According to Practical Parenting, DS1 is 'spoilt' :-(

[Ceebee74]

There is an article on spoilt toddlers with 5 signs your toddler is spoilt - DS1 matches 3 out of the 5 Although, I thought the signs were just normal toddler behaviour

What are the signs?

what are the signs? haven't read PP for ages! (actually the last time was when my dad gave me a copy when I was in hospital for induction!)

1. Continually demanding your time and attention and kicking up a fuss if he doesn't get it
2. Constantly asking for this toy, those sweets, or to watch that programme
3. Unable to play by himself or occupy himself and always demanding your/other people's time 4)Refuses to accept no for an answer which leads to crying or a tantrum when you don't let him have something
4. shows lack of respect to people, other children's toys or his environment

DS1 is perfectly described by the first 3 and has been known to have tantrums (no 4) but does calm down and accept no fairly easily.

God my 5 year old does 4) all the bloody time! He's not spoilt he's just evil little.

He does 1 and 2 but only occasionally. I think it's the 'continually' and 'constantly' you need to worry about.

Every toddler matches at least 3 of the 5 points surely! My ds is 2.9 and matches all of them except the last one.

How old is your ds?

Sounds like normal toddler behaviour to me.

I think ds is a wee bit spoilt. He's an only, and we are fortunate enough to be able to afford to treat him a lot occasionally.

meandjoe that is exactly what I thought - that it is just normal toddler behaviour!!! DS1 is nearly 4 so not really a toddler anymore I guess

He has always struggled to play by himself...just wish DS2 would grow up quicker and be able to play with DS1

My 2.3 yr old does none of those. Sorry. maybe the fact he's the last of three contributes. maybe it's it's his cheerful disposition.

Oh. ok, maybe half a point for kind of refusing to accept no for an answer.

I don't know I'd use the word "spoilt" but if he did I'd be thinking he was a high-maintenance child, whatever the causes of that were.

Hmm, I would say if your child predominantly behaves like that then yes, something needs to be done about it. Agree with Sacharissa that it's the words continually and constantly that are the key words.

However IME all preschoolers act like that from time to time - I have days when DD3, aged 3.9, will do numbers 1-5 within the space of an hour! Usually a good ignoring does the trick

haha, yes I do keep wondering if ds is more demanding because he is an only child and needs my input all the time! Can't say as I am tempted to have another to find out though .

I'm still like 1-5 that sometimes.

That made no sense. Note to self: when adding in words to sentence take out other words so it scans properly.

I agree that they're pretty much all like some of these some of the time. My DD (2.8) is usually a little angel but if she's tired she can be trying. She's also trying tears if she doesn't get her own way. This has started this week. It doesn't work... I give it a week until she gives it up again.

Funnily enough DS2 (18m) does not show any of these signs - apart from no.4 - so maybe it is an eldest/only child thing??

Would agree that it sounds very normal. My DD can certainly manage all of them on a "good" day!

My ds was really good at entertaining himself at 18 months though (sorry to burst your bubble lol!) He also wasn't into tv or sweets back then either, fast forward a year and he can not occupy himself, talks and asks for my attention constantly.... the more language he has developed, the more needy of conversation and constant attention he has become. Hoping he'll grow out of it a bit when he starts Nursery school in Sept .