I think there should be a bloody support group for parents of 3 year olds

[Limelight]

It's like DS woke up a couple of months ago as a completely different person.

'Trying' incidents today:

1. Complete refusal to even consider wearing any clothes. I mean, would genuinely have been very happy if I'd agreed to send him to pre-school in the buff.

2. Running out into the road.

3. Massive screaming kicking throwing things level tantrum because I'd dared suggest we go out with his friends to a club he normally loves. Because the children are naughty and it's all soggy. Apparently. Needless to say we didn't go because by the time he'd calmed down it was too late. So he had another massive tantrum because he couldn't go.

4. Massive sulk because a kid he didn't know decided to play on the wrong slide. Apparently.

5. Complete refusal to eat the dinner he helped me make because it had (completely imaginary) green bits in it. I wouldn't mind except it's normally one of his favourites.

Now admittedly he's very recently had chicken pox and is still a little irritable but when I think about it, he's been like this for a few months. I also have a 10wo DD which isn't helping. He loves her but is not hugely happy with DH and I for changing his life.

Totally exhausted. Going for a bath and a lie down.

DS1: Can I have a drink
(I appear with drink)
DS1: HEY! That's MY drink!

Oh yes - and the whining too - how could I forget that?

So many of DDs conversations start (in a really horrible whiny voice)
"Mummeeeeeee I neeeeeeeed......." - it could be anything from Peppa Pig to an ice cream.

Sometimes it makes my ears bleed

Just marking my spot, need to go and get my own terror. Will have a good read through and moan later :)

I am laughing at the fact that no one has posted on this thread since 5pm last night...the reason?.....we were all curled up in a hole rocking while drinking wine from the bottle as it is Friday...no nursery for us for the next two days, and the thought of all the wonderful tantrums we have to face this weekend.. :)..

I am at the moment sharing my bed with my dd who has been in my bed for the last 1.5 hr with, mickey mouse, Minnie, Donald, daisy, bert and ernie, teddy x 2, and of course 3 helium balloons!!...not much room left for me..it's a good job I am a single mum as have no idea where the man would sleep!...

Balloons came from a party I was at last night, and dd has gone round the house introducing her new balloons to every single piece of furniture, and telling all what we are going to today....problem is.....what dd thinks we are doing is of course the complete opposite of what we are going to do, so I know the tantrums are going to start very soon.......and I will get the line..."but the balloons want to.....".. Cue tantrum no1 of I am sure 67'?...

My 3 year old just opened the front door to the postman. Which is Not Allowed. My aged terrier went bonkers and nearly bit the poor man. I had to rush out and apoligise profusely for this very unusual behaviour.

When we reminded DS that he is not allowed to open the door and why he just told us 'I am going to do it lots of times now'.

(awaits flaming for having a dog in the same house as a child).

We are putting a door chain on as I type.

So after me telling dh that our 2.4 behaviour is par for the course I am doubting myself and need to have a good read of this thread to remind myself. Today has pushed me to the limit more than once and I had to lock myself in the bedroom at 8.30 or I was going to explode.
We are also potty training and doing very well she inisits on training pants outside even though she doesn't wee in them ( fine by me).
This morning she wanted to go outside we have a big communal balcony- No its too early and we have to get dressed , etc . Fit went on for 45 mins wanted trousers , then diddn't. Wanted breakfast , then diddn't so when I took the bread away cue leg banging , screaming, etc . She then managed to open the door. This is a big no no and we can't fit a dead bolt up high . Cue telling off - severe no - cue follow up fit.
OUt we go to take dd1 to gym club. After dropping off she wanted to walk - fine . The RULE is walk between me and the wall if not holidng hands or holding hands at all time, she decided otherwise. After 3 runnings off and then street sit ins - it was back in buggy ( with a smack on hand for running off as it is danger here).
Round 3 collecting dd1 from gym club. She wanted a bit of bread - fine - no she wanted her sisters ' cue swap.' no she wanted both. Me ' Its this or nothing choose which bit you want'. BOth bits of bread snatched and thrown on ground. I gave dd1 another bit and then her nothing - she screamed the whole way home.....
I am fed up or not knowing what to do. Fed up of passers by going 'ahhhh' poor child. Fed up of dd1 suffering as dd2 is such a right pain and takes all my time when I have them alone ( lots). Fed up of never knowing what is going to set her off. Fed up of dh saying she is not normal and we should get help . He has less paitence than me and asks how to handle her. I am just trying everything anybody suggests -ARRGGGHHHHHH

My name is NoWay, I have a fruitloop for a son. He is 3.

