I’m so sorry to dump this on you gorgeous ladies but I am about to completely snap and lose my mind. My kids’ behaviour is just getting worse and worse despite everything I try and I’m just at a complete lost. Honestly I just want to walk out the door to get away from them.
DD is 3 ½ and DS is 18 months. They are both covered in welts from belting each other with anything they can get their hands on, both covered with bites and scratches. As soon as they hit with something it is taken off them and the offender is put in time out. Same with biting. I’ve tried taking their toys off them, time out, distraction, doing activities with them, deprieved them of an activity for being naughty. I’ve tried reasoning with them and telling them straight out not to do it.
I am so frustrated as they know what they are doing is wrong because as soon as they do it they give me what they hit the other one with and go to timeout or if it’s biting they just walk straight to time out.
If they are doing something such as squealing or running around instead of settling down, hiding behind the couch so I can’t dress them I can’t settle them down. They just don’t/won’t stop doing what they are doing no matter what I do. If I’m trying to say get them to stop running around the house squealing at bedtime I sit on the floor, hold them and ask them to stop doing it as it is time to settle down they squeal at me and keep on doing the same thing. I put them in time out and they just keep on squealing. As soon as they are out of time out it’s back to it again!!
I try doing activities with them but they always turn into fights so I stop it and I’m at the stage where I don’t even want to try. I know exactly what is going to happen.
I always try to use a calm normal voice when handling their behaviours. But no amount of deep breathing or counting is helping.
I can’t even get them to stop jumping/running/climbing on the lounge suite – I’ve been trying for months!!! They have broken the zippers on two of my chairs and now they are ruined!! They are currently banned from sitting on the lounge.
Bed time is a nightmare. They are completely crazy. They just run, jump, tackle each other, squealing and won’t settle down at all. Their bedtime routine has been the same from the day they were born. It’s tea, play, bath, quiet time (well it’s supposed to be anyway) then books in bed at 7.30 and lights out by 8pm. The quiet time is just crazy. We don’t have the tv or radio on. We can’t even sit and read a book without it turning into a fight and me just leaving and putting them both to bed screaming.
I have cut out my computer time during the day so they have my attention. I have also moved my shower and majority of my housework to nights when they are in bed so my day isn’t taken up with other jobs so I can spend time with them. I’m getting to bed later and I am starting to wonder why I am even bothering.
I’m so sick to death of being on the verge of tears all day every day I’m home with them. I am laying on the couch crying because I just don’t know what to do anymore. It’s to the point where I’m thinking about going back to work full time just so I don’t have to be home with them. How horrible is that!!! I have a permament headache and I am so sick of being the screaming banchee!!!!
I’m giving up and they are getting worse. I just don’t know what to do!! I’m all out of behaviour strategies for the kids and sanity for me. I’m breaking!!
Please help me!! What can I do??

TIA an extremely stressed out mum.