OMG. My son is 3.5yrs old. For about the last 2-3 weeks, he's been back chatting. I'm actually surprised it started so early.

"Eat your dinner please"
"No! You eat YOUR dinner"

"Stop kicking the back of the chair" (in the car)
"YOU stop kicking the chair!"

"Mum, I'm SICK OF IT" when told to do something.
"NO! YOU do it!"

ARGH!!

Is there anyway to stop this? I made him dinner. He said he didn't want to eat the zucchini. I said that was fine. Then he proceeded to make his broccoli (which he loves) into a car. Each time I asked him to stop it, to eat his dinner,he just made some excuse. "I want to sit next to you". So I accommodated him.

Then again after I asked.... "No YOU eat YOUR dinner!" as I was eating mine.

I got sick of telling him off after about 10-15 mins (he's eaten a bit of broccoli - he is hungry, just taking his sweet time), and his continual back chat, that I pick him up off his chair and march him to his room, put him on his bed (the whole way telling him why he was going there). DH is sick, and has heard the whole thing. DS comes back out, sits back on the chair, picks up some corn, eats a smidge then starts up again (making it a car and chatting back). DH comes out and tells him off. Still does it. FINALLY he eats another peice of broccoli and his corn, and I'm over it. We go wash his hands, and I let him go play coz I'm getting no where.

This is just tonight's instance. He back chats everything he doesn't want to do. I'm aware that he's back chatting coz he doesn't want to do it, and he's pushing the boundaries, but is there anyway to just nip it in the bud? lol My sister just said, "wait til he's 4, then you'll know about it!". Well, I don't want to find out what that's like. I want my sweet, polite mannered little boy back!!

HELP!