How Do You Cope With Your Kids?

There is a great article on the Bellybelly Main Site Here called How to Calm Down When Your Kids Wind You Up written by Pinky McKay.

I am having sooooooo many days at the moment where Cairenn (3) winds me up!! To make it worse, Liam (1) is joining in!! I well and truly know that they are both at the age where trial and consequence is worked out but man are they driving me NUTS!!!

I have found that if I try to "not react" it works but it is getting so hard - especially when they do something that either endangers themself or is going to wreck our house!!

How do you cope? Did you find anything useful in Pinky's article? I especially love the idea of nurturing myself - but don't know when it is going to happen!! I would love to hear of your experiences.

Thanks

Hi Kelli,

Just wanted to say that I felt so relieved to read your post as I am going through the same problems at the moment. My DD (almost 3) is going through a VERY trying phase where she is just pushing every boundary at the moment to see the reaction. She also wants constant attention which is very tiring. I often have the "parental guilt" issue as my 1 year old is so placid and quiet I fell like I never have quality time with her.

I also love the idea of nurturing myself and the best thing I have found I can do is to go swimming at my local pool for 1 hr a week and put the girls in the free creche. It's just so nice to have that precious time out and swimming relaxes me and gives me a bit of quiet time to think.

From another mum going nuts!

Hi Ali

WOW!! Our kids are pretty much exactly the same ages!!

I sooooooo know what you are going through - except Liam is by no means placid lol!!

He is an old man in a little boy's body and he hates being a baby!! (except for being able to climb on the couch to jump - another source of my frustration!!).

How do you deal with your 3 year old's attempts to drive you insane!!!

Glad to hear from you!

Hi Kelli,

We were prepared for the terrible two's and we were very smug thinking that we had escaped all the tantrums - and then the bossy three's started and boy - are they worse :evil:

The only way I can find to keep my manic 3yo in line is to keep her as busy as possible. We have enrolled in swimming lessons, playgroup and I also send her to daycare for 1 day a week. I think this is only way I can keep my sanity :) DH and I have been vaguely discussing whether to have a 3rd child but the way things are going in this house, we don't think we could cope with another one.

We also have the 2 girls in the same room at the moment, which they love but drives me nuts!! At bedtime, they play up and think it's time to party. I've also just learnt that at 3 is the time to start implementing some discipline and what another set of challenges that brings.

It's been great to hear from you, and find that someone else is experiencing the same frustration as me!