3 year old has become a nightmare

[Mommybearx]

My recently turned three year old dd has changed, she cries all the time, wants her way, doesn’t want to brush her teeth wash hands, doesn’t want a bath then gets in and doesn’t want to get out, sometimes eats sometimes doesn’t... runs off on the driveway or in shops, hits me sometimes and her sister, she just is a handful where I thought it would get easier than age 2, she’s not as loving as she was and she was such a loving baby and toddler. I feel like it’s creating distance between us as I’m always telling her off not that she listens. She probably always sees me defend her younger sister too.

Your daughter has the terrible twos a bit late is all. I promise you it will pass. There will also be quieter times when you can be loving and cuddly together.

She's a threenager! She sounds like my grandson (who I parent). Sailed through the terrible twos without so much as a tantrum but now at just turn three he is just as you describe! He has got better over the last couple of weeks. I use time outs occasionally for hitting, the rest of the time I don't engage with the stroppiness, counting to 3 usually works to get him to comply and if not I pick him up and physically do what needs to be done is getting in the car seat. I pick my battles so some things I let go, so he's shocking at getting down from the meal table but he's going to school nursery full time in a couple of weeks and have decided to let them deal with that one! It's hard but firm and fair seems to be working - it's not easy and I say that as a long in the tooth primary school teacher!