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Original poster

Does anyone else have an extremely irritating 3 year old??

80 replies

quietmouse · 21/03/2007 09:47

My dd is 3yrs 4mths. Atm I find I am constantly irritated by her

All she seems to do is whinge and moan all day and she needs constant attention.

She talks non stop

but everything is a moan with her.

She also will not let my ds help her with anything and tends to fly of the handle easily if he tries to (like putting her shoes on etc) everything has to be me.

She also tends to attack him quite a lot (although he sometimes winds her up)

She can be a really lovely little girl. She is funny and bright but oh, so annoying atm!!

Just looking for some reassurance really that other children this age are like this? I don't really remember what ds was like

I am a bit paranoid about her atm as she had a head injury 3 months ago and I worry that her change in behaviour is related to that and permanent although people try to remind me that she was a bit annoying before too!

She is also at the annoying stage of not being able to walk very far and I end up carrying her everywhere. If I don't we have a major tantrum and she normally ends up falling over and doing herself yet another injury!

Anyone else in the same boat, please?

OP posts:
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Original poster
quietmouse · 21/03/2007 19:56

oh, I completely agree with you there twoisenoughmum

My dd and me have an a very special bond. She is so precious to me because of the things she has been through and because of many other reasons too

and I know when she says 'I love you' she really, really means it. Sometimes it can even make me cry!

I would never, ever wish this time away. My ds is nearly 8 and it seems like only yesterday he was her age (although I can't remember if he moaned at 3 )

I just wanted reassurance that other mums were in the same boat - and by the looks of it, they are!

OP posts:
EllieK · 21/03/2007 20:00

oh yes, my ds 3yrs 4mths is so incredibly irritating

he can be the lovliest little boy but then other times i just can't bear to be arouund him.

IdrisTheDragon · 21/03/2007 20:03

DS is 3.4 and although he doesn't whine too much, he is so slow. Especially when we need to be somewhere. And he does the whole wanting whoever isn't doing whatever he doesn't like to do it (ie getting dressed etc).

He and 18 month DD have regular battles. But they are lovely together sometimes .

And he is generally lovely as well.

Glad it's not just me who sometimes feels it all quite hard work.

IdrisTheDragon · 21/03/2007 20:05

There seem to be a lot of 3.4 year olds here . Were October and November 2003 particuarly busy (suppose that should be February and March 2003 really )

Eeek · 21/03/2007 20:06

can I swap you for a desperately annoying 4 year old?

maisym · 21/03/2007 20:09

Can identify with this thread!! - would like to add the issue of putting on socks and shoes to go out - ahhhhhhhhhh

kittywaitsfornumber6 · 21/03/2007 20:16

Yes dd2 is 3 1/2 and is driving me bonkers atm . Mind you I'm 40 weeks preg so evrything is driving me bonkers atm

nulnulcat · 21/03/2007 20:22

dd 3.3 (busy march 2003 idris!!) i thought i was heading for worst mother of the year award til i read this! thank god im not alone!! dd is the whingiest most hard work annoying thing at times then jekyl and hyde is absolutely adorable and love her to bits!

everthing is i dont want i dont like im not going to followed by biggest meltdown imaginable!

she never stops talking (headache pills anyone?)

walked to school today and she got there eventually smiled at me and said i was a good girl walking mummy i didnt whinge! so she knows she does it so WHY!!!

and my alcohol consumtion going through the roof she is in bed at 7pm and the wine is opened by 702pm!

kittywaitsfornumber6 · 21/03/2007 20:24

Indeed alcohol helps. I can't wait until I can ope the old wine as the kids are in bed.

strongteabag · 21/03/2007 20:30

I could have started this thread too. My DS2 is 3.4 and is such hard work atm. The general silliness is really getting to me at the moment. And the deafness! Grrrr! He has turned from an angel into a little terror He is however my little sweetheart and I try and try to be sensitive towards him is I know in a way he really can't help being that age. I just have to stick with it! My DS1 is 4.8 and wondeful, generally it does get better!

BandofMothers · 21/03/2007 20:41

Have only read the OP, and wondered if I'd posted it my self without realising!!!
Sorry couldn't read the whole thread, but My dd1 (3.3) is Soooooooooo annoying. Argues with anything. Whingey, starting to tantrum if told no. TBH I've shouted at her so much that I made my throat hurt. Am praying she out grows it soon. Have taken the non shouting, too calm it spooks her out approach with lots of threats of , If you don't behave you will have no computer time/tv/chocolate Whatever works. And with constant reminders that whinging bhvr and not listening/doing as told will result in loss of fave things I seem to be getting somewhere REALLY SLOWLY!!!

dingdongjustforyoufg · 21/03/2007 20:43

yes, 2 of them

BandofMothers · 21/03/2007 20:44

Feel I must add that she is also very intelligent, loving, caring (am afraid she will smother dd2 (7 mts) while cuddling her one day) and friendly. They love her at her playschool cos she loves all the other kids and bosses them all around, and is really polite and well behaved for them

iwearflairs · 21/03/2007 21:22

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Original poster
quietmouse · 21/03/2007 21:23

my dd also wakes every night and rather than just come into my room she sits in bed calling me for up to half an hour until I weerily drag myself out of bed and go and get her. She shares a room with my ds - otherwise I probably wouldn't go in to her

and she is now incapable of falling asleep in her own bed. She falls alseep in mine every night, I then carry her into hers, a few hours later she's back in mine and so on.....

