How can I reduce the amount of whingeing my 2.5 yr old is doing?

[scruffymomma]

I've got a very lovely little DS, 2.5 yrs.

He's loving and a great communicator but he's an absolute terror for whingeing.

Unless I do EXACTLY what he wants he moans all the time on a loop; mummy please, please mummy please (repeat x 100) sometimes he'll be very clear about what he wants, sometimes I think he doesn't even know why he's moaning, it's like a habit.

I listen to him, give him options and play with him but I don't want to create a little boy who has total control over his parents.

He's quite clingy and will only play with other children if I join in too. In general though, he's pretty well behaved and the naughty chair works very well.

any thoughts?

Ignore ignore ignore.

If he's asking for something in a whiny voice, remind him to ask properly. DS can be like this, especially when tired, so pre-empting hunger/tiredness/boredom can also help reduce the frequency of the whinging and [hopefully] get him out of the habit a bit

I just tell my DS I can't hear him if he whinges.

More helpfully, you could try reading 'How to Listen so Kids talk and talk so that Kids listen' which gives some really useful tips on how to communicate better with children. I've found acknowledging and distraction work really well here ie "yes it would be lovely to have CocoPops for lunch but today we're having pasta. Would you like to choose which bowl and fork you would like to use?"

Things like that

I pretend I can't hear it. With my older kids (5 & 3.5 now) we say - "whingeing's for losers" (cool childless godparent introduced word losers, (shudder)) and it stops. I found I had to be quite brisk and matter of fact for a bit around the 2.5 - 3 mark, very testing time. HTTSKWL etc is v good.

read it on here but it really works, saying "I don't understand you when you winge" and then refusing to respond until theu speak in a normal voice

SPB, thanks for saying what I was trying to! :)

Thanks for the tips, I wasn't sure that he'd know what whingeing was if I say "stop whingeing" but he understands everything else so I'll try to be more direct and patient at the same time.....