3yo doesn't want to do anything

[tumbletumble]

We suggested going for a play in the snow yesterday. He said "no, no, I don't want to, I don't like that". Of course when we got him outside he had a brilliant time!

It's the same with everything at the moment - Playgroup, swimming, reading a book together. He's fine when I actually drop him at Playgroup, or he gets in the pool, or whatever the activity is.

I find all the moaning so depressing! Any words of wisdom?

"This too shall pass"

it seems to be a 3 year old thing, mine is 3.5 and is exactly the same:

Let's go out
no, want to stay in
We'll go sledging
Yes, want to go sledging NOOOoooowww!
So put your coat on because we'll go out to sledge
not want to go out, want to stay in
Do you want to go sledging?
Yes, go sledging now

The gentle strains of mummy and daddy banging their heads on the hall wall were heard throughout Leicestershire......

Yet the ear-to-ear grin didn't leave DS's face from the moment he climbed into his sledge to be pulled by daddy to the sledging field, with panoramic views of the railway line, fast and slow passenger trains and diesel goods trains (if you're not getting why viewing these is a good thing, you're not a 3 year old boy or his family), until he got home again with glowing cheeks and warm cocoa.

Why can't they just trust you sometimes that you might be planning something nice for them? [sigh]

Sits down next to tumbeltumble and opens the dark chocolate digestives...

'tis a 3 year olds job to be suspicious of the world me think.

Yes DS, I'm looking at you.

I think it's normal - they don't like change, even from doing one thing to another.
I find myself saying things like "no more telly now, but you can have a programme after we play in the snow". After about a year it's getting a lot better, as long as there's plenty of warning of what will happen next.

Thanks guys. I know you're right and I just have to wait for the end of this phase and the start of the next one .

Heh heh! Ours is is only 2.4 YO and does this all the time. Nightmare getting out of the house. Usually involves major tantrum for just about everything, but usually fine once we get there and the enjoys whatever activity we do. Think it's just toddlers. They cant usually think past the moment they're in, so they dont want to stop doing whatever they're doing to get ready and go out etc.