How to stop the whingeing......?

[Mo2]

DS2 has just turned 3 and compared to DS1 (now 5 ) at the same age is just a constant whinger...

It's a whiney, irritating whingeing/ shrieking ( "nooooooooooo!") which is triggered by anything, however trivial, which doesn't suit him. Sometimes it escalates to a full tantrum, sometimes we manage to diffuse it.

There's no doubt DS1 'winds him up' - moves his trains on the railway line when he isn't looking, teases him etc. But to be fair, I think DS2 'protests too much'.

It drives me up the wall, and when I'm stressed or tired really makes me angry and short-tempered. We're about to go on holiday in a few weeks time and I know the stress of the heat and travel will make it even worse.

Anyone got any strategies to 'stop the wingeing' ????

Ignore him.

Tried that a lot - doesn't really work - he gets so worked up he ends up giving himself with a mini-asthma attack!

Ah, the holy grail.

Will watch this with interest...

Caligula - oops - that wasn't a veiled 'check the archives' comment was it?

Will be keeping an eye on this one!!!!~

My dd (2.5yrs) can not speak, everything is a whine! Mommeee want Barrrneeeyyy... I have started to tell her that if she does not speak properley I cant understand her! So when she whines, I tell her to speak properly and 1 / 10 times she changes her tune... early days yet... Hope that bit helps you

Apart from ignoring, the other thing I try is to encourage my 2.8 year old DD to ask/say things 'nicely'. So, if she is whinging about having a biscuit, wanting a toy, getting down from the table etc etc. I say 'I am not answering until you ask nicely.' Then I give an example of what it is 'Can I have the train back please' and then DD will say it too. It doesn't work all the time, but works some of the time. I am hoping that over a period of time she will realise that asking gets better results than whinging!!

We've tried ignoring and i agree it doesn't always work ,but we've moved on to "i can't hear you" now dd talks properly because she can't bear not to be heard!

No not at all, just that I think I've tried every technique ever suggested and ds still whinges!

What seems to be working with DS1 (2 years old now) is to stay as calm as possible. The more he can sense that I am annoyed by his wingeing, the more he is grumbling and shouting (which is making me even more angry and then I usually end up shouting at him ... ).
So I keep on repeating that he should use his "nice" voice and asking him what he wants (Do you wamt me to give a toast ?).
Seems to work BUT is incredibly hard work !