Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

how do you tone down headstrong behaviour?

4 replies

whereiswally · 22/05/2011 20:59

I'm really worried about my dd1 behaviour. She is polite and well behaved until she is asked to do something she doesn't want to do. The preschool teacher has now commented on this when she wouldn't take her cardi off to paint or put on an apron. I usually can find ways to make this seem like a good idea or something she should do for x,y and z reasons and she then does it. But she just seems to switch off and not listen or if she does listen and you end up in converstion with her she will argue with you that the sky is red and it doesn't matter what authority you have over her, she seems to think she is in charge despite being told otherwise. I find myself using threats and bribes all the time and this is something I thought I would never do, when i was a perfect parent (pre kids)!!

I am very anxious about squashing her character, she is incrediably confident and I was too at her age (3 y/o), but i lost this and am now shy and can find myself uncomfortable in my own skin in some socail situations, which I would hate to happen to dd. However I feel she needs reigning in and not sure how to do it without crossing that fine line of breaking her sprit and teaching her that she needs to obey the rules. She is quite the social butterfly, but, on the flip side it can be quite irritating to myself and others that she point blank refuses to do things you ask of her. I feel this is my fault and not sure how to improve the situation. Any advice appreciated.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
helsbels03 · 22/05/2011 21:09

My dd(3yrs) is exactly the same!! Although only with me. With anyone else she is cute funny delightful....however as soon as I turn up she turns into a stroppy teenager!!!!

Am trying very hard to focus on th positive, picking my battles and not get into power struggles with her as when she digs her heels in and decides she is not going to do as I have asked it can go on for upto an hour and by then we have forgotten what started it!!!!

simpson · 22/05/2011 21:21

my DD (also 3) is like this too

I definately have learnt to pick my battles (she has done school drop off/pick up for her older brother barefoot or with slippers on, she will be in buggy) as I cannot deal with a battle to get her to put shoes on Blush

And I have threatened to take her to playgroup in her PJs a few times as she is lying on floor screaming and refusing to dress herself.

She goes up to total strangers (adults) and asks them very firmly to move as they are in her way Blush

She reguarly has total melt downs over some slight she feels I have done to her Everything is a battle of wills with her, howver she is an angel at play group/nursery Shock and her parents eve recently was incredibly positive.

She also behaves really well for my mum when she stays there for the night occassionally, so its just me she plays up for Hmm

However, I have found she loves reward charts/stickers and she does now respond if I give her one warning ie you do that again you are on naughty step/mummy will shout in a minute etc....

Personally I think age 3 is much harder than 2 Sad

Your DD sounds bright and may respond to explanations ie "you need to put on apron for painting to stop your clothes getting mucky " etc....

My DD questions "why?" etc too, I know how frustrating it can be...

Magicofthinkingbig · 23/05/2011 16:44

Aha! This sounds horribly familiar as DD turns 3 next week and has been possessed! Like you, I want to encourage her confidence and am hoping its just some sort of phase. This weekend I was busy in the garden for too long (for her liking-about 10 minutes- whilst I thought she was happily playing) and when I came in she proudly announced she had wee'd on the living room carpet and turned the central heating thermostat onto full blast. She certainly knows how to maintain undivided attention.

Agree with picking your battles and I try as far as possible, to maintain a sense of humour and remain unruffled when dealing with her. Eg. When I've taken an item from her or stopped her doing something dangerous: 'I dont like you Mummy, you make me sad' , 'Oh,well, never mind, I still love you'.

Nursery gives them a smiley face stamper on the hand when they've been polite and helpful which she loves so I think that might be the next step!

susiesheep2 · 25/05/2011 14:32

My just turn 4 DD1 is just the same, in the last year she her confidence has exploded, she is very smart emotionally for her age and whilst she does not have out of control tanturms much these days, her behaviour is incredibly pushy, demanding, sulky, will argue black-is-white till blue in the face. But while she is hard work, and can be extermely challenging (to everyone who expresses authority over her), I too am worried about going over the top with stamping my authority, and knock her self confidence.

She told me the other day (as we had to walk to my mums as the car was in the garage) "this was absolutely the worse day of her entire life". I had to stop walking i was laughing so much :)

New posts on this thread. Refresh page