to expect some sort of reply, even if only a grunt, from a three-yr-old?

[Pruni]

Message withdrawn

sometimes we knock on dd's head

DD 3.5 does this! It drives me nuts!

also I am now also getting uh-huh as a reply and yesterday when I asked her to stop playing on the stairs I got a real teenager sounding "okay!"

I was speechless - I am hoping it is a phase!

To the tune of Frere Jaques

"Are you listening?"

Reply

"Yes, I'm listening"

We also do a lot of "say that whole sentence again nicely".

My 3 year old does this but last week I started to ignore her when she asked me questions ( I know that sounds immature) she started getting really upset so I had a talk with her about how it makes me feel when she ignores me. It has improved things a little although not as much as I woulod have liked.

Hopefully a phase. I'm hoping it's always a phase... I am rowing with DD (11) over the same problem at the moment.

Me: Your dinner is the one on the right.
DD:

Me: Can you at least have the courtesy to RESPOND to me?
DD: I was just putting Radio 4 on for you.
Me: That's very kind of you, but it shouldn't have rendered you MUTE. A simple, "OK" would have sufficed...

I make dd (3) look me in the eye when I want an answer...

it is the only way I can distract her from whatever she is doing long enough to get an answer..

Have to admit she is really chatty most of the time, but she just gets so engrossed in what she is doing sometimes, that I am not sure she even hears me...

Didn't expect the grunt reply at 3 - though it was a teenage thing...

oh joy

Hiya All,

You have given me food for thought....I thank you all for that..

I have a set of 3.5 ident twins girls, one of which is doing exactly what you are describing...ignoring etc...adult answers...

I have actually got her an appointment to check her hearing is not impaired....perhaps what she is doing is normal?

Nic
x

I have had same experience as lowfatmilkshake- annoyed teenage responses from 3.8 yo- 'okAAAAY, I'm DOING it!!' as response to third reiteration of 'please put your shoes on' (previous two having been met with silence)

I think some of the problem is I'm raising my voice to get a response so he replies with shouting. But if I don't raise my voice and ask 3/4 times he totally ignores me. What to do???

I don't ask my DD (3) to do anything until she looks at me..

I will call her name and when she finally looks at me I will talk to her..

Seems to work (most of the time)..

although it may take a couple of calls to get her attention...

Someone once told me that toddlers are teenagers in disguise!