Today, we have had (a) tantrum because i wouldn't let him play trains at 5:36am, (b) tantrum because I wouldn't let him have ice-cream at 8:20am, (c) screaming because I wouldn't let him use DH's glasses case as a spaceship, (d) and tantrum because he wanted to go out and ride his bike, followed by tantrum when he was out riding his bike because he didn't want to ride his bike.

I feel ready for bed, but will instead read the rest of this thread so I can feel safe in the knowledge that it's not only me...

So far today we've managed to avoid any tantrums - just. He did however miss out on the face painting at a party this morning so I had to 'promise' to do his when we got home.

I really hope that the paint now all over his face is finger paints and not acrylic. At least he's happy (and tantrum free )!

Hello... I have a horrid little monster ds who is 3.3.

Some of the storied I have read on here sound so familiar, thank goodness it is not just me who has a little devil!

He can be utterly sweet, affectionate and incredibly cute but when he decides to throw a tantrum you can hear it 3 streets away!!

He hates vegetables and often refuses to eat them.
He ignores questions I ask him.
I have a constant battle to get him to brush his teeth.
He refuses to let us cut his hair and it badly needs cutting but we need about 4 people, 3 to pin him down and 1 to cut his hair. He is having an eye op in a couple of weeks under GA. I am seriously contemplating telling DH to bring his electric hair trimmer with him to cut DS's hair after the op!!

Finding it hard dealing with his tantrums at the moment as I am 31 weeks pg (yeah I know glutton for punishment ) and sooo bloody tired!

DH has taken him and DSS off top his parents where he'll most likely be an angel!!

at your hair cutting plan Kara. I had a hairdresser once say to me that sometimes the only way to get them is when they're asleep (filled me with confidence as to the end result that did, she was busy cutting DS's hair at the time!)

Did I stupidly come in here early and brag about mention the lack of tantrums today? Haha, silly me, he was saving it all up for bed time. Didn't want dinner, didn't want shower so started shovelling dinner down, had to physically carry him into the bathroom (twice because he escaped) while trying not to get kicked in the bump, wrestle his cloths off and into the bath. Then once he was actually clean he cried because I turned the water off!

Am now catching my breath while he sleeps like a little angel. Roll on end of the holidays in a weeks time I say

Hmmm, my 3.6yo does the crying thing...

Just turns on the waterworks for no reason whatsoever. We had worked on the tantrum thing, used naughty corner, v effective with her and she did grow past it. But has recently started the tears in lieu of tantrum. Am finding this much harder to combat. Am thinking of labelling it 'tantrum' behaviour and issuing same consequences ie leaving a group/house or time out for her to calm down.

Is driving me mad though as she can turn it off again just as quickly! I thought we had come through the 2s (not lightly) but were through... and my 19 month old is def starting 2s early. Add the newborn due next month and my life is just dreamy at the moment!

Yep my DS can cry at the drop of a hat. Infact I think he has cried due to hat dropping at some point

He sounds like his heart is breaking or someone had done something dreadful to him.

Luckily he is DC4 so I know that little game. He is dry eyed in an instant the little monkey bugger

And what the heck is it with the bipolar personality?? "I want this! I don't want it"
Grrrrr.

Thank you to those of you who have PM'd re the nursery situation, I so appreciate you thinking of me - I don't mean to leave you hanging but I'm in a course all weekend this weekend, and it's my birthday [shameless :o] so I've had no time to reply. xxJacks

Is anyone else having a fab time with a 3year old who is EVIL to their brother/sister??! I am sure it's the green eyed monster but he is soooooooo mean to his little brother, it is horrible to see :(

dd is 2.9 and has to do everything herself. If she doesn't we have to literally go back to square one so she can do the whole process herself

An example is that she has to carry everything, so if I say help her bring the dolls & dummies etc she has to bring upstairs at bedtime, then she has a tantrum at the top of the stairs, then has to take every item back downstairs and replace it in it's original room then come back upstairs so she can literally start from the beginning again to go downstairs and fetch them.

