Any parents of 3yr olds find this familiar?

[bettyshine]

Dd is eating rice with her hands
"Dd please use a spoon to eat your rice"
Dd continues to eat rice with her hands
"Dd I'm asking you nicely to use a spoon"
Dd continues to use her hands so I use my cross voice and then she cries and cries.

You could replace "eating rice with her hands" with splashing water purposely out of the bath, banging cutlery on her plate and using a whingey baby voice. Amongst other things.

This is all normal right?

Sooo normal. Had the same conversation/result with my 3 year old DS today. But with ketchup

He's also discovered answering back past few days. Going to nip that in the bud.

We've been on holiday for a week and I'm not going to lie when I say I'm looking forward to Nursery tomorrow. I love him but the whinging/crying/arguing is getting to me.

Oh yes Dd has been giving me some sass too!

Glad it's normal, it is definitely a new thing for her and I feel like we've been having "cross" moments a lot this weekend

Yes, takes her an hour to put on knickers and clothes sometimes, give me strength!

@nowifi It's good you are teaching independence and encouraging DD to dress herself. Perhaps no TV or other distractions while she does so and reminders of something nice you will do together when she is dressed? Can be very irritating though.

Also, to all parents of 3 yr olds - pick your battles and decide to let somethings go to limit the stress to yourself.

@Someoneonlyyouknow that's a mantra I repeat daily 'pick your battles'.

Oh I definitely pick my battles!

Yes getting dressed is a real chore here too, especially as my 3yr old is a real homebody and never seems to want to go out!

She's started to want to pick her own clothes too which we have a lot of negotiating about..😏

Just keep at it. It does filter in and you are left with a four year old who knows what’s expected of them. I see the issues with my 4 and 6 year old are ALL the ones I lost the will to repeat over and over when they were 3. And the things they do wonderfully are the ones I put effort, sweat and tears into getting them to do.

Ah that's interesting @Happyspud!

She has a 23m old little brother and he copies EVERYTHING she does which has magnified it too I think.

@bettyshine If your DD doesn't want to go out I have no suggestions to persuade her to get dressed! Unless it's nearly time for Peppa Pig and she can't watch it until she has clothes on? If negotiating what to wear is becoming a marathon could you get away with offering a couple of choices and she picks between them? Have you had the pink and red combo yet? Or the Superhero cape with everything?

betty I let my DD go to the park in a witches costume the other day as it was easier than arguing, I feel your pain

Yeah, some things are not worth the argument. For example, witches costume in park is fine. But if it’s snowing you must wear coat and shoes. So the rule is cost and shoes, the outfit is free choice. Eventually they stop fighting you on the coat and shoes and years later you realise they have been putting coat and shoes on as standard practice since they were 4.

Yes I don't really care what she wears as long as it's weather appropriate!
Yesterday it was raining and she wanted to wear sandals and was moaning that she "wears those trainers EVERY DAY mummy", yes most people wear the same shoes every day! Such a diva

Oh so glad it’s normal for everyone else! This has been driving me INSANE. I’ve gone line of least resistance where possible. Won’t wear a jumper? Dig out. When you realise it’s freezing and I have brought one with me I will taste VICTORY!

Yes!
Sometimes by the end of the day I just sit silently as I am so bloody sick of the sound of my own voice.
Is this practice for the teenage years?!

Oh god I was just going to post about this...the constant negotiating, having to say everything 3 times the last being a shout which leads to crying, taking 75 times of asking (&45 mins)to put pants on. I've never felt like such a shit parent as I have done past couple of months, feel like I'm not enjoying it a lot of the time & contemplating upping my hours in work.
My DC is 4 but we didn't have this at 3 so I'm guessing getting it now. Does it end?!?
I often wonder whether I'm doing the right thing by sticking to my guns on things or making a bigger deal of the matter

At least you are sticking to your guns! I have no idea if it ends but yes work is definitely a welcome relief, to sit down all day is a treat in itself

@nowifi but am I just making him more stubborn & things more difficult for me. I'm trying to teach him you don't get what you want by tantruming or going on & on, but I might be teaching him to be more strong willed!

If you only have to say it 3 times you are doing something right. My DS doesn't listen until I've said it 6 times, prefaced with his name, and finally barked it at him. It's like he is determined to push everything beyond the level of normal, pleasant interaction.

And what is it about pant? Just PUT ON YOUR PAAAAAANTS!!!

Oh yeah. DS decided to channel Teresa bloody May the other day and ride his balance bike straight across a field of wheat. He kept putting the front wheel off the path, and then grinning at me . When I went back to him (with the dog on a lead to make things even more fun) and took hold of his handlebars to reidrect him, he flung himself over sideways and wailed at me 🙈 The bloody farmer was only in the next field, thank goodness he wasn't looking!

Although weirdly I'm really glad this is normal because ds has a speech delay and is being assessed to see if ASD might be the cause, so it's always nice to hear that what he's doing is down to him being 3 rather than anything else!

My DS ia nearing 4 and has just started to get a bit of an attitude on him. He smashed a glass ornament in home bargains earlier (mortifying) and I told him off and made him say sorry. When we came out of the shop he asked to go back to the park but I said no, he asked why so I said you were naughty in the shop so we're going home. His response was "but I said sorry". I then had a whole 40 minutes car journey of him crying and shouting "I want to go to the park" at me! Honestly he's gotten seriously stubborn recently. 🤦😒