My daughter is a full on threenager. For the past couple weeks the disrespectful behavior has continued to escalate. I have no idea where she gets this stuff. If she is not getting exactly what she wants it turns into a war.
I fully expect tantrums because she's three, but just this morning she didn't want to get dressed and she spit in my face 
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
We are struggling with this as well with our 4.5 yr old. Yesterday she was mad and was yelling at me when I was calmly telling her no she couldn't do something. I was just staying calm letting her get her frustrations out (it was more yelling/frustrated than trying to be disrespectful) until she scratched me on the leg. I told her to control her hands and that it hurt and then she did it again. I swiftly picked her up by her arms and put her in her room for time out. Partially I think we are letting it go too long (not disciplining the yelling) and stopping it before it escalates to violence.
admin / wonderful grape / 20724 posts
@yellowbird: The biggest thing for me was to try not to think about it as respect or disrespect! But to think about it as behavior we want to encourage, vs behavior we want to disappear.
Along those lines, I've been working hard to not get emotional in response to bad behavior. It's something that I struggle with - some things just make me so upset! But as I've changed how I react to wild behavior, I've noticed that my children's behavior seems to get better too!! I think that a big reaction from me feeds the behavior, and then it escalates and we end up in a horrible feedback cycle that ends with me wanting to drink all the wine.
I hope it gets better for you, and soon!!!
honeydew / 7303 posts
@T.H.O.U.: I do think sometimes we let her go on too long while we're waiting for her to do something. Dh and I talked and we are going to give her a chance to do whatever she wants herself and if she doesn't listen after 1 minute we will do it for her. Consistency!
@mrbee: you are so right. It's so hard not to get emotional when someone spits in your face but I really have to keep my cool!
coconut / 8861 posts
Our almost 3.5 year old is this way. We're no tolerance on spitting or hitting. Those are automatic time out for us. Lately with the flailing tantrums when he's tired, I walk away until he's collected himself. We also practice breathing exercises to calm down if it's a lot of whining and not listening. Three years old has been tough for us.
persimmon / 1458 posts
Following for advice. On Christmas Day I already put new toys in a plastic bag and pretended to throw them away in hopes of a change in behavior but even that didn't work! Ugh! Kids suck sometimes.
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@yellowbird: what mr bee said really rings true for me. The other way I've been dealing with unwanted behavior is just to say "that is not allowed." Or remove him from situation and firmly tell him it's not allowed. Stuff like "you hurt my feelings" or "you're being bratty" just doesn't help my kid! (Not saying you say those things). I only use time outs for unwanted physical stuff (hitting, throwing something at me, etc).
| Today | Monthly Record | |
|---|---|---|
| Topics | 1 | 0 |
| Posts | 0 | 1 |
Ask for Help
Make a Suggestion
Frequently Asked Questions
Bee Levels
Acronyms
Most Viewed Posts
Hellobee Gold
Hellobee Recipes
Hellobee Features
Hellobee Contests
Baby-led Weaning
Bento Boxes
Breastfeeding
Newborn Essentials
Parties
Postpartum Care Essentials
Sensory Play Activities
Sleep Training
Starting Solids Gear
Transitioning to Toddler Bed
All Series
Who We Are
About the Bloggers
About the Hostesses
Contributing Bloggers
Apply to Blog
Apply to Hostess
Submit a Guest Blog
Hellobee Buttons
How We Make Money
Community Policies
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite1
6 comments