My three year old is horrendous - anyone else?

[Therainfallingdownonme]

I am actually in tears which feels so weak somehow but he’s been awful. Constantly destroying things - things like grabbing the toilet roll and running with it so it’s all over the house, trying to mess about with his sisters toys, throwing things, constant wetting his pants, pouring drinks on the floor.

I can’t wait for nursery to start again. He feels absolutely feral at the moment.

It’s a tough time. What consequences does he have for those things?

No advice just solidarity. I also have a feral toddler boy and also a hormonal pre teen girl…. I might start smoking again.

@Cerealkiller4U honestly it’s a struggle. I probably do need to get a lot tougher but he isn’t normally quite this hideous and it’s taken me aback somewhat. (He has obviously had moments but generally stopped in his tracks by eg counting to three or removing a toy if for example he’s throwing it around or being silly with it) but I feel as if all I have done today is tell him off.

@Mimikyuu not that I wish misery on anyone but I’m glad in a way it isn’t just me.

He has a December birthday so I think that plus Christmas has been too much in terms of presents and so on. But still.

Mines not great atm. It’s the time of year too much excitement and not enough time outside. Yes you can put the right clothing on but they only want to be outside for an hour or so. Unlike warmer times of year when they’ll happily be outside all day.

Although I wouldn't describe her as horrendous I feel like 'no, don't, stop' are the sound track to my life over the last month! DD is 3, 4 in April x

Relentless is probably the best word to describe her! It's exhausting x

I could have written this about my four year old. She used to be pretty good (although had her moments) but last few weeks she just seems to be pushing all boundaries. Knocking things over, making stupid noises, poking me in the face, grabbing at her baby sister constantly, not stopping when asked. Just exhausted and feel like a terrible mum, the only thing that seems to have any impact is shouting but then she gets upset and I feel awful.

Mine is 33 months and has been horrendous today. I keep having to shout which I hate but otherwise she just ignores me!

I don't think the weather is helping everything is muddy and wet so we can't just default to going outside.

Mine was an angel til he was 3. You have all my sympathy. Now he's 14 😬

I remember saying to my DH in bed when DD was 3, ‘I know it sounds horrible but I’m dreading tomorrow, I don’t want to spend the day with her.’ Everything was such a battle. But you just have to breathe and keep going. Mines 9 now and the battles are different!

Sympathies. My 3 year old is being similar. Too much excitement, sugar and screen time + constant bad weather so we can't get out to the playground.

Can you take him swimming to tire him out?

Lack of routine, overwhelmed with new toys, change in diet and probably more time indoors will make even the most passive 3yo feral

Personally I'd wrap up warm and drive somewhere with open space and just let them run off their energy.

Ive been inside far more than normal this week and eaten crap food etc and I'm feeling bloated and sluggish and in need of a bloody good looonnnngggggg walk with my headphones and a podcast. I'm starting to feel ratty with cabin fever and I'm generally a very passive person.

Oh, and I'm 43!!!!!!! So old enough to recognise why I feel like bouncing off the cabin walls 😂

I agree that this time of year does not have a great effect on 3 year olds. Mine is struggling with the lack of his usual routine.

The weather was crap yesterday, so we spent 2.5 hours in softplay which did improve his mood. Then he had a long nap, which also helped.

I find that getting out somewhere definitely helps when DS is getting a bit feral and going into a spiral of spurious defiance/tantrums. It improves both of our moods!

@SapphosRock we actually went swimming yesterday and he was so badly behaved we came very close to having to leave. It’s a water park with slides and some water gun things and he was so possessive over the water gun and throwing a wobbly every time another child wanted a go he was told we’d go unless he behaved himself. He did comply a bit better after that but still very stroppy and rude for want of a better word.

Take him to run around a windy beach or nature reserve or something that requires no sharing whatsoever. And isn’t exciting.

I’m going to a lights trail tonight with my 3 year old. We were supposed to go on Christmas Eve but it was cancelled because of the storm so I rebooked it for today. I fear that it’s only going to add to the overstimulation at this point though - but it’s outside and requires no sharing from him so I’m going to see how it goes.

Well - a windy beach would be a minimum of a two and a half hour drive! He’s done

Boxing Day - forest and walk
27th - soft play (awful, had to leave)
28th - swimming
today - ice skating
tomorrow- pantomime

So he shouldn’t be hugely bored and restless. I don’t know if he may be building to an ear infection, that is often the cause of poor behaviour.

Lack of routine, overwhelmed with new toys, change in diet and probably more time indoors will make even the most passive 3yo feral @itsgettingweird I feel this deeply in my soul atm...

Dd age 3 is currently 7 days into a 13-day no-nursery stretch. (Nursery is closed). We have cabin fever. Genuinely think we will eat each other before long. We also have a newborn (I had dc2 two weeks ago) and it's so, so hard.

Even dd is now saying she actually misses nursery

The thing is, it’s all nice, fun, exciting stuff.

Unfortunately, quite a lot of small people react really poorly to this. They’re good with a mundane routine but start to play up with all these special things that mean they shouldn’t be bored and restless. It’s frustrating but it really does just happen so often

Give yourself and him a bit of a break. Especially if you think he might be coming down with an ear infection. He’s only just 3.

Being outside - even if it’s just splashing on puddles in a muddy field (no need to drive 2+ hours to ensure a cold, windy beach!) might help. If nothing else, the screaming is less noticeable when you’re outside and away from other people.

Congratulations @Mumoftwo1312 !

I have a baby too although she is five months and it’s really hard and overwhelming balancing their needs.

@StragglyTinsel i know and the weather is better today. I am a stalwart of out in al weathers but it really has been too dangerous round here until today, fallen trees and huge branches. We did go out Boxing Day but Wednesday and yesterday - no.

Sometimes getting them out on a bike ride or on a scooter, or even bouncing on a trampoline, effectively burning off their energy helps.

See above re weather

Thank you, congrats to you too!

In any dry spells of weather I've been sending dh and dd out for a scooter ride (new helmet and bell for Christmas) and also, what another mumsnetter described as a Useless Shopping Trip. We are getting through newborn nappies at an alarming rate so they keep going out to buy more.

We have done soft play on nearly all the days it's open but that hasn't been many. Bah, humbug, bank holidays.

The problem is that I've had a c section (no regrets at all, it went well) but it means I've still got limited mobility so I can't take dd to the park or a museum or food market etc and she is starting to Want Mummy because she's so bored of doing things with dh. Poor dh... dd actually said she Loves Mummy More yesterday - even though dh has literally done all the playing and activities with her recently, and all I've done is barked at her not to cough/sneeze over the baby!

In the last 7 days they have baked Gruffalo Crumble for all the neighbours (on two separate afternoons), I recommend that too. I just did the eating, it was excellent

Honestly I have to treat my 3 year old like a dog. She needs to go outside and exercise or her behaviour is atrocious and this time of the year it’s just so much worse with all the changes in routine and food and decorations etc.