Hi, I’m hoping someone has some advice for me because I feel like I just can’t cope any longer.
My son is my 3rd child and has been difficult since hitting 18 months. All the usual terrible twos/threenager behaviour but I feel like he is ten times worse than either of the older two were.
He is a flight risk, I can’t take him anywhere at all without him running off, so I use reins but he doesn’t like using the reins so pleads with me to not hold them and when I don’t give in he screams, drags his feet, hits me, kicks me, I end up in tears with this most days it’s so frustrating and embarrassing. If I didn’t have reins he would be constantly running off, he’s even run into the road before he’s absolutely no sense of danger.
I can’t leave him alone for long, so when I’m in the shower getting ready for work I’m constantly worried he’s climbing in windows or on the oven because these are daily things he does. I have to constantly be in the same room as him which makes it hard to get anything done before/after work/weekends. Friends tell me to ignore him when he’s naughty but I can’t ignore him while he’s running off in other rooms being naughty because it’s dangerous. He’s fallen off the kitchen side tonight and hurt his arm because I couldn’t get to him fast enough while I was trying to tidy the living room.
He doesn’t listen to me saying no, he does as he pleases, throws tantrums when he doesn’t get his own way that last forever, doesn’t eat any meals I make him, I have to lay with him while he’s falling asleep I can’t just do story time then leave him to go to sleep, the naughty step doesn’t work he just gets off the step every single time, every day is a struggle and I just feel like I can’t cope with his behaviour, something has to change.
He can be so lovely sometimes and I love him so so much but I just can’t cope with the constant worry of what he will do next. It feels like all I do is count down to the 2 nights free I get when he’s with his dad and that’s awful of me.
We’re going on holiday next year for a week and I’m just dreading it, please help me :(