[tigger44]

Welcome to the 3's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have used a lot of sticker charts for target behaviors and certain "chores". That helped a lot. As for the whining and emotional turmoil, hang in there...

[april*rain]

Karen, we did not experience the terrible twos and I remember thinking that I must be a great mom since my son had no issues. Then came 3.. then 3 1 / 2 .. and boy did our world change!

I think threes are tough because kids can talk a bit and express themselves more.

My son is now 4 1/2 and still has the occasional tantrum, but nothing like before.

Keep the faith.. it will get better! Just be consistent and patient.

[ncdoppler]

Thank God!

We aren't the only ones going through this. Maddox has turned into I don't know what, and frankly I was starting to worry until I read this. I tend to probably be a little paranoid, everyone is always telling me he is just a boy.
Lately, he doesn't listen, loses interest if not being interacted with one on one, and for the last 3-4 weeks, leaving him at preschool is like we are throwing him to the wolves! Oh, and don't forget the defient behaviors.
I feel in some ways like we are starting over. He has been home almost 3 years now.
We just did a 4 week course in itty bitty soccer through the YMCA and swimming lessons. The soccer was a disaster, he is the kids at the complete end of the field playing in dirt and picking up sticks.
Swimming was some what better, but still when it wasn't his turn to jump in, he was doing everything he wasn't supposed to be doing. Can anyone relate?

I just felt so embarassed.

I'm hoping this is another phase and he grows out of it, maybe he just wasn't ready for all the activity. He will be 4 in October.

Thanks for listening, it's been awhile since I was here!

Nichole

[Kasey]

We did the soccer too, it is alot to ask of kids that age and completely normal if they are not into it so I wouldn't worry about that. Kids at this age are not supposed to have long attention spans, but so many times we forget that and then they get labelled as the problem child. It drives my mom nuts, she was a nursery/preschool teacher for years when we were younger and it baffles her at what adults expect from toddlers and preschoolers now a days.
Swimming at the Y, gotta love it. Spend years teaching it, knowing it truly isn't the best way for kids to learn and then found myself signing my child up for a group lesson. When the lifeguard had to plant his chair in front of our group because Alek kept jumping in, I quickly changed it to private lessons, so much better.
If your child is more on the active end like mine, it is a much better situation. one on one for a half hour, it is perfect.
We had a several month period of alek hating to go to school-does your son go everyday? This had co-incided with his starting to phase out naps, he is still at the point where he needs a nap somedays but for most part is ok. So when his sleep was off, the worse he was.
Alek didn't respond well to time outs so we made his book of expected behaviors, it has a chart for each behavior (4 of them) for each month, it goes back and forth from home to school, each day he does well with those behaviors he gets a sticker. It helps to re-direct him so much, it really amazed us at the difference.

The other thing I have come to learn with him, is if he is going through a growth spurt, his behavior and sleep are less, but it is usually short lived.
Best wishes and hang in there, figure out what works best for him, many times it is just trial and error!

[MustangLippy]

For us at 3.5 it is whining and crying over every little thing. Frankly I preferred my son's tantrums.

Hang in there! We too hope this is a phase that passes quickly.

Angela

[kizibits]

I've missed out on the tantrums so far (and she's just turned 3), but the whining.... sheesh! Just like Angela's situation, it happens at every little thing! In our case I think she has picked it up from her classmates at the daycare. She's only been going there for a few weeks while my mother heals from a surgery, but that's when it started. Grrrrr!!!!!

[cathvash]

Wow! I really needed to read this thread today! It helps to see that these behaviors are not uncommon. MY 2 1/2 year old is wearing me down recently! He is CONSTANTLY whining and crying, and sitting down in public and refusing to walk, states fearfulness of silly things...It seems like the whine is his normal tone of voice!

The WORST behavior is the "push-me-pull-you" game. Anyone else ever see this one? It goes like:

"Mama, I want bear" (Or potty, or food, or whatever)
Walk to bear and hand to child. He refuses it with both tears and a smile. "NO bear Mama. NO bear!!!"
Take bear away, resulting in louder crying, and
"BEAR Mama! I WANT BEAR!!" Push bear toward child, resulting in hysteric "NNNNOOOO BBEEEAARRR!!!" There is no way to win this one. It just escalates...

Control issues, right? Great...