where'd my patience go?

[becstarlitsea]

It's vanished over the past week or so. Disappeared.

Which is a shame because I really, really need it.

I don't know if it's that my DS (age 3.5) has become more frustrating or that my personality has veered more towards being an intolerant crazy lady on the verge of screaming hysterics. Or both.

I need to either find my patience, or parent him in a way which isn't quite so demanding of my nerves, or check myself into Whispering Pines where I will sit, rocking and muttering 'Mind your fingers, darling, mind your fingers' as I gaze blankly into the middle distance.

[whimpers]
[looks at clock and thinks 'hurrah, nearly bathtime, god I hope DH walks through the door soon']

You're not alone! Trust me My DS, who is just 3 has taken ta asking "mummy, you alrght?" every 2 minutes. Literally. The reply has gone from "yes, sweetie" to "DON'T SAY IT!" the second he opens his mouth. Now he sticks his head round the door/corner/laptop screen and says "you happy?".

I swear I will do him harm if he asks again lol

I was going to start a thread entitled 'does anyone else find their 3 year old just so damn irritating . It' really bugging me that I feel like this and I must be causing a need for long term therapy by my inability to pretend I'm not irritated. I even hiss sometimes

Ahhhh. Glad I'm not alone! You are both clearly in exactly the same state as me. Mine goes to nursery in January. I cannot wait - I'm sure I will be a nicer mummy if I just had half a minute to myself to complete a thought without the constant chattering and arguing. Just to make one statement of obvious fact without being met by either 'why?' or 'no, but...'. This isn't so much a family as a flippin' debating society in permanent session... And the arguments I get sucked into - why do I even rise to it? eg:

Me: Hold my hand by the busy road DS
DS: No because I'm fighting dinosaurs
Me: Don't worry about the dinosaurs right now, give me your hand
DS: No because the dinosaur has swallowed my hand. So there.
Me: There. I've killed the dinosaur and he's vomited up your hand, and I've stuck it back on, and you're now holding my hand. So there.
DS: Well now you've got stinky vomit on your hand. So there.
Me: [a silent scream of rage made worse by the fact that it is funny to onlookers] You need to always hold my hand by the busy road DS
DS: Well, I'm not your friend any more.
Me: Great.