OP posts:
BandofMothers · 21/03/2007 21:27

DD1 shouts me too and I must say that I go in straight away b4 she totally wakes up. Then it's little pat pat and she's off again. Otherwise she's wide awake and it's an hour of in and out.

Dd1 is also now the fussiest eater, and picks unless it's noodles or pasta, and she will even pick at pasta, if it has stuff in it or the sauce is "wrong".
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhh

BandofMothers · 21/03/2007 21:30

Fing hard work is understatement of century. I thank God for playschool. I love her dearly and most days this is fine, but she talks from the minute she gets up until she goes to bed. If she's not talking she's singing, humming or making some sort of noise. Like I say, cute, funny, usually not a problem, but then some days I just am not in the mood for it and it drives me crazy. If it's a non playschool day it's a long, hard day.

Oblomov · 21/03/2007 21:46

Ds(3.2) is so whiney.

Has been for a couple of moths.

Driving me nutty.
Some days, so lovely, so affectionate.

The next..... just a pain, just a brat.

LOL at Jackieno - mummy, mummy and then something no even rally meant - I am getting loads of this at the mo - I assume just needing attention - drives me NUTTY.

Yes, yes Bendandbreak - "wants the other parent ONLY, is never ready to be bathed/ washed/ dressed when you need her to, eats only a bit of food herself and then asks for Mummy to help feed her" - I get this alot at the mo.

Original poster
quietmouse · 21/03/2007 21:50

I missed the post about the poos on the potty.

We have this too. Poos are regularly left in various potties scattered around the house. It is my fault. I really need to get rid of the potties.

When she doesn't just leave the poo there, she will call out 'come and wipe me' for bloody ages whilst bending over for all the world to see (or whoever happens to be sitting there at the time )

OP posts:
lackofgravitas · 21/03/2007 21:55

Yeah, iwearflairs, I'm convinced they get that memo. Actually DD was been practising being a full-blown PITA for some time but seems to have perfected it this last week. All the aforementioned: selective deafness (followed by 'uh?' when she deigns to hear me; whining (right from the start, not when I refuse her something, but just her default way of asking for something); interrupting; and 'I do it myself! I do it MYSELF! I DO IT MYSELF!!! ... I CAN'T DO IT!!! WAAAAAAH!!!!!' Her speciality is 'I go in the front', where she has to walk in front of me all the time, just in front of me so she's a constant tripping hazard.

Argh.

On the other hand, she told me I looked beautiful the other day. Shortly afterwards she helped her little friend out of a ballpit, and when the friend thanked her, said 'you're welcome'. So she CAN be a sweetie, plus she's having a hard time changing rooms at nursery and I feel desparately sorry for her.

wanderingstar · 21/03/2007 23:11

Have just come back to re read all this. Bless them. They are pains a lot of the time, but also so passionate and loving.

My ds's little friend (see above) was actually a joy today; his mummy obviously was telling me about the worst possible scenario, which luckily didn't happen. He said his pasta was "licious" and my ds was for some reason the perfect host "Mummy XXXX needs a drink now please/a wipe" etc.; very solicitous but totally out of character. Why isn't he so good when it's just the 2 of us around ?!

CODalmighty · 21/03/2007 23:12

YUK ot he potties
gorss out

BallsOfChocolate · 21/03/2007 23:24

OP, thank you for posting this. I have a whingeing bossy dictator aged 3.1 attached to my leg most of the time at present. I feel better already. It's so easy to forget what the others were like at that age. And I was blaming her behaviour on the move etc. Now I've remembered - it's an age/stage controlling thing.

lightningsal · 22/03/2007 12:28

First time on, hello everyone!
Just got back from a very motherly, fulfilling (hah!),school run with 8yr old gorgeous dd, and DS, 3 (just). The morning was then spent with limpet, screaming boy, totally loved and adored, but I could just give him away sometimes (only for a while!) Nothing was achieved, no jobs done, tolerance low, you all seem to know the score.

Home now, and no energy. This once dynamic 'dooer' cannot face doing anything.

I hit the talk pages and felt a smile appearing on reading this thread. I am not the only one completely drained by 3yr old demands. Thankyou all, does anyone else just give up trying to 'do'??

JackieNo · 22/03/2007 12:31

lightningsal - sometimes it's just easier to sit and Mumsnet, with them on your knee if necessary. (Welcome, by the way)