My turn for help/opinions! Ages & Stages

Diane1212 · 10-06-05, 12:06 PM

OK, I'm sure that Annie is just a typical 3 year old, but she is driving me crazy! I've learned that staying calm is the best way to handle her, if I start yelling or getting upset the whole situation just escalates.

But there's one thing that I just can't seem to figure out what to do. If I tell/ask her to do something that she doesn't want to do, she will run away from me. I'll repeat my request and she just keeps running. I hate running after her and making it a chase game, but that's usually what happens. This morning I was chasing her around and around the kitchen table to get her dressed! I'm sure it was quite comical from an outsider's view, but I was so angry!

I knowI should not chase her, and probably do something like the 1-2-3 thing, but in situations like this morning, I don't have time to put her on time out. This seems like such a dumb question but I can't seem to resolve this one on my own!

MomOf4Monkeys · 10-06-05, 12:36 PM

Gosh, Diane, I'm hoping you get some good advice, so I can use it, too!

Most of the time I don't have problems with Andrew, but when we do, it's invariably when we're in a rush to get out of the house. And you're right, a timeout it useless then. Sometimes, I am able to reason with him and tell him about the things we can do when we get back home. Or let him pick a small toy to take in the car with him. Usually, these work, but not always and then I just start yelling (I know, not the best answer).

I have to admit though, I've never chased my kids around the table! I know it was stressful to you at the time and I'm sorry it happened, but it paints a pretty funny picture from the outside!

Hang in there. I always found 3 to be the most trying age - followed closely by 5. And they won't be those ages forever....

2babygirls · 10-06-05, 01:18 PM

Why is it that the more hurry you are in the slower they are?

Would Annie care if she went to school in her pj's & had to get dressed at school? Would that be a threat that worked? I don't know about Lea but Rachel would be terribly embarrased. If so I'd just grab her & put her in the car & bring the clothes with you & explain to the teacher why you are doing what you are.

janney · 10-06-05, 06:59 PM

I love Sharyn's advice!

How about dress her in her school clothes before she goes to sleep? Sound unconventional but I bet it will work! Can you take away something she really loves if she doesn't cooperate?

Or get up way earlier but I know you won't like that!

harquak · 10-07-05, 10:16 AM

I'm still in that mess with Joshua

and he is going to be five - not much help is it? But with the dressing thing - I stopped fighting with him in the morning - I put his clothes out at night and showed him where they were (on the couch) - I put the responsibility on him to get dressed - well he went to day care two days in his pj's (I refused to dress him) and that put an end to it as the other kids poked fun at him...

I think it is the last child syndrome... They want to be babied and independant at the same time...