do ALL 4 year olds completely ignore you and not do as they are told..at all...EVER

[dissle]

I mean, is this normal? Why do they do it? How do you stay sane? How do you deal with it? what is the best way round it? Will it end?
Oh yes and when they say "what" after every thing you say even when they have heard you clear as a bell?

Hm???
hm?
hmmmm????

dunno; dunno; dunno; dunno;

YOU HAVE GOT TO KNOW!!!!

Help me here....im going to. .. . . . ..

O M G ! I cant stand another day of it.

no it doesn't end only gets worse AND with attitude as they get older

IME its hard but just try to keep calm with them if they do the fake 'huh what did you say' thing (which mine do all the time and is very annoying [grrrr]) when you need to tell your DC something make sure you bend down to their level facing them and tell them what you want them to do and then if they ask what you said say 'you heard now can you please do it'

but i'm afraid its just a phase as they say - DS1 is nearly 9 and he still does it so good luck!

LOL sorry i probably didn't help or fill you with confidence did I

BLOODY HELL....thanks alot for that little nugget

I nagnagnagnag, well so it feels.

Even im sick of hearing my own drone!

gonna have a beer tonight.

SIGH

i've actually contemplated recording my voice as i say the same things over and over so i can just play it to the kids at various volumes!

Well, the answer is clearly not to fishwife across a crowded preschool "are you even listening to me?"

try it with twins ......

Tried a new consequence of bad behaviour today. Seemed to work. DS1 age 6 and later DD age almost 4 were sent to their rooms and made to sit on their beds with no books, no toys and no talking. Did the trick!

are you speaking from experience there escapefrom?

I know BUT i have found that is just what i do.

Very unbecoming

And unsavoury

am fishy and loud and ashamed.

Dont EVER shout "GEDERE" tho, never ever ever

going to have beer with mate who has 4 year old, surely she will make me feel better because hers is the same.

yes a good old fashioned beer is just what is needed it that situation but calmness is the key i'm afraid whether it works or not i don't know as i haven't managed to get past the fishwife stage yet!

enjoy your beer i'll think of you whilst i have mine later too

Yes, all four year olds are like that. Especially once they've started school .....

On a good day, my strategy is:
1 - make sure I really have her attention "Look at me please so I know you are listening"
2 - speak calmly with a low voice (she can't hear when I sound stressed - odd, but true)
3- be very clear about what I want and make sure she understands
4 - if (when) she ignores me, tell her I don't like being ignored
5 - if still ignored, count to three - she normally gets off her backside before three
6 - threaten to remove toy/withdraw privilege if she carries on ignoring (and do it, obviously)
7 - yell like a fishwife

On a bad day, I just skip to step 7.

Beer is good, too.

Haven't posted before but was so excited (yes my life is that sad) to see someone else with the same problem. It drives me mad. My 3 3/4 year old and I had a HUGE row this evening cos he was ignoring me- completely. Sometimes I worry he might be a bit deaf although he usually responds when I say 'chocolate' really really quietly to test. Sorry can't offer any advice but just wanted you to know you are not alone.

Actually I was the only one having the row. He was ignoring me

OMG - I have this with a 3 year old. (but maybe DS1 gets it off his dad - even more frustrating when the pair of them do it - TOGETHER).

I ranted at both of them the other day by (rhetorically) asking whether I was just a hologram......

funnly enough, they didn't hear me first time.......

I generally tell DD I feel like I'm talking in chinese. That is an interesting enough concept for her at least to look up and grunt "eh?!"

Yes it's normal................... [grrrr]

My ds is 4.5 and I love him dearly but he drives me mad with his non stop talking, noiseyness and questions. We are in France so he has already had 2weeks of school holidays. He has just asked this morning to go to summer school next week. Great, think he must be as bored of me as I get of him sometimes. Off to school he goes.

wow this thread makes me feel better!

I like the 'chocolate' test!

Sarahsails...fantastic, having an argument with yourself! Love it!

beer was good, friend was great,

The beast is still iognoring me, glad to get to work quite frankly.

not shouted for a couple of days, seems odd.

laughed allot tho, thats nice.

have accepted that this is for ever now, ever and ever.

Pointless getting mad,shall not rise to it.
beer and chocolate. mmm

I do the same back to him. Wait till he asks for something, ignore him for a few minutes and then when he goes off on one - say - 'thats what you do to me by not listening'.
Or tell him if I count to 3 and no response - a toy of my choice goes in the bin.