Cross posting from my LJ.
I want to know what idiot coined the term terrible twos. Oh, how I miss two. I long for two. I would give my left nut if I had one for two again when it comes to Johnny, who was generally sweet, mild mannered, even tempered and delightful at two. This second half of three has been an absolute bitch, with the last month or so being particularly atrocious. He's mean, moody, argumentative, defiant, throwing tantrums and generally disagreeable.
The Boy lives and dies for Bob the Builder. We've had tickets for the BtB grand preview party at the children's museum for a month. I was going to pick up the kids after work, meet Dave there and we'd have dinner at the museum diner then attend the big Bob party. I've been telling Johnny for a week that his attendance would be contingent upon his behavior. Yesterday he went absolutely berserk and bit my mother so hard he broke the skin. Needless to say he isn't going to Bob; rather he'll stay home with Daddy for a quiet dinner, a bath and story followed by bed. I'll take Reagan to the event. I told him he isn't going and why and he cried for an hour. I feel awful on the one hand but the more dominant part of me isn't backing down because he is old enough to understand cause and effect and that his actions have consequences. I've drawn a parental line in the sand and I'm sticking to it. I called Dr. G and expressed my frustrations and concerns and she recommended a few books for me. I'll read them and try applying the techniques to Johnny and then we have a follow up sit down and chat consult scheduled for the end of October.
Is anybody else having/had issues like this at 3? I swear I feel like my parenting skills have been tested to the extreme and if I didn't love the little monster so much I think I might give him away! I want my sweet little boy back!
Now, to be fair, I know exactly where he gets his intellect, stubborn mule tendencies, hard headedness and even the exact set of his jaw when he's about to get contentious. Let's just say it's genetic and my dad recognized it in me since it was just like him.
I know that intractable at 3 means "not a quitter" and "willing to take a stand" as an adult but right at the moment it's making me nuts.
Ummmmm.....help?
I want to know what idiot coined the term terrible twos. Oh, how I miss two. I long for two. I would give my left nut if I had one for two again when it comes to Johnny, who was generally sweet, mild mannered, even tempered and delightful at two. This second half of three has been an absolute bitch, with the last month or so being particularly atrocious. He's mean, moody, argumentative, defiant, throwing tantrums and generally disagreeable.
The Boy lives and dies for Bob the Builder. We've had tickets for the BtB grand preview party at the children's museum for a month. I was going to pick up the kids after work, meet Dave there and we'd have dinner at the museum diner then attend the big Bob party. I've been telling Johnny for a week that his attendance would be contingent upon his behavior. Yesterday he went absolutely berserk and bit my mother so hard he broke the skin. Needless to say he isn't going to Bob; rather he'll stay home with Daddy for a quiet dinner, a bath and story followed by bed. I'll take Reagan to the event. I told him he isn't going and why and he cried for an hour. I feel awful on the one hand but the more dominant part of me isn't backing down because he is old enough to understand cause and effect and that his actions have consequences. I've drawn a parental line in the sand and I'm sticking to it. I called Dr. G and expressed my frustrations and concerns and she recommended a few books for me. I'll read them and try applying the techniques to Johnny and then we have a follow up sit down and chat consult scheduled for the end of October.
Is anybody else having/had issues like this at 3? I swear I feel like my parenting skills have been tested to the extreme and if I didn't love the little monster so much I think I might give him away! I want my sweet little boy back!
Now, to be fair, I know exactly where he gets his intellect, stubborn mule tendencies, hard headedness and even the exact set of his jaw when he's about to get contentious. Let's just say it's genetic and my dad recognized it in me since it was just like him.
I know that intractable at 3 means "not a quitter" and "willing to take a stand" as an adult but right at the moment it's making me nuts. Ummmmm.....help?
) It might be a self-esteem issue. Like he's trying to hold on to good feelings about himself. I have been trying to help him understand that it's ok to be wrong sometimes, but he's not having it right now. 
So, yay! New challenges of correcting behavior I'm not even there for. 
