At the end of my tether with 3 year old not listening

[Bibbitybobbetyboo]

Just that really. DD is 3.6 and for the most part a lovely, well behaved child who seems quite mature for her age, compared to her peers. However she just does not bloody listen. I am fed up with having to repeat requests and her not doing as she is told. Just this morning she started to get her play doh out in the lounge, i said no as a) we were going out and b) we only play messy things in the kitchen. I turn my back and she's got it all out. I'm finding it really difficult to keep my cool and just don't know how to deal with this.
Any mumsnetters have any
words of wisdom or any idea when (or if) this very annoying stage will end??

My DS1 is 3.10 and exactly the same.

I found this blog post helpful.

I'm pretty sure all 3 year olds are annoying and ignore instructions when it suits them. It's a developmental thing I think - the thing they want overrides their desire to do what you want.
What did you do when she got it out anyways?

I made her pack it away again and she was all very sorry and remorseful but now she's been asked about 4 times to put some pants on and yet she's still prancing around naked! I'll have a look at that blog - I do keep telling myself that it's perfectly normal but doesn't stop it being extremely irritating especially as I'm a SAHM and feel like I spend all my time asking her to do/not do things that she then does/doesn't do anyway. But glad I'm not alone

God yes, it's irritating !

It does sound like the desire to do the fun thing is just the most pressing. Shell get there before you lose your marbles

I stopped with the repeating four times thing quite quickly though because I'm impatient. After the second reminder they was a hideous consequence if she didn't get dressed immediately.

DS1 does the exact same thing with his underpants! I got into a real rut of nagging and getting more and more het up.

The thing I find works best in those situations is to make the chore fun, so that they get distracted from the fun thing they're absorbed in. So I go, 'Okay DS, I'll help you put your pants on. Do they go on your... head? No? Okay, how about your arm? No? Where do they go, then? I just can't figure it out... Ohhhh, on your bottom. I seeeeeeee.' He'll usually start giggling and get drawn in.

You feel like a bit of a twat at first, but it's a lot more fun for both of you than the endless nagging (not saying you do that, OP, but I did it all the time and hated it) and it's really effective.

I also turn things into challenges/competitions. So if there's a pile of Lego to be tidied away, I divide it into two piles and say, 'Right DS, that's your pile and this is mine. Let's see how much Lego we can throw into the box in 30 seconds!' He loves winning, so it usually motivates him pretty well.