Another 2 year old 'driving me nuts', thread

[kirsty_lee]

Sigh, i don't even know where to begin really. But all I know is, the 2 year old is a perplexing human being. I am at my wits end with DD at the moment and I am just so tired of the attitude and the NOT LISTENING. I think the not listening is the hardest part! I am actually sick of the sound of my own voice by the end of the day. Most days I wake up and within an hour I know what the day ahead is going to be like and I dread it. A recent example I can think of is this morning 'Ava come to mummy and we'll change our bottom' ... 'No... go away' and then she'll just stand there staring at me. And I try all the 'come on ava lets change our bum and be a good girl' and she just wont. She will walk the other way. The other day we were in the backyard and she was going towards the creek and I said no ava come back here. She refused and kept walking. Followed by the usual 'go away'. This on top of the amount of times a day I have to say No stop that, put it back, don't touch. I just want to be able to ask ONCE and she do it. Not a million times! I am sure I am not the only one going through this, it's just really really starting to get me down.

[Lulu]

Maybe try - "ok, no bum change" and go about your business and see what happens.

I also pretend there is something TERRIBLY interesting in another area (if they are heading somewhere dangerous) and say Oohh Look and move towards it (and quickly pick a flower or something "interesting") like you don't care she isn't listening.

[YoYo]

Totally know the feeling...isn't it just awful

[Arimeh]

I do the same as Lulu with the nappy changes, or I grab another child and do something with them - its funny how they demand to have their nappy changed when that happens

Mine is going through a clingy stage, which is getting quite frustrating, or she'll scream for no reason, she's horribly destructive and messy and I'm forever telling her NOT to do something. Today the older two were under the table drawing on the floor with a texta. Which they know they're not allowed to do, we have heaps of paper, only drawing happens on paper.

So they both got made to scrub the floor clean, and then both chucked in separate corners for doing it when they know they're not allowed to.

Terrible 2's are bad enough.. but when they are mixed with a 3 year old as well... urghhh.. frus-trayyyy-tion.

[Jaycee]

I don't tell DS when it's nappy change time, I just pick him up and take him to his room, he protests a little on the way, but at least he doesn't run away

[rhyb]

Urgh I hear you. First time at a new playgroup and the kids are allowed everywhere but the altar, where is my DS? The bloody altar. Over and over Im telling him no. getting him down , even resorted to a smack on the thigh, but he wouldnt stop. Didnt help that the DDs were a tad panicky about the strange place if mummy wasnt right next to them (more so DD2 & 3, DD1 took 5 minutes to adjust and was off). What would have been a 5 minute walk home was closer to 20 with DS ignoring me and wandering off (imagine me wearing a ring sling with DD1 &3 crammed in it together, pushing DD2 in a stroller and trying to hurry DS along cz its so hot and btw DS wont wear his shoes but is whinging cz the road is hot )

[kirsty_lee]

Yeah it's awesome! She just spent time in the naughty corner. She wanted macaroni ... nagged me for it.. So I gave her the tuna macaroni left overs from last night (which she loved) gave it to her, set her up with her little chair and put on a dvd while i did some house work. For whatever reason she wasn't impressed with teh macaroni so threw the whole bowl onto the floor... yay for spending the last 15 minutes of my time scrubbing pasta & tuna out of the carpet

[OceanPrincess]

Kirsty my 18mth old is behaving terribly ATM too!

By 9am today she'd already been in the naughty corner twice

She was a shocker at Playgroup today too. Tried to bite me, into naughty corner. Hit another kid, into naughty corner again. Sigh!

I get the "No!" with tonnes of attitude as well!

[JCE0810]

DD will run from me when it's nappy change time or she will tell me 'no nappy mum' when clearly she needs it changed. When DF is home she's completely different and does what he tells her to, she just plays up for me. DD has spent time out in her room several times over the last few weeks for various things. I too get sick of the sound of my own voice by the time DF gets home from work, all i seem to do some days is say dont touch, dont throw, dont hit....well you get the idea.

DD has however been better behaved since DF had words with her the other night after she'd misbehaved.

[kirsty_lee]

Yeah I dont get that Bon! DP will ask her the same thing i've asked her to do and she'll do it!! I feel like she hates me some days, seriously I do. She absolutely adores daddy and im just the b**** telling her not to eat the crap out of the fireplace

[JCE0810]

Yeah I dont get that Bon! DP will ask her the same thing i've asked her to do and she'll do it!! I feel like she hates me some days, seriously I do. She absolutely adores daddy and im just the b**** telling her not to eat the crap out of the fireplace

I could have posted that post. DF asks DD to do something and she'll say 'awwite/ok dad' and do it. Some days DD will come and yell in my face until her face is red if she's not getting her own way or if she's gotten into trouble, but doesn't dare do it to DF. DD is also a daddy's girl, yesterday she wanted to go to work with him and if he's type of work was kid friendly i might have just sent her with him.

It can be frustrating some days

[delphmoon]

hmmmm

Have just read this thread to prepare me for the terrible 2's one day

...you guys are great contraception- I'm not going to have another one now....



your all marvelous mummies!

[kirsty_lee]

haha Delphmoon... yeah enjoy the quiet time while it lasts!

[Bathsheba]

Lu's suggestions were similar to what i do. When i get sick of the sound of my own voice i just stop using it. Silent parenting really gets their attention. Distraction is also the key method at this age... it nips battles in the bud before they happen.

i don't have all the answers though... my 4yo manages to push all my buttons. By that age all your poor parenting strategies really start to come back and slap you in the face... I wish i had cottoned onto the silent parenting thing earlier... most days my 4yo mirrors back at me all my Banshee Mummying that i did when when i was sick with my thyroid. Oh well... you can only do your best at the time eh?

[~Kim~]

they should recruit mothers pf 2-4yos as UN negotiators I reckon.
hun.

Same as Bath and Lulu, I have learned to pick my battles. Don't want your nappy changed/hair brushed/face washed/whatever - fine, I have better things to do than argue. Let me know when you're ready. I also just stop asking and do what I need/want to so. They push your buttons cos they can. Then they feed of the energy you reflect like little gremlins. They're still learning what reaction/no reaction can do to who.

As for the Danger stuff, well then I bring out the policeman's armed vehicle takedown voice (accademy had to be useful for something ) - and they stop pretty quick. I only reserve it for dangerous stuff and usually STOP! works.....I don't explain. I stop them, redirect or distract and then maybe later we can talk about it....no good an explanation in an emergency.