what has happened to my usually sunny and compliant DD ?????

[blushingm]

She is 2y 8m and has always been very strong willed but over the last 3 or 4 weeks she has become more like a wailing banshee escapologist tantrum throwing devil??

She runs off unless she's in a buggy or on a wrist strap, she won't come back when told and just carries on running laugh 'get me get me get me get me'

today when collecting DS from school i told her she couldn't play in the water trays out in the yard etc etc so she went over smiling and looking me in the eye and proceeded to splash the water about and all over her. I went to get heer and she just ran off. Whe i finally got hold of her she was like a wriggling kitten and was screaming 'mum stuck mummy stuck' while trying to roll around on the floor

where have i gone wrong.....what can i do????? I see other children her age standing nicely with their mums

You haven't gone wrong, and really most of the other mums will experience similar (you sadly may not get to witness them all though I'm sorry!).

Be firm and consistent, keep the rules the same and if you say 'no' follow it through and mean it. She is testing boundaries, and will continue to do this off and on, so you really need to work out what your boundaries are, ensure she knows it and that she knows they don't move even when she is behaving like a madam!

Stay firm and you will survive this. Really.

Good luck.

My dd has just turned 3 and sounds just like yours ,she was a little angel and then became very defiant .

I think they are just testing how far they can push you and finding out their limits .

Lots of Lo's go through this try not to worry and when she is listening and been good give lots of positive praise .

thanks for the reassurance zoe and CWWM. DS has had behaviour problems but was like it from very little - i suppose with dd it's almost trying to proove that ds problems weren't my fault now she has started being difficult i'm begining to think that it's all my fault