My daughter 2.5 says no to everything I ask her to do .... help?

[mummytowillow]

My adorable, funny little girl has decided that everytime her mummy asks her to do something she will say no and run away?

Its usually when I try to get her dressed in the morning and when I change her nappy, I'm a lone parent and can honestly say its driving me to distraction I can feel myself getting so angry and I'm ashamed to admit tapped her on the bottom tonight when she wouldn't let me put her PJ's on? I am totally opposed to smacking as I was smacked as a child and can still remember it now, I feel so terrible, it wasn't a smack but she was shocked and said don't do that mummy

I really don't know how to handle her when she says no and runs away, I've tried to explain to her that mummy has to go to work so she needs to get dressed etc but it made no difference?

So any tips for me as I'm feeling very guilty that I'm a bad mummy.

I would say don't give her choices.

Firmly "It is time to get dressed"

Try to make it into a game."Can you get dressed before xyz" Silly voices,mking up a story,anything to try distracting.

2 year olds can be very trying!

Rasputin - Your drivel has just made me giggle! Very funny, I will try it tomorrow as she loves things like that, wish me luck ......!!

Agree with the good advice here. I think you were approaching it all too 'straight down the line' as you would an adult. A child will not care that she must dress so you can get out the door - that doesn't make them naughty it just makes them not an adult!!! The moment you stop expecting logical behaviour from a 2 year old, the happier you will be

She needs, as others have said, jollying along and distracting. For example ds used to find it hysterically funny if I told him NOT to put his shoes on...he'd go to do it, watching me, and he would just giggle so much if I was really theatrical and said "nnnooooo, don't do it!" etc etc. Toddlers love to do stuff you tell them not to!

I found that using this approach got us over this phase, and eventually it gets better and they get more sensible and more 'biddable'.

'The moment you stop expecting logical behaviour from a 2 year old, the happier you will be'

Some of the best advice I've ever heard

My daughter is the same age and behaves exactly the same. It is the terrible 2's at work!

I also find it hard to keep calm. The above advice is fantastic and keeping calm, upbeat and distracting her does work. I also find that getting her involved in choosing the clothes - even the night before - helps.

Also minimising the damage! Making sure the bedroom door is shut so she can't escape, the clothes are ready to go and we are not in a hurry - getting up a bit earlier helps so we're not in such a rush.

Stickers really help - especially with a 4 yr old as well! Stickers for getting clothes on, putting toys away, coming to the table for meals.

I have found that recently she has become very keen on "helping". Much as it is sometimes a pain as she's so slow it does help to keep her focused and not being so negative. Giving her some clothes to fold up, a few plastic bowls to put away, a dustpan and brush or a duster to help clean, stamps to stick on letters etc. Some days I don't have the energy to get her involved but I do find that when I do she is less "devil child" and much more pleasant to be around.