How do you stay patient?

[LMN2286]

My DD is nearly 3 and is an absolute sweetheart. We are very lucky as to how caring and loving she is. However, there are times (as I'm sure every child does) where she irritates me beyond belief with ignoring me or asking the same question over again, or asking why constantly, or just doing the complete opposite of what I have said.

I completely get that this is normal toddler behaviour but I find it really hard to keep my cool and end up snapping or shouting at her which I then regret and feel sorry for her. when i hear that whingy voice though it grates on me like nails down a chalkboard!! I then feel really guilty because she's only 3 and I feel I should be more patient.... how do you guys keep calm and centred when your kids are driving you up the wall?

As a side comment, this is also worrying me about potentially having another because if I get cross at one god knows what I would be like with two so I definitely want to be better.

I already do relaxation/yoga once a week as 'me time'.

What makes you think we're all calm and centred??!!

My children irritate me to hell and back and I shout as awful lot. Then we al hug and kiss and have fun. They know we love them and they know that being irritating is annoying! (Not that it stops them!)

My youngest is 4. She still dies the same as your 3 year old. I tell her to stop being annoying all the time. She is not damaged by this, she's the most confident of all my children. And most irritating!

I snap at my 2 year old quite frequently and I consider myself to be a very calm and patient person! Most toddlers can drive you to the point of frustration so don't feek guilty!

*feel

My 4 yo is exactly the same. I find that it helps to say to her that I'll listen/speak to her in a minute after I've been to the loo or something which buys me a couple of minutes to calm down and react more sensitively. I have shouted at lot today though. It's the selective hearing that is driving me mad!

I try to remind myself it's like arguing with a tiny miniature version of myself and laugh about it later after muttering 1000 ffs under my breath a thousand times a day.

No seriously we both need time to calm, walk into another room and calmly explain that until they've calmed down I'll talk to them about whatever's going on.

No words of wisdom from me as I am in the same boat. Don't want you to think that everyone else is so calm and patient.
My three year old drives me up the bend. He can be the most adorable child and the next minute he is annoying, will cry/scream for no reason, will not listen and go out of his way to be difficult (often in front of others). I am also guilt ridden and every night I promise myself that the next day I won't shout as much or lose my cool, but the same thing happens again.

You are not alone.

I think it just makes you human. And to be honest can you imagine the type of annoying adult who was raised allowed to be annoying as hell without being told to find a filter for their shitetalk?? I don’t think I know of a single mother who can endure a child’s constant stream of meaningless shite without snapping occasionally (or often)