Sorry it’s quite long but don’t know what to do.
My little boy will be 4 in September and he’s always been a handful. Never content as a baby, didn’t sleep, awful colic etc, it’s been a struggle ever since really
We’ve recently had another little boy and it’s magnified the behaviour which we did expect but we’re 3 months in now and it’s not getting better.
Some examples are:
Me and him were playing in the garden together when he just grabbed a cushion and threw it over the neighbours fence - I took him round to apologise and ask for it back. He did, which I praised but then we got home and he threw it in the fish pond and laughed
He used to be really good at going to bed but now it’s a real fight - we do story and cuddle and then he’s up and messing round for at least an hour every night
Smacking and punching me and shouting ‘I’m going to hurt you’ when he doesn’t get his own way. I tell him I won’t let him hurt me and remove him from the situation or offer a cuddle which can diffuse the situation
Everything is a fight or an argument from something as little as putting shoes one
I try to offer choices where possible so he has a sense of control. We make sure to spend one of one time with him, playing Lego or reading etc. we try to keep as calm as possible and give a warning for consequences to actions which we always follow through with (toys taken away, days out cancelled, going inside from the garden etc). In laws told DH that we need to discipline him but they just mean smacking him
I know it’s an attention thing, but even when he had our ful attention it wasn’t much better. I try and give him as much attention as I can but it’s never enough. It’s just so tough and every day feels like a battle at the minute, any advice on how to handle it would be welcome - thank you!