DS1 is 3. He has always been strong willed etc, but I've just hit a point where I am struggling to deal with him patiently. He is perfectly capable of dressing himself, putting his shoes on, using the toilet etc, but if he doesn't want to, he won't. At the moment, he'll try to put his shoe on backwards, stick his foot over the tongue, put his shoe in his head etc, all to avoid putting the shoe on. Similar things hapen with getting dressed. If we don't intervene, he'll happily do this for an hour or so. When we prompt him, he'll point out 'it's okay, because I am trying'. Similarly, if we end up dressing him, he'll say 'never mind'.
He's also become lazy with going to the toilet. He's been absolutely fine, but some days we will prompt and prompt and he'll insist he doesn't need to go (even though he obviously does). When the jnevitable happens, he'll just say 'never mind', wander off and get spare clothes. On these occasions, he'll happily put his dry clothes on and point out that the other can be washed.
I am desperately trying not to make any of these things into a power battle, although I am ocassiibally reduced to shouting (which I know doesn't help). The thing is, though, all the positive acceptance (e.g. Saying it didn't matter if had an accident during potty training) seems to be thrown back at us when he is blatantly being lazy/ naughty.
The same is occurring at nursery.
Does anyone have any thoughts on how we should approach this. Should we just ignore the behaviour, give him X amount of time to get ready and then take over, or should we be pushing him more and introducing (appropriate cost quenches)?