My lo is an only child and at the tender age of three years old.
But this feeling of failing is becoming an everyday battle. I’ll explain by saying I am in a very happy coparenting relationship with lo dad. So good in fact that dad will often stay the night with lo at or home. But at the moment lo is going through a testing age, she is constantly anger and having the biggest meltdowns over anything and everything. Today she cried and screamed she hated me and didn’t want to be my friend anymore, because I said she had to share her toys with her cousin (who is 3 months older) she throws her toys and screams and stomps on the spot if she doesn’t get her own way. It ended up with her being very upset and me regretfully telling her that her behaviour was making me very sad and she needed to behave like a good girl. Which I now literally feel heartbroken that I said that.
This behaviour seems to have come out of nowhere, so I began questioning everything, was she getting the right amount of nutrients in her food, enough time to socialise with children (she goes to preschool every afternoon during the week) which then made me think does she feel anxious at preschool although her keyworkers say she is fine, does she now feel unloved.
Because of the new behaviour, I’ve had to start the naughty step. (We never had this before because honestly, we never really needed it) so now am I discipling her the wrong way or too sudden.
I’ve spoken to lo dad about this and he said three years can be little monsters at times and I’m being too hard on myself. But I just don’t think he gets it. Any opinions would be grateful.