Have discovered the magical effect of counting to three!! lol

[airy]

DD 5 1/2 has been a complete nightmare recently, acting up constantly, kicking out at me in temper etc etc.
Having tried all manner of things to get on top of the behaviour and nothing working I have today discovered the magical effect of counting at her! lmao
I don't understand why this works though, anyone got any insightful ideas?
Today she refused to go to bed, got very surly and cheeky with me, all I said to her was I'm going to count and you better be in bed before I get to three, All I said was one and she flew!
I have no idea what I would have done if I'd gotton to three and so I presume neither does she, so why did it work???
(not complaining of course, just slightly bemused lol)

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This used to work on mine when small - like you I've no idea why, must be something scary in their little heads

As they got older I used to get to 2¼, 2½, 2¾ sometimes but they would always do whatever it was before 3. It is truly magic.

i always use the 1 2 3 method and works fab for me.....rarely ever get to 3!!!!

only time it backfired was when they were toddlers (ie terrible two's), when they were learning to count. they counted for me....grrrr

even friends now count.....i learnt it while nannying twin boys for 5 years!!!

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I count and also find setting the microwave timer works - the minute I touch it he flies off to do whatever I asked.

I think all children like a challenge.

pruni....yes, no doubt we are all scarring our kiddies for life and giving them a phobia of the number 3...!!!

Lmao @ phobia of number 3

you just wait.....all my kiddies will grow up and refuse to live anywhere with the number 3 in the number cos I scared them so much while tiny that mummy will get really mad if she gets to 3!!!!

God help all the mums who are using 123 on littlies not yet three then psycho, what will happen on their birthdays, will they just refuse to be three??

they'll cry and cry and cry and refuse to have a birthday. In fact my DD3 did just that......altho in her case she just hated being the centre of attention, not that she was scared of being 3. (well, I think that was the reason....maybe she really does have a phobia!!!)

Lmao, there you go then, theory proved we are all giving our kids a phobia!

this sounds great. but surely you have to have something up your sleeve for 'post-3'? surely at some point they make you say it just to see what would happen...?

i always count DOWN fromeither 3,5 or 10

That way the child always knows where 1 arrives (& they are in trouble) - but they might be expecting you to go up to 5 or even 10 if you meant only3

Well it woks for me

ah no, I do tell them what will happen at 3.

first is sitting on the stairs for 4/6/7/10 or 12 mins (dependning on age), if that doesn't work then it is upstairs behind the gate (and woe betide them should they open said gate and come downstairs...), and that is double their ages in mins, and then it goes to time out in rooms.

Each have pushed me to the limit on occasion, but each have also learnt that I do in fact carry out my threat, so now 1,2,3 works just perfectly!

except now they have phobias too

Thats the thing, I didn't threaten anything, and really wouldn't have known what to do if I had in fact gotton to three.
I shall have to think something up and keep it in mind incase she ever pushes me to the dreaded three

Counting to five still works on my soon-to-be seven-year-old!

I do the counting to 3. Originally used it as a pre-threatening type thing before time out/naughty step. Don't threaten anything now. The counting just seems to be enough. I can't remember last time it didn't work! Love the idea of the phobia of "3" - wonder what it is called?

lol airy.....you really must have a threat in mind tho, so make sure if you have a next time.

Just shows tho that your LO must already have an inbuilt phobia of 3 tho to react like that!

my 4.5 responded very well this last year to the 123 method but not anymore.

'In a minute mummy, let me just finish this'

Half an hour later and Ive counted 123 so many times ive almost made it to one hundred.

Enjoy it while it lasts!

in fact, I don't even have to count out loud anymore.....holding up one finger, then two works just as well

my eldest is 12 and still reacts to me counting.

maybe I am scary then, never thought of that

I don't use it much but dp does, we always have something we'll actually carry out at 3. take the toy away, or put them in the naughty corner, whatever.

watching people who use it without carrying out anything at 3 it doesn't seem to work for long. and also that 2 and a half, 2 and 3 quarter stuff, it just means the child has longer to dally around waiting til the last minute before giving in and doing what they're supposed to.

But actually, to save time, I just give them one moment to change their behaviour and then carry out the threat. why prolong the agony?

i count to five. i have no idea what i will do if i ever reach 5 tho.

i pmsl the other day, dd3(only 17months) ddecided to sit out of my way whislt i was getting her out of the bath, so i said 'dd3, you come here byu the time i count to 5..1....2....3' and she came toddling back over grinning.

dd1 always sets off like a shot when I get just to the point of starting to say '3'

she gives just enough action to qualify... then she stops dead still again.

whad'ya do then then, eh, eh? start counting again? over and over and over?

I count to 3 and it's time out if no compliance by that stage. It is working thus far (2.3 year old and 4.0 yr old)