Approaching 4....

[dc2london]

Is anyone else seeing an attitude shift in their child as we approach 4th birthdays? Yowza.

[pinkie]

Dec 5, 2016 9:30:02 GMT -5 dc2london said:

Is anyone else seeing an attitude shift in their child as we approach 4th birthdays? Yowza.

I have noticed less screaming and crying (thank god) and more attitude and less listening.

Is that what you are seeing?

[dc2london]

Dec 5, 2016 10:49:35 GMT -5 pinkie said:

Dec 5, 2016 9:30:02 GMT -5 dc2london said:

Is anyone else seeing an attitude shift in their child as we approach 4th birthdays? Yowza.

I have noticed less screaming and crying (thank god) and more attitude and less listening.

Is that what you are seeing?

Definitely the attitude!!
He has never been a huge screamer ir crier

[wineandcake]

I don't want to jinx it, but I swear Mac is getting sweeter by the day. He's very sensitive, but typically a great listener and nice to everyone and helpful. My toddler on the other hand is getting such an attitude and he's not even 1.5yrs yet. I fear for my sanity when Hunter is 3.

[pinkie]

Dec 5, 2016 11:39:44 GMT -5 wineandcake said:

I don't want to jinx it, but I swear Mac is getting sweeter by the day. He's very sensitive, but typically a great listener and nice to everyone and helpful. My toddler on the other hand is getting such an attitude and he's not even 1.5yrs yet. I fear for my sanity when Hunter is 3.

My sanity is at an all time low - 3.5 year old won't listen and 2 year old is starting with bad tantrums and copies his brother with the no listening.

However cutting down the screaming from Z has been a welcome relief.

[brachysira]

Here, 3 has been a continuing daily improvement emerging from the hell we were in around 18 months...no threenager but a smart, capable little girl. As 4 approaches, DD seems to be gaining confidence such that she no longer needs to defer to mom...so zero listening even when it's like "don't grab that hot plate." Etc. Not cool. She's also starting saying "mom mom mom mom" incessantly...even in sentences, as in "mom, I need, but mom, can I, mom, I want to, but mom." Uggg. For the first time, she's lying and getting really sneaky--she'll go into the kitchen the get candy and hide, or turn on her light to stay up and read after lights out and that sort of thing.

Meanwhile, at 27 months, DS seems to either be entering the terrible 2's or he's copying his sister. He no long does what I ask at all either and is complicit in the sneakyness.. He'll no longer leave any place when it's time and I have to carry him out screaming...and he weighs 40 lbs..

[brachysira]

Oh, and the things they pick up at school. Now all nos are "NO WAY!" And this one, "I don't have to do what you say, you're not my mom...um, wait, I still don't have to do what you say." "You're not the boss of me."

[kleigh926]

She either refuses to listen or throws a fit about whatever we are telling her to do, or both. My 2-year-old DS has been acting a bit better lately so there are days that he is more well-behaved than she is 😑 She is also having some pretty bad separation anxiety- preschool and Sunday school drop offs always involve me pushing her into the room and leaving while she cries for me. If she doesn't know where I am in the house she will get frantic and start screaming or crying. Sometimes she even cries when she does know where I am but can't follow. I've had to get pretty stern with her about crying when I go to the bathroom or have to run downstairs for a minute.

[expatmama]

My Feb 13 kid says 'Mom' with the attitude of a 13 year old and I still get caught off guard because even my 6 year old still mostly calls me mama due to dominant language here. I have NO idea where DS2 got it from because he has no English speaking friends.

Meanwhile, the tantrums have gotten fewer, but still get quite extreme. His teachers have said they aren't concerned but he gives them a run for their money he is so stubborn.

That said he is so vocal it is easy to understand his demands, which helps some.

I have a few concerns about his extreme behavior, but he is quite a happy and social kid so I'm hoping it will settle. I do suspect there may be some sensory issues, but think time will tell if they are something he will need help with. He's very musical and so psyched for his Christmas concert I hope he enjoys it!

[pinkie]

Dec 5, 2016 16:37:27 GMT -5 expatmama said:

My Feb 13 kid says 'Mom' with the attitude of a 13 year old and I still get caught off guard because even my 6 year old still mostly calls me mama due to dominant language here. I have NO idea where DS2 got it from because he has no English speaking friends.

Meanwhile, the tantrums have gotten fewer, but still get quite extreme. His teachers have said they aren't concerned but he gives them a run for their money he is so stubborn.

That said he is so vocal it is easy to understand his demands, which helps some.

I have a few concerns about his extreme behavior, but he is quite a happy and social kid so I'm hoping it will settle. I do suspect there may be some sensory issues, but think time will tell if they are something he will need help with. He's very musical and so psyched for his Christmas concert I hope he enjoys it!

My kid's preschool teacher (who has taught preschool for more than 10 years) described him as very strong willed.  Hearing that's made me feel better that I'm not crazy for thinking he's tough.

[mishka29]

I feel like we are in a pretty good patch right now. It was crazy rough a couple of months ago. She definitely has a lot of sass and attitude.

