017 19:50

Baaaah Totally. Thanks for posting because it's helped me realised this is 'normal'.

Our twin girls, 2.8, have had a similarly mental day. Huuuuge lying-on-floor-screaming tantrums because:

  • wouldn't let them bring wheelbarrows full of cut grass into the house
  • wouldn't let them out in garden in pyjamas in rain at 6am.
  • or 8am.
  • served them rice with dinner, which they had ASKED FOR
  • ditto yoghurt
  • wouldn't let them have more than two vitamin jellies
  • I went for a wee on my own
  • their knickers were not spotty or stripey ones.

We fly to Spain for ten days with them tomorrow. I'm glad the Cava is four euros a bottle Wine

Waffles80 · 01/04/2017 19:52

To actually GET THEM DRESSED I had to enact a pantomime of "oh no, these are MY knickers / socks / leggings" and then pretend to put them on my head.

Hulder · 01/04/2017 19:57

Totally my DM tells me that potty training me turned into a battle of wills.

In the end she waited for the summer and sent me out into the garden naked except for welly boots.

Apparently on day 2 I was potty trained Blush

pigsDOfly · 01/04/2017 19:58

My DCs are all grown up, and now I'm seeing my youngest DC cope with her, almost, 3 year old's tantrums. Lovely to be able to walk away, and drink wine too if I want.

But nothing changes, I apparently had a very long screaming tantrum when I was a small child when my lovely dad carried me down to the end of the garden to show me the great big red ball in the sky - the setting sun - but was unable to let me hold it and have it for myself.

Just as well to keep a sense of humour when you have toddlers. Something you might do well to remember Spread.

NoMoreStickers · 01/04/2017 20:01

Waffles, my twins are nearly 4 and I had to drive back from ballet today listening to one hum tunelessly for 20 minutes whilst the other repeated over and over 'mummy, you have to practice not shouting' in a terribly condescending voice..... I'd bring a whole boat full of booze back from Spain for stock if I were you.....

CigarsofthePharoahs · 01/04/2017 20:03

Hulder Don't give me ideas!
Having raided the wine rack I am reduced to Lidl brand peach schnapps. It'll do.

smileygrapefruit · 01/04/2017 20:05

My 3.5 year old had a full on crying snotty meltdown for apparently no reason in the car this morning. When she had calmed down enough to speak she said "I'm sorry for ruining dd2s birthday, waahhhhhhh" I said "what do you mean?" With a Confused face as dd2s birthday (1st) was 6 months ago. "Waahhhhhhh, I let one of her balloons gooooo, it was an accident, I'm soooo sorrryyyyy wahhhhhh". God, child, let it go, I'm pretty sure dd2 is not scarred for life.

She also threw a massive tantrum this afternoon after being asked repeatedly to tidy her toys away and saying she needed help...she started doing it nicely so I joined in and got screamed at because "I don't need any help!!!"

Please, OP, and other posters, have some wine for me as I'm currently pregnant with dd3......

Sunnyjac · 01/04/2017 20:07

🍷🍷🍷🍸

Original poster
TotallyFF · 01/04/2017 20:07

Just as ds2 was drifting off to sleep, he looked up at me (long story but I sit with him till he drifts off) and said with the biggest smile 'mummy I love you so much'. All is instantly forgiven and heart is melted!

OP posts:
NoCryingInEngineering · 01/04/2017 20:08

DS (2 & 3/4) isn't a tantrummer at the moment but is the king of procrastination already. He's currently reciting Thomas stories to himself at full volume because he doesn't want to go to sleep (the result of an unavoidable late car nap) while I sit outside his door to prevent him escaping from his room. The only reason I don't have a glass of wine next to me is pregnancy. If he ever goes the fuck to sleep I will be heading straight to the chocolates, or possibly ice cream

Thistledew · 01/04/2017 20:15

My DS cried today because I shut the lid to the nappy basket and he wanted to pull out all the nappies look in. I opened it again so he could look in and he cried because he wanted to shut the lid. I then helped him shut it and he cried because he couldn't see the nappies.

He is only 8 months old. I'm going to need a lot of wine, aren't I! Confused

Waffles80 · 01/04/2017 20:15

To actually GET THEM DRESSED I had to enact a pantomime of "oh no, these are MY knickers / socks / leggings" and then pretend to put them on my head.

Swipe left for the next trending thread