My 3 year old is sooooooo flaming mardy!!

[PuppyMonkey]

Yes, I know, I know - they all are but my oldest (now 13) was never so whingey and mardy when she was little. DD2, however, cries and moans and whinges about everything.

She wakes up and the first thing she'll do is cry.
The last thing she does before she goes to bed is cry.

In between, she'll cry about:

putting her clothes on
taking her clothes off
Having the telly on
Having a DVD on
Having another DVD on
Going out
Staying in
Eating breakfast
Eating lunch
Eating tea
Eating anything
Drinking water/juice
Putting her pyjamas on
Having a story
Having a song

It all involves her bursting into tears and wailing for 10-15 minutes.

Me and DP have tried distraction, naughty chairs, stickers and stuff, as well as cuddles - and just doing whatever the hell she says for a quiet life - but nothing seems to work. And it's all such an effort, such hard work. By the time she goes to bed, we're all shattered and mentally drained.

Don't get me wrong, she can be lovely, funny, clever, amusing etc and we love her to bits..

But mostly she just cries.

Sigh. Hit me, what am I doing wrong, I can take it!!??

Did you keep the receipt? :o

Forgot to add...

She goes to nursery three days a week, I work p/t. DP is self employed.

She behaves like an angel at nursery, never any probs with her there.

The crying starts the minute I pick her up.

I didn't Halloweese, but we have thought of asking for an exchange or a voucher!!??

Have a hug while no ones looking. My eldest went through a phase of howling at everything. Dh and I used to look at each other and cringe.

It didn't last too long, I promise.

Next time she cries at something trivial, make a huge fuss of her and ask what's wrong? Have her legs fallen off? Is there a runaway lion in the house? She might even laugh?

Btw that was dh's parenting technique, ypu can blame him if it doesn't work.

my 2.9 year old goesmental cries if

he goes downstairs in the morning and the curtains are shut
if you try to open them
if I only put one of the living room lights on instead of 2
if I remove his plate from the table even though he is finished with it
when I switch the TV on
When I change channels
when I open the fridge
when I open the freezer
when I put something in the bin....

I could go on but I would be here all day.

I am exhausted with it all and I wouldn't give in as much as I do if I didn't have neighbours. I live in constant fear that they will phone SS on me.

My de is the same. Some mornings she wakes up is a bad mood and screams on and off all day. Other days she's more reasonable. I have no idea why, I think its her age and her personality. The way I deal with it is to ignore her screaming and pretend I can't here. I leave the room if this is proving difficult. I refuse to get into a conversation with her until she has calmed down and talks to me nicely, and then i'll help her with whatevers upsetting her.

Aww, thanks for replying all.

Mrs O, I share all your pain. I am not allowed to turn a certian light on either - or off.

Will try the legs falling off one, that might work. We do try to ignore, it's just when everything you say and everything you do provokes an outburst, you do at some point have to stop ignoring her and you know get on with life.

Bump for the weekend crowd, she said trying not to sound desperate.

Today we have had crying over a pillow.

The best one is 'noooo, i want to go left no rigggght. i like leeeffft!'

Irrational in the extreme.