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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To sometimes wish I didn’t have my three year old

54 replies

towardstheroad · 03/07/2026 17:32

I feel awful typing that but it’s kind of my most dark and hidden thought. I love her, but I do sometimes think if I could press a button and just go back and not know her but know what was to come I’d do so.

She is … challenging. She wants what she wants and if she doesn’t get it she screams. Car journeys are fraught as she will have say a toy and then drop it and scream. Often I end up pulling over just to stop her screaming but of course sometimes I can’t. She screams whenever something bothers her and it can be anything … the unpredictability of her has me on edge as even when she’s fine the next moment she won’t be.

She sleeps badly, not so much at night but wakes insanely early and if she even has a short nap she’s awake until gone 9. It’s really getting me down tbh.

I just hope it will get better as much as I love her I don’t enjoy spending time with her at the moment as my life is just constantly dealing with crying and screaming and whining; it feels like she’s never happy.

OP posts:
operationplaytime · 04/07/2026 10:16

Mine was awful between 3-4. I hated every day, I was always on edge. It does get so much better but you need to hold firm and keep reinforcing the boundaries. She has some capacity to learn what’s acceptable at 3.

towardstheroad · 04/07/2026 10:43

I don’t disagree but it’s wtf to do about it. I think that’s what I hate; feeling so powerless.

OP posts:
ThatMintMember · 04/07/2026 11:05

Decide what the boundaries are. If the screaming is the biggest issue then work on that first. What does she enjoy and what can you take away if she doesn't stop screaming? Stop her from doing something or going somewhere that matters to her. You have to stick to it though, take away the thing you said you were going to. She'll learn to stop screaming. Presumably she's only continued to do it because she's got her own way by doing it.

My son tried to yank the blinds of the wall a few months ago, tried telling him to stop and if he did it again that I'd ban tv for the whole day. He did it again, no tv for the day. Next time he tried messing with the blinds I asked if he wanted me to ban tv again? He stopped instantly and hasn't done it since.

Kallos · 04/07/2026 13:51

What have you got planned for today @towardstheroad ?

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