Monday, August 18, 2008

Terrible Threes

Joshua is my wild child. I've never denied that and have always admitted he's been far more daring then his older brother ever thought about being. Recently he has taken up temper tantrums, biting, throwing things and saying words such as "Poo-Poo" and "Stupid". I understand the word poo poo since that is a word we commonly use in this household such as "Joshua, do you have a poo poo diaper?". Stupid, however, is not a word we use in our household which leads me to believe he picked it up from a movie, television show or better yet one of our playmates.

I'm having a hard time with discipline actions with Joshua. We started out with time outs and time in the corner. We then progressed to spanks on the butt (with diaper or pull-up on, of course). Then I started putting him in time out in his room, which went over like a dead weight considering he has free reign of the toy box in there. Sigh. So, I just don't know what to do with him anymore. He's really been bad lately and my pregnancy hormones mixed with a whiny, badly behaved three year old just do not mix! I keep hoping and praying that it's just a phase he's going through and that things will get better.

So, tell me your two/three year old horrible acts stories. Please make me laugh because Lord knows Joshua is about to make me pull every strand of my hair out!

5 comments:

Candy said...

I hear ya! Luke loves to tell me how so and so from school called him a poo-poo head. I'm having a hard time believing that it wasn't really Luke doing the name calling. No advice for you, but if you figure out something that works let me know.

Jerri Ann said...

Just wait til Big-J starts school. Little-J is going to stress the living life out of you. I had no clue that a sibling was going to act so bad just because his brother went to school.

I tried to make life as normal as possible last week. He would not play at all. All he did was pester and bug and do things he knew he wasn't allowed to do just to get me all in a fury.

So, my approach this week to try to do something special (outside the fact that everyday we do something special practically) each day and see if he acts any better. So far day one was a bust...

Well, I'd say he was 10% better to day but the 2 together were absolutely impossible the last 10 days or so. I considered tongue tying the oldest one so he wouldn't keep getting in trouble at school and then just duct taping the little ones hands together. Just kidding of course but my stars, what in the world is this kid thinking.

He started the terrible twos a little late....He was really an easy baby but once he got to kicking, stars alive, he is making me nuts.

He has a big dermabond spot on his head where he fell down the steps Friday before last and the glue is suppose to peel off except he won't let anyone touch it. He REFUSES to use the potty even with a brand new package of underwear on the fridge taunting him and his but being spanked part of the time AND lastly, the words, stupid and poopoo head (we say poop, not poo poo and he knows I don't substitute words because then we don't know when he is kidding and when he is being mean).

He even threw a chair at me a few weeks ago in the midst of a temper tantrum. We tried time out, we tried spanking and both of those just make him so mad that he starts throwing things. So, we put him in his room, there are a few toys but not many and if he throws them at least it isn't me they hit.

Oh and his latest thing...he wants to ride his bicycle with his feet on the handle bars. I even caught him climbing on the chest of drawers and jumping off and pulling the chain to the ceiling fan in his room. THE KID KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES. And, we are much tougher on him than we have ever been on Walker.

The thing is, Walker wants to please. He might do a few things now and again but he don't like for you to even verbally reprimand him because he is like his mommy and wants to please everyone and be perfect.

Jace don't give a rats ass about trouble, spankings, time-out, or broken bones and potty-mouth....nor does he have any intentions of using a toilet!

Whew, I feel better just telling you all that. Sorry! But, it seems we have 2 boys very similar so I thought it might make you feel better to know it is probably just his age, but I'm going to be in jail if he don't out grow the terrible twos sometime before his 4th b-day in November.

Chris said...

I think Josh and Jadyn are related. Jadyn spits all the time. Sometimes at me and Sue and sometimes just for the sake of spitting. I am about to sew her lips shut. Most of the time she acts like she belongs to Satan.....lol She has days that she is well behaved but they are far and few between. Jadyn also says Stupid, Dammn it, and Dumb ass( Sue likes to refer to the dog as this at times).... we can thanks Sue for the later two. I have no idea where stupid came from either. Of course, Jadyn is very well behaved around other people so when I tell them the way she acts I MUST be over reacting.
I have no suggestions. I don't even know what I am supposed to do with my own kid sometimes....lol I just want you to know that your not alone!!

Betsy McK said...

Not sure if I've left you a comment before, but I have 3 boys 5,3, and 11 months. We took a parenting class and brought this very issue up that you are speaking of to our counselors. Here is their website: http://www.settleformore.com/pg24.cfm
They said to act as if the word poo-poo etc. does not bother you and just tell them that if they would like to use those words then feel free to go in their room and say it all they want and when they are done to come back and be with the family. We did it consistently, just calmly acting as if it truly did not bother us, and the boys don't even think of saying it anymore. Basically they said that the more you acknowledge it the more reward for the child. The more they do it. Good luck!

Adie said...

Hi Aimee

As another mother with 3 boys, aged 16, 5 and 3 (yeah, a big gap, not through choice though), I'm very familiar with those words! As for the behaviour..we've been having a hard time of it lately, until a friend of mine gave me a tip that she's doing, and we've adapted it to suit us.
I found what I was doing was focussing constantly on the bad behaviour, and giving attention to all the bad behaviour (time-out, standing in the corner..whatever..it's still attention for the behaviour).

We now do "Jellybeans"..I explained that jellybeans would be given for anytime that they were good, or had good beheaviour. I have a stack of jellybeans, and two cups, one for each of them, and everytime they did anything even remotely good I praised them, and stuck a jellybean in their cup. Then after dinner, they can each have their cup of jellybeans. It's worked brilliantly, their behaviour changed within days, and they can now reign in their behaviour. We haven't had to use the jellybeans in a while, but I would definitely bring them back if I need to! It just helped them (and me) focus on the good behaviour rather than on the bad. HTH