Those with children

Totally in the same boat as you. I too have a 3 yo daughter and she can be such a pain! Some times I'm literally at my wits end (OK most of the time!) Anyway, we are working through this 1-2-3 Magic (you can get the book on amazon for pretty cheap) disipline program and it is helping, but being consistent seems to be the biggest key, regardless of the techinque. Just can't wait until 4!

Oh Honey, I was down the throat of all 3 of my kids lastnight, then saw my college son was up @3am posting on Facebook!! In looking back to when they were 3, I have to say their job is pretty much to challenge you. Probably what they still do at 18, 17, 14 & 12. Hmm...I haven't gotten far.

The only thing I will say to you is be patient. And keep that low tolerance level/have high expectations as to how they behave in the home & in public!

This too shall pass
This too shall pass (that one was for me)

have a wonderful day, hug your kids tight & continue to be the good mommy I know you are.

Every child is different and some are easier than others.

I would like to tell you that it ends, but in many cases it doesn't. I have a 9 year old daughter and a 4 month old son and she takes more energy from me then he does. And this is coming from strict, no nonsense parents ::sigh:: Good luck.....:ohwell:

Does anyone else find raising children is MUCH harder than they thought it would be?

Gosh yes. But I wouldn't trade it for anything! I only have a seven month old, but I am a fourth grade teacher. Are you a reader? These books have been VERY helpful to me:

1. The New Strong-Willed Child by James Dobson
2. Setting Limits with Your Strong-Willed Child: Eliminating Conflict by Establishing Clear, Firm and Respectful Boundaries by Robert J. MacKenzie
3. The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman
4. The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman

good books!

I have 3 boys and some days it is easier. but most days I think they just do things to drive me insane. there is no such thing as a perfect kid or a perfect parent so don't be to hard on yourself!!!

Does anyone else find raising children is MUCH harder than they thought it would be? I have one 3 year old daughter and she is literally driving me and my husband crazy. She's defiant and sassy. I feel like I spend all my time with her correcting her and threatening her with punishments (no cartoons, time out, etc) to get her to behave like a human being and we're both exhausted. She fights us on EVERYTHING. Doesn't want to eat, doesn't want to wear this, and brushing her teeth is a nightmare. We have to literally hold her down to brush them (she's already had 2 cavities). Doesn't want to go to bed, I could go on, but I'm sure you understand. I am very firm with her and let her know that her behavior will not be tolerated and I am consistent about it. It's just exhausting.

Does it ever end? Maybe I'm just not cut out for parenting. :sad:

This could be me! I have a 3yr old son and for the past 3 months we have been struggling with so much as you have. I hear that it is the "challenging 3's" and it is much harder than 2's. I am starting to wonder if I need to attend a disiplince class! This morning was horrrible. I will check on the book that one member suggested. We try many different things and none seem to be working really well at this point. sigh...

I have 5 year old identical twin girls... I feel your pain. I am a professional and university educated and on most days I wondered what the hell I had done to my life. I battled the madness by keeping them as busy as I possibly could. I joined the Y, accessed every progam I could and put them in the Y daycare while I worked out, for some well deserved mommy time. As for teeth brushing, it is what it is, get her an electric toothbrush, it works wonders (I have one with cavities and trust me a few freezings at the dentist and she brushes her teeth now and drinks water)

She will go to school soon and it will get better... You are not alone... and I'm sure you are doing a good job... we are so much harder on ourselves.

Hi... yep, I'm tracking with you. From time to time some of my children's (6) behaviors seem impossible to alter - they may be dangerous or simply irritating behaviors. But, for sure, the problems don't change very quickly and I'm eventually very frustrated - "batty." So, here's the advice I read somewhere that keeps coming back to me - "Work slowly and consistently on the behaviors that concern you the most. Change may take years." I think about how long it takes me to change the behaviors I have that I hate - and that is with me wanting the change for good, logical & intelligent reasons.
Give your daughter good reasons to change - WITHOUT emotionality. In my experience, the girl "drama" makes changing behaviors so hard - so I try my best to not bring any emotion to the discussion...
(:

I have 10 children ranging from 23-3. It is a hard job but the rewards and lessons learned are beyond anything I could have imagined when my husband and I started this journey all those years ago.

As an 'older' mom my best (unsolicited) advice to younger moms is train your children when they are young. Training is key to not only enjoying your children but liking them too. Children are meant to be enjoyed...sadly so many parents do not enjoy their children.

To the OP... your daughter is exerting her independence. She is rebelling against control and authority. Where possible, give her the opportunity to make choices. For example, if it is time to get dressed, tell her that she can pick out what she wants to wear that day. If it is dinner time and you want her to eat vegetables, let her pick out which vegetables to eat. With some kids, you almost have to have a degree in psychology to deal with them.

Trust me. I have two overly independent daughters myself. Giving them choices makes them feel as if they have some control over their own lives and reduces the frequency of rebellion. You will still have to deal with rebellion. She will never be a completely submissive, obedient child. But you can make it a little easier on yourself.

I didn't have those issues with my son, but when my daughter reached that age...holy guacamole! She was a little *kitten* sometimes! LOL What worked for me, was when I put her in pre-kindergarten (aka preschool). I put her in a private christian pre-k program. It was cheaper than regular daycare and was super close to my work. It took some extra work/attention but after a couple of months of pre-k, that helped TREMENDOUSLY. Keep in mind I did meet with her teacher before she started, so she was aware of her behavioral issues. She wouldn't say sorry, she didn't like sharing, she was a typical 3 y/o. She wasn't potty trained until about a month before she started pre-k.

I also found that turning stuff into a game (even brushing teeth) really helped. I bought a cheap egg timer and let her pick out her own tooth brush, little things like that.

On my days off, I would get her up at her reg time, and keep her on a schedule (breakfast, bath time/getitng dressed, etc..) and made sure I had stuff for her to do (playdoh, coloring, etc...) just to keep her occupied.

I also made sure she got LOTS of exercise, ya gotta wear those little twerps out so you can have some peace @ the end of the day. LOL

oh yea my darling little "angel" is a total nightmare!!!! shes 4 and to smart for her own good knows exactly how to push mines and partners buttons to were we want to pull our hair out and she just then walks away and smiles!!! the little diva she is. she also knows when im feeding my son whos 7 weeks that i cant go see were she is so she finds the chance to go into the bathroom to fill her pots and pans up with water and soap and take them to her room :grumble:

shes also got some attitude! she has an answer for everything

we count to three and if shes not done as told shes told shes put to bed for a few mins or no treats when partner gets hom frm work i now get to 2 and a half an shes usually done as shes asked

god help me when shes a teen :sad:

Anyone read "Parenting with Love and Logic"?

Is it worth it?

My problem isn't really with my son, he's surprisingly well behaved. My issue is MYSELF and my tendency to overreact to EVERYTHING! Any suggestions?