Lovin this thread - feeling more normal with each post:)

Mummee - ds went into meltdown the other day because I had the audacity to lift him out of his car seat and get him out of the car.

"Nooooo mummy! I do it, I get out my carseat, put me back in!!!!!!!!!!!!" cue him desperately trying to open the card door!

We have to let DS climb from the front seats into the back and into his car seat by himself Luckily he's stopped faffing around quite so much and just gets on with now, but for a while he was spending a good 5-10 minutes 'driving' the car before we could go anywhere without tears.

DD1 is 2.9 and has always been 'Spirited' should we say, but definately got alot worse the past few weeks!!

Shes like jekel and Hyde and can just turn at the drop of a hat! Its quite scary!
One minute shes adorable, next a wailing banshee. Complete Drama queen.

Turned into a complete whine and moaner about anything and everything. Everythings a drama! Its soooo draining!

DD2 is 10mths and thankfully already a MUCH more relaxed baby than DD1 ever was. Hoping this is leading to a calmer toddler/preschooler too!

So nice to read of others tales of woe (although not good for you!)
Nice to meet fellow sufferers :)

Pigley - funny you should say that, I was thinking that "Jekyll and Hyde" describes my DS perfectly

Our one climbs. Trees, gates, up on to the cooker..... and he is at the 'why' stage.

For any MNer in Peterborough today, that was ME escorting that cycle-helmeted red-faced fizzing ball of anger and bile through the park

and she kept it up the whole 40mins drive home

she is now poncing about in a new dress - she could freeze ice cream in her mouth never mind not melt butter

Oh god so glad I have discovered this thread - my DD who was 3 in feb is exactly like this! I, too, patted myself on the back for avoiding the terrible twos - now I know why there were no terrible two's, have the horrible 3's!

My friends were round yesterday with their kids 6 and 9 and all DD did is run around hitting them for daring to touch her toys, trying to hold as many toys as poss in her arms so they couldn't get them whilst shouting "my toys!", then falling over as she was holding so many toys, and then wailing because she fell over! The relaxing lunch just turned into a flurry of apologies to my friend and her poor kids.

I feel your pain ladies!

The tantrumless spell is well and truely broken now.
Yesterday we had them. A huge one at bedtime because........I can't even remember why now.

Today we had one because he wasn't allowed to ride his bike in the house
We asked him to try for a wee

A huge screaming fit in asda because we asked him to sit in the trolley (which he loves apparently). He said no so I said well hold my hand then. He refused so he went into the trolley. Cue screaming and he threw some of his coins he had taken. I left them on the floor. Cue louder screaming because I left them and walked off. I saw a friend and chatted to him (while ds was still screaming). He threw the rest of his money because I didn't pick the first lot up and then screamed louder still because I refused to pick the second lot up. Then he tried to hit me and hit the trolley instead because I moved my arm. Yep more screaming! All this time I just chatted to my friend in the end my friend picked up the money and the screaming stopped. Little shit darling.

Then at bedtime because I wouldn't let him put magnets in his bed he sat ove rthe other side of his room and told me he didn't want to sit near me anymore and I could read his story from there. I said no, cue another tantrum.

He's peacefully asleep now and looks like an angel!

45 mins of screaming today for wiping my DDs face which was covered in ice cream and gravy. Apparently she wanted to go out with a dirty face and wanted me to smear the ice cream and gravy back on there! It's just so random....whatever next!

Budge up, ladies.

DD is pretty jolly about utterly refusing to co-operate or obey us regarding anything. Reminders that it's bedtime/dinner time/time to leave the house soon get met with a cheery "nope", beneath which lies pure steel.

She is capable of chucking an almighty tantrum, though. We've got one scheduled for this coming Thursday, when she will find out that contrary to her firm conviction, the farm we're visiting has only tractors, and not tractors AND space rockets.

I mean, I know farm subsidies are good, but they're not that bloody generous (except in France).