I’m pretty sure the answer is yes. Things are getting pretty cray cray around here.
I’ve always said how well behaved Lamb is for a 2 year old, and so has many people who know him. When he’s in someone else care he’s an angel. Seriously. Grandma looks after him once a week and she takes him on plenty of adventures (to Sainsburys, to the vets) and he’s so well behaved. I don’t expect anything else.
Like any other 2 year he has his moments. Refusing to eat (although he’s been doing this since he was a baby), refusing to get dressed or go to bed. You know the score. Nothing has ever been too dramatic though. When it does happen I usually laugh because it’s out of character.
Over the past few weeks (pretty much since Christmas) we’ve noticed a change in Lambs behaviour. Full on temper tantrums.
This morning, for example, he screamed and cried so much he was red in the face. Because he didn’t want to get dressed. Because if he got dressed he would have to go to nursery.
Since Christmas he hasn’t been too happy about going to nursery (even though tit has only been 2 weeks!) He genuinely doesn’t want to go. He cries in the morning getting ready and cries in the car. Usually by the time he’s in his classroom he’s calmed down and happy to play. Then when we pick him up he doesn’t want to go home.
The problem is the tantrum leading up to leaving the house. What has happened to my cheeky little chappy?
In the back of my mind I knew we had it coming. I knew we couldn’t get through the terrible twos and into the threes without some sort of challenge, and it seems we have reached ours. The ‘threenager’
Lamb hates being told what to do. He’s always been so independent and knows what he wants. Seriously. He’s known to make very specific decisions. If I had £1 for everytime someone said “he knows what he wants” to me…
So having mummy tell him to get dressed, eat breakfast, go to bed, is becoming rather frustrating for him and is resulting in crazy tantrums.
I mean, he screamed and cried so much about going to bed the other day he wet himself, and then cried because he was so embarrassed about his accident.
His dad can’t tolerate the tantrums. He can’t bare to hear him cry and never has. They end up bickering like brothers, then I have 2 frustrated men to deal with. Let’s not mention I’ve got another one growing in my tummy.
Thank god the cat is female.
We’ve only had a few weeks of these major tantrums, but I’ve got a feeling they are here to stay.
Has your little one been through the ‘threenager’ stage? Any tips on dealing with it?!
Ax
We’ve not got to the threenager stage yet but I really do think it’s on the way. Rowan is coming up to 19 months and he’s definitely starting to test and push the boundaries. More and more tantrums are happening. I’ll be looking out for tips too.
Laura x
Oh this did make me laugh. I feel for you though honey. I am sure I will have this when Rosalie reaches this age. Nick is exactly the same with Rosalie too. He can’t hack her crying!! I am glad you have the cat on your side! 🙂 xx
I hear you!! I have a threenager son – Pickle and a real 13 year old teenage son too! HELP! As well as 19 and 16 year old daughters . Pickle started school this month and his behaviour is terrible at the moment 🙁 Good Luck! Kaz x
I feel your agony. Eva is exactly the same except she is three. I have no tips I’m afraid as most of the time she’s so badly behaved she has me in floods of tears. The best I can do is ignore her. I try to be firm and authoritative but she seems to think she runs the show x
“Pretty cray cray” made me lol! However, all I would say is stick to your guns… if you tell him “no” then stick to it. He is at the stage where he is trying his luck, hang on in there and it will get easier. As soon as he knows that his tantrums aren’t going to get him anywhere, he will stop. Keep going, you’re doing fab 🙂
Gemma xx
I feel your pain, it can be so hard to motivate them into getting up /ready and to nursery- even more so in these dark mornings. I try and make getting dressed a game because Archie hates in, he point blank refuses to wear clothes and most of the time when we are at home takes them off!! I’ve brought him a torch (his Grannies suggestion) for the car and it really helps him keep entertained and mind off the journey to nursery. Arch also wets himself when he cries too and it makes me feel like an awful Mumma but the law has to be laid some days and at that age he hates the word no xx
oh I can TOTALLY relate to this right now! The past couple of weeks my daughter has been just like this, all of a sudden things have become a real battle and she has this new cry (scream?!!) that just breaks my heart. I have little advice or tips as this is new but do know, I know how you feel! It will pass 😀 xx
I can totally relate!! It happened with my fourth childwho also suddenly decided he didnt want to go to pre school or get dressed etc… I dont really have any good tips apart from I just chose my battles and ignored the tantrums and really praised good behaviour. He is also a child that everyone says knows his own mind so doesn’t like to be told!! He is 5 now and a little better! My most shocking change was my youngest daughter who was an angel until she was 11 !