My three year old is throwing a lot of wobblies lately!
By kiran1978
@kiran1978 (4134)
Australia
June 12, 2008 6:25am CST
You think being a teacher, I would be able to discipline my own 3 year old daughter. I never had trouble raising my 12 year old over the past 12 years, she threw a few tantrums when she was 2 years old, but nothing too bad. However my three year old, most days chucks wobblies, and whinges when she doesn't get her own way. She cries more then my 3 month old baby, lol. I try to be consistent with her, however sometimes when I am feeding the baby, I find it difficult to send her to her room for time out when she misbehaves. I then discuss with her what she did wrong and what she should do. She totally understands what she does wrong, however she keeps doing the same thing. She is not too bad when my 12 year old is at school, but as soona as she returns home. My 3 year old is in comptetion with her, always trying to boss her older sister around.
So is anyone else here currently having similar problems with their little one. What discipline works best for you? I have tried time out, rewards for good behaviour and explaining appropriate behaviour.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
12 Jun 08
I think that doing a teaching job is one thing, but it is always different when it comes to our children. My daughter is 2 and a half and she has huge strops and tantrums, I will be glad when she is out of it. I do not send her to her room, I want her to see her bedroom as a nice place and not a place she is sent when she is naughty.
I just make her sit down in the front room, no playing or anything. I also just ignore her and tell her that she will have no friends if she carries on making silly noises, if we are in the street and she does it I draw attention to her by telling everyone to look at the naughty little girl having a tantrum.
That quietens her as she hates it when people look at her. I think that you should just carry on with what you are doing, seems like you are doing the right things, it is probably just her age.
1 person likes this
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
12 Jun 08
Hey, I see what you are saying about the bedroom not being used as punishment. I think I might try another time out spot in the house. I also like your idea of when out in public drawing attention to her when she misbehaves, I think that may work for my daughter. I find that the hardest, when I go out somewhere my daughter often behaves alot worse then what she does at home. She knows that I can't send her to time out in public. I hope this stage does pass soon, it has been going on for a while now. I think with the new baby her behaviour has got worse as the dynamics have changed in the house.
BTW I see you have changed your avatar, what exactly is the cat doing?1 person likes this
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
14 Jun 08
A new baby is probably a big change and she just needs to find her place in the pecking order.
OK the cat is Garfield and it is taken from a scene of the movie, it is from a part where Garfield dances with Odie the dog. He was not wearing glasses though, I think that they were just added by whoever did the avatar!
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
12 Jun 08
Hi scrawl, my 12 year old is excellent, she helps out alot. However I don't want her to take too much of a parenting role, I would rather her be a sister more. The problem is she lets my 3 year old walk over her at times, she does need to be more assertive.
In my discussions, I guess I just write what I think and I try and give lots of examples to explain myself. It helps too that I can type fairly quick, if I couldn't touch type my discussions would be quite small in length. Thanks for the compliment!
1 person likes this
@peaceful (3294)
• United States
12 Jun 08
As a single guy, the only experience that I have with kids is babysitting from time to time, in my younger days... I noticed that some kids in the ages from 2-5, seem to go through a time when they are completely bonkers-- Throwing things, fighting and just being terrible...
The older folks would call this the "Terrible Two's"...
I used this as search term and came up with a reference from Parenting Magazine that gives advice on this very subject:
http://www.ucgstp.org/lit/gn/gn071/parenting.htm
I hope that this helps you! :)
Here's a few laughs from my experiences with kids:
http://www.apsense.com/subject/21951.html
@peaceful (3294)
• United States
12 Jun 08
Here's an active discussion on the Terrible Two's on Yahoo...
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070428222839AAivKHT
I think that other link might be a bit heavy-handed, sorry... :)
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
12 Jun 08
Hey peaceful, thanks for the links, much appreciated. I will definately take a look at them and see if I can get some tips. I am glad my daughter hasn't gone too bonkers where she is throwing things, lol, mainly just doesn't listen and whinges and cries alot. Have a great day, thanks again for an awesome response.1 person likes this
@littleowl (7157)
•
12 Jun 08
Hi Kiran I always found that my eldest was fine til my daughter came along he was ok as long as I included him in helping me to look after her but when she hit about three she threw wobblies and when she couldn't get her own way continued to take it out on her brother by hitting him for no reason,causing arguments etc all for no reson the only way I could ever deal it is by sending her or them to their bedroom for space-wish I could help a little more-your friend littleowl
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
13 Jun 08
Hi littleowl, I think it is the terrible two's and three's, lol. Last night I sat down and we wrote out rules of the house. I have never wrote down rules before but I thought if I explain expectations and consequences to her it might improve her behaviour. I also set up a rewards chart, 10 stickers = a little treat. If she gets a cross for misbehaviour then it is one minute in her room, I know it isn't much but for little kids those minutes add up. I give her a warning first before a cross.Last night she was excellent, no wobblies at all. So fingers crossed this method works, I hope.
Seems like you went througth the same thing I did, good thing your daughter grew out of this stage.
@littleowl (7157)
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14 Jun 08
Hi Kiran-that is a brilliant idea to do what are doing that could well work and if it does maybe you should do a copyright on it for other parents to use!! I know I would of done if it had been me and was told when I had my two at a young age-I hope this will be the answer for you-blessings and hugs littleowl
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
14 Jun 08
Thanks littleowl, I just got the idea from behaviour management strategies I learnt in my teaching degree. Then I changed it into something that would suit my three year old. I have had to be consistent with it, I think that is going to be the hardest thing. Picking up on her behaviour everytime she does it at the start, then later on I can ease off.
