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Behaviour/development

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Almost 3 Year Old Son - silent treatment and crying

3 replies

JeffCole83 · 25/11/2021 11:54

I'm really hoping that someone else has encountered this and / or has some advice or just reassurance!
Gorgeous DS is turning three in a few weeks time and up until recently has been a chatty, happy little fellow. He's always been a bit shy around new people but enjoys time with us and at the childminder with his friends. He's been a bit later than others with some development milestones (sitting, walking, properly talking) but seems to wait until he's confident and totally nails it instead of trying too soon.
A couple of weeks ago things started to change. Now he only wants to be with me all the time and will become upset and cries if I try to leave him with grandparents, childminder or even his Mama (DW). He only wants Mummy (me). When he is upset / unsure about something he refuses to speak - this can be because we have asked him not to do something dangerous, have asked him to do something (put on shoes to go out etc) or just because he doesn't want to be somewhere / around people. The silence lasts for hours, even if he has cheered up he will refuse to speak and will communicate by pointing, nodding head etc. This is happening with us at home, grandparents and at the childminder - he doesn't discriminate!
He's also very upset about the idea of using the potty and often demands that I spoon feed him. He keeps saying he's my baby and not a big boy.
He is our only child and I have pretty much no idea what I am doing the majority of the time! Any advice or reassurance would be very welcome thank you.

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
PanicBuyingSprouts · 26/11/2021 19:05

Has something happened recently before the change in behaviour or is a new person around?

Does he go to Nursery or a CM? Have they wanted to discuss his behaviour with you at any point?

JeffCole83 · 26/11/2021 20:28

Nothing much has changed immediately before DS's new behaviour, but there have been quite a few little things in the last few months. A couple of the kids who are already three have left CM's to go to preschool (but we don't plan to do that yet). DW has been very stressed and there have been a few arguments at home - I worry that this has caused the problem but we are now making a huge effort to keep level headed, reiterating how much we love being a family with DS and making home a safe environment

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Mattieandmummy · 28/11/2021 21:09

I can't advise on the lengthy periods of not speaking but in my experience the almost regression type of behaviour back to wanting to be little or a baby is fairly common. Our three year old is going through a phase of pretending to be a baby - wants help eating, constantly sitting on my lap, wanting to be held like a baby and actually sitting on the floor and saying I'm a baby. A few of her little friends are doing very similar things. In the absence of an obvious trigger for his behaviour just wondering if it could be another point where they realise how big the world is and find it a bit frightening?

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