Three Year Olds Can Be Quite Difficult, Actually.

12th May 2015

I didn’t think having a three year old would be easy, of course. But on turning three years old my little one seemed to suddenly grow up quite a bit and became a little girl as opposed to a toddler. After the rather challenging ‘terrible two’s’ I enjoyed having proper conversations with her, and her being able to do more things for herself. But my goodness, three year olds can be difficult.

Three Year Old Ava

I have found this last couple of weeks quite stressful with her and I keep shouting. Too much. I don’t like it at all; she’s three after all. A lovely little young girl just trying to find her way in the world with an impatient mummy who yells too much right now. I’m struggling. She just won’t listen to me and I can repeat something over and over again and then eventually when I’ve got up close to her and said it for the seventh time, she’ll say “yeah?”, like a question, like I’ve just said her name for the first time, like I literally haven’t been speaking to her for the last sixty seconds (it would at least be slightly better if she said “yes”). It’s the most frustrating thing in the world. It’s like I don’t exist. And it makes me so cross; I have a short temper which I’m not proud of but I struggle to control it when she is like this. I’m just so tired and tired of her being like this.

It’s like she has gone from a more grown-up little girl who is nice and polite and fun to be with, to this little monster who thinks she can do what she wants and does do what she wants. I know she is probably just testing her boundaries and being a typical little person, but the way she completely blanks me like I have not said a word is so hard to take. It’s been so bad that I have actually questioned whether there is suddenly something wrong with her hearing. It has been that bad. But I don’t think there is; she mainly does it just with me. Maybe she has just learnt to switch off from me. I don’t blame her to be honest.

I thought it would get better once she started nursery – that having other people regularly disciplining her and asking her to do things and having to listen to others would help her behaviour at home. I thought that not having the carers full attention constantly and having to share their attention would help. But actually it’s made it worse. Maybe because she has to fight for attention or at least share it at nursery she thinks I should be at her beck and call at home.

It might sound like I am making a big deal out of nothing and I know it could be worse; she could be going round hitting people or swearing like a sailor, and I am grateful for that. But it is really affecting me at the moment. The majority of the time I have to stop what I’m doing, go over to her and sit in front of her and speak to her and even then if she has something to say she may just talk over me. I was enjoying being able to ask her to go to the loo before we go out or to put her toys away or get dressed, but she just ignores me now or has a HUGE mardy and won’t move.

I am sure it is just a stage in the growing up process, and that soon I will have my lovely little polite, friendly and nice girl back, but meanwhile she is pushing me to my limits. I am trying my best not to yell at her, I really am. But it’s hard. I think I need to do more yoga.

Three year olds are difficult.

Linking up with PoCoLo.

6 responses to “Three Year Olds Can Be Quite Difficult, Actually.”

  1. It is so hard at this age, I know everyone says it but it does get easier. well until they hit their teenage years! x

  2. Sue Collier says:

    It’s not just you babe, she is definitely pushing her boundaries with me TOO! It’s like she’s suddenly reached a whole new phase of growing up. I think it’s because she’s so clever; hmm, where did she get that from?

    Fingers crossed she starts listening to us again soon!

  3. Don’t be too hard on yourself! I constantly test my mummy’s boundaries. x sounds like you are finding a way to deal with it…keep going and be strong xx #PoCoLo

  4. Threenager! I have experienced the same and it does get better after. Hang in there. Sending you hugs! #pocolo

  5. I feel your pain! My 3 yr old drives me crazy a lot of the time too. We will get through this! Amy x

  6. i can so relate to this post! My little girl turned 3 in April and has also developed selective hearing. If she’s watching TV while she ignores me, I’ll pause it until she turns around – but if it’s not TV related I’ve taken to clapping my hands in the hope of getting her attention. It works sometimes.
    She’s also started stamping her foot or banging her fist if she doesn’t like something, which I don’t enjoy. I’ve started responding with “we don’t do that in this house!”
    Sounds horrible, but I’m really glad to read this post and find it’s not just me who’s dealing with a selectively deaf 3 year old! I worry about her hearing too but it works well enough when I’m saying something she wants to know about (eg “who wants an ice cream!”)
    Oh, I should probably also mention a blog post I wrote earlier this week about another way of dealing with behaviour… see the link in the CommentLuv below!

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