When I take her to swim class she grabs her clothes and then insists that she can do it herself and locks herself in the changing stall. It takes awhile but eventually out she comes fully dressed and coat zipped up.

Or going to the bathroom in public....she wants to go alone. Then will call me 'mom can you help me on to the toilet and then get out'.

And in case I ever wonder what I sound like talking to dd2 I just have to list to my parrot. 'S If you do that one more time you are going straight to the baby chair'.

[colinsfebmommy]

Oh yeah, listening sucks, we have to tell him things like 7 times until he might listen *eye roll* It is so exhausting

[seadragon2013]

DS is definitely developing more attitude. It's hard to tell how much of it is just improvements in his speech, but I'm getting a ton of "nah-ah" and "that would be impossible" when I ask him for help, instead of just being ignored.

[singingsea]

+1 on not listening and being defiant.

[brachysira]

And they are so big... I look at her and she looks like an elementary student more than a toddler. Except at IKEA, where she looked so tiny they didn't think she could go to the play area and when she was tall enough, she still looked so tiny in the play area among the preteens...and the adults were all holding her and watching out for her because she was so tiny...

[pinkie]

Dec 7, 2016 10:44:58 GMT -5 brachysira said:

And they are so big... I look at her and she looks like an elementary student more than a toddler. Except at IKEA, where she looked so tiny they didn't think she could go to the play area and when she was tall enough, she still looked so tiny in the play area among the preteens...and the adults were all holding her and watching out for her because she was so tiny...

Z looks like a giant to me. when he sat on Santa's lap his feet almost hit the ground

[seadragon2013]

A refused to eat dinner last night because he wanted ALL the chocolate from the See's catalog. He actually got up from the table to take his bowl to the sink, then started circling all of the chocolates he wanted in a red marker.

Me too kid, but lolNO. 😂

[seadragon2013]

Dec 7, 2016 13:24:24 GMT -5 @uncaripswife said:

K is in a sweet spot right now. This summer and early fall were tough. A lot of whining, ignoring instructions, extraordinary neediness. I feel like lately she's #breezy.

I probably just jinxed myself.

Just you wait. 😉

[photomama1990]

We're having a rough time right now too. Every single thing is a fight. "Mom can I get dressed?" Sure to get some clothes. "No you do it!" *after some exchange and some nice words mom goes to get clothes* "Noooo! I don't want that shirt I want a t-Rex and I don't like white socks!!!"

It's SO frustrating. We've slowed down a lot since the summer where we were at swimming lessons and tons of playing with friends and now all of our friends go to at least 2 days of school and we don't do any, so it's hard to line our schedules up. I'm hoping that the next few weeks is smooth, but I'm not counting on it. I don't usually work, but I have a two week contract to do some assessments and they have to be done before the 22nd, so I'm working every week day between now and then. Hopefully that's not too much for my babes to handle!

[summer]

I don't know if I've noticed a huge change. There seems to be more whining and throwing himself on the floor when he doesn't get his way (which I, unfortunately, find hysterical). And my telling him "That is not an option" is coming back to bite me hard. Even my nearly-two-year-old says "not oshon" to me! Defiance has gotten a little worse, and listening sucks.

[dc2london]

Dec 7, 2016 11:51:20 GMT -5 pinkie said:

Dec 7, 2016 10:44:58 GMT -5 brachysira said:

And they are so big... I look at her and she looks like an elementary student more than a toddler. Except at IKEA, where she looked so tiny they didn't think she could go to the play area and when she was tall enough, she still looked so tiny in the play area among the preteens...and the adults were all holding her and watching out for her because she was so tiny...

Z looks like a giant to me. when he sat on Santa's lap his feet almost hit the ground

My 6 year old is 51" tall. When he falls asleep on the sofa and my H carries him to bed, his feet are all the way down to my H's knees. It looks hilarious

[pinkie]

Dec 8, 2016 13:24:16 GMT -5 dc2london said:

Dec 7, 2016 11:51:20 GMT -5 pinkie said:

Z looks like a giant to me. when he sat on Santa's lap his feet almost hit the ground

My 6 year old is 51" tall. When he falls asleep on the sofa and my H carries him to bed, his feet are all the way down to my H's knees. It looks hilarious

Holy moly!!

[sagen]

He is pretty darn sweet but has his hard moments, ya know tantrum and such. Since he started pre-k he started acting a little more rude at times . Like he says things that he never said before, since I teach preschool (every few weeks) I know exactly who he is getting it from Trying to nip that one in the bud.

[pinkie]

I want to take back what I said about tantrums getting better. We had a really bad weekend with a lot of screaming and tantrums. I'm relieved tomorrow is Monday!

[mishka29]

Dec 11, 2016 19:54:02 GMT -5 pinkie said:

I want to take back what I said about tantrums getting better. We had a really bad weekend with a lot of screaming and tantrums. I'm relieved tomorrow is Monday!

Working for the weekdays! Lol.