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Can any1 help me understand my 3 yr olds tantrums?

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My 3 yr old girl is such a handful! She fusses about everything! We fight every morn. about clothes, she doesnt want to wear pants b/c she looks like a boy in her mind, so often I try to be consistant¬ give in to her so I find myself redressing her in the same outfit 3-4 times b4 we leave the house! She gets up 3-4 times a nite throwing a fit&screams everytime I take her back to her rm, she is now pointing @ me&telling me bad girl, brat&she doesnt love me when she doesnt get her way. I know she is a girl & they are going to be alittle sassy but she is perfect @ daycare, unless she see's me but then that tantrum passes in 5 min. I am @ my witts end. I dont know what else to do. My husband says to pop her everytime I tell her to do something & she doesnt listen but I honestly think spanking isnt always the answer & doesnt phase her too much. She knows that it'll sting for a min then go away. PLease give me advice!!! I really dont know what else to do. I dont want her to grow up and continue to act this way. Its also not fair to my 7 yr old b/c when she acts like this it takes too much time away from him.

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6 Answers

I suggest that you prepare for battle.  Smacking isn't something that I have found is very effective.  It will be a difficult road but if you have the stomach for it you will see a significant change.  Your little girl is trying to be the parent and has successfully been getting her way with her behavior.  When she throws a tantrum it's time for ... Time Out.  If you are in a place where you can ignore her do just that (if not remover her physically to the car or stroller where she is strapped in).  When she is done flailing on the floor or car seat, it's time for time out. "Rule of thumb is no more than one minute per age" but if you've never tried it before you might need longer time outs in the beginning.  Be calm, don't get flustered or yell.  Tell her that her behavior is not appropriate and she needs to sit in time out to think about how she should behave.
Do not talk to her during time out.  Walk away if you’re in the house and if you’re in the car and can't stand it stand outside of it Always make sure your child is safe.  (This doesn't mean lock them in the closet although we are all tempted aren't we  LOL).  If you are in the house and she just gets up, you can either put her back in the same spot or if that doesn't work try a high chair that you can strap her into.  One more step that most people forget - She must apologize to you for her behavior before she gets out of time out.  With a strong willed child this may be a bit trying at first but she must acknowledge her bad behavior and show some respect to you for acting inappropriately.  As she gets more accustomed to this routine, you can use it as a teaching tool to talk about how she could handle it better next time.

This is really phase 2 of time outs.
Using time out with positive/negative reinforcement:
If there are no tantrums, back talk, what ever is the hot issue today, basically no time outs you give positive reinforcement (don't expect this for a while at first  LOL).    A small toy, piece of candy, time with mommy, go to the playground, play a video game, read a book - whatever you know she'll enjoy.  Just something to acknowledge her good behavior.   Now for the negative reinforcement (yuck!)  Please don't use this until you have gotten timeouts working successfully.  It's just too much for them to handle at first. Time outs don't seem to be working or there is a rash of bad behavior.  Some children have a special toy or blanket that makes them feel secure DO NOT use it with negative reinforcement.  Take away something that is meaningful to them, a toy, a privilege, TV time, video game time (never your time).

Be consistent - bad behavior = time out with an apology.  This goes for Daddy too!!  This does not include siblings.  You may discipline her for bad behavior toward her brother/sister but they may not.  YOU are the parents.  Once she realizes that she will not get her way and that there are negative consequences with bad behavior she'll change her tune. It will be very time consuming at first but it will change within a week or two if you keep at it. 

As for the clothes thing, it sounds like she is trying to be a bit more independent, which believe it or not is a good thing.
Picking clothes is a privilege that you can offer to her if she behaves like a big girl - big girls get to pick their own clothes but big girls also don't throw tantrums or talk disrespectfully to mommy.  Don't make it a crazy "we change our clothes 6 times" thing.  Here are 3 outfits to choose from you pick one.  You can be a little flexible if she wants to mix and match, but draw the line about picking from the closet and anything that isn't weather appropriate.  Once she picks that is it, no negotiating or changing her mind.   If she refuses to pick (for whatever reason) use the 1 min rule.  "You have 1 min to pick or mommy will pick."   End of story.

Girls are communicators so talk, talk, talk, talk - that doesn't mean negotiates and there will be times when the answer is no but that is part of being a parent.

Good luck 

Making a Difference One Book at a Time www.suesbooks.info 

It sounds like you need Nanny 911.  I love that show.  
Cheer up.  Many kids go through that stage.  It is time to set the standards and be consistent.  Sit down and talk with your husband about it.  It needs to be something that you both agree on.  Hitting and screaming do not help.  In fact it makes things worst.  Having time out is a good way to get them to change their behavior. Be consistent and firm.  When they step out of their time out before the time is up, be firm and place them back there.  Let her know why she is there and that you still love her, but it is not acceptable behavior.  When time is out, have her give you a hug and talk with her about why she had time out.  Be loving, firm, consistent.  Good luck. 

Making an Essential Difference
www.suesbooks.info

It sounds like the only way that you are going to get things under control is to defuse the situation.  I am a mother of 3 so I know a little something about crazy mornings.  Try letting her pick out her clothes the night before also try and think of any morning duties that you can take care of the night before.  This will make you less frustrated and frantic in the morning. It also leaves some extra time for you to spend with your little sweetie. that might be exactly what she is trying to tell you. GOOD LUCK

Instead of the terrible two's it should be the terrible three's, four's and five's! To me it sounds like there are some underlying things going on. Are you getting enough quality time with her? By quality time, I mean where it is just the two of you doing whatever she would like to do. Also, pre-schoolers like to have some control, are there situations inwhich you can give her a choice? I love the suggestion to let her pick out her own clothes the night before. Sometimes we need to let them win small battles.

As for spanking, every family has to make a decision on that one. In our house, we have a no spanking policy, but I have to admit it is hard because there are times when you do just want to spank them!!!

We also tend to focus on the child's behavior, but I found my daughter tends to act up when I am stressed out. Kids pick up on what is going on in the home, they are like little sponges. When she does have a tantrum, take a deep breath and stay calm, remind yourself she is a child and she isn't trying to drive you crazy on purpose.

Lastly, our little ones love, love, love a consistant schedule and routine the more you can keep them on a routine the better. They need to get plenty of sleep. Is she getting good naps at daycare? Are you keeping her nap schedule the same on the weekend? Does she have a night time ritual and bedtime?

Please email me at mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com, if you need anymore help.

Well sounds like you are in the traumatic threes.  That is what my Aunt calls them.  She said its the Terrible Twos and the Traumatic Threes.  I would suggest the book "The Happiest Toddler on the Block" Dr. Harvey Karp.  It was a life saver for our house.  Tracy Hogg's Toddler Book is great too, she wrote the now famous Baby Whisper.  Also worked great for us.  When it comes to decisions I would give her choices of what she can wear, pick two outfits, let  her decide which one, you are in control of the situation and she has two healthy picks to choose from.  Also, break down the barrier of language, keep your sentences simple and fragmented, not baby talk but simple talk...its a chapter in the Karp book and it worked wonders on our toddler.  Whatever you choose we wish you all the luck!  It sounds like she is right on target in her emotional development, so when you aren't about to pull your last hair out, lower your arms and pat yourself on the back for getting her this far! 

always amy
mama to Grayson and Cooper

always amy
mama to a madhouse
Grayson, Cooper and Adelaide

Id say give a few choices such as..do you want these jeans or these jeans? And then when she can stay dressed all morning give her a sticker for a reward chart. After a 3 days of dressing she gets a trip with mom to the dollar store or something together.
I usually walk away from tantrums or put them in their room and then walk away. No more attention. If they start at the store walk out or quickly finish and go home. I dont fight back or argue.
My 10 yr old still throws an occasional fit and nothing ever works but letting her get all her steam out!

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