Whine, whine, whine
Ane is driving me insane. I’m not sure if it’s her age, or just her personality (probably a little bit of both), but everything around here is a drama moment waiting to happen.
Case in point: I finally let her play with a Cinderella toy set that she received for Christmas from the Captain. She was whining and bugging Tad, so I removed her from the situation, took her to her room, and set her up with this new toy.
She loves this new toy, but I am not fond of it. The doll is tiny, which means there are tiny little pieces that can be easily lost, and Ane’s three-year-old fingers can’t dress this tiny doll (which does not actually have real clothes, but a kind of rubber polymer bodice and then a cloth skirt that I can barely get on the doll). And I have made the concrete rule that this toy must stay in Ane’s room, because some of these pieces are just asking to be eaten, and Tad would offer his services.
So, I pack away this toy every night, or every time she’s done playing with it, only to have this happen…
Ane woke up this morning, came and woke me up, and demanded her Cinderella toy. I asked her if she could wait, at which point she burst into tears. “But I want my toy!” she wailed.
It seems like every time I ask her to:
– wait
– stop hitting/shoving
– eat a meal
– go potty
– take a nap
– turn off the TV
– not do something that’s annoying…
… there are tears. Large, copious crocodile ones. I’m signing this kid up for theater, because she can cry at the drop of a hat.
Anyone out there got any ideas on how to minimize the drama around here (short of giving her her own way all the time)? I am so not looking forward to her teen years at the moment.
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February 7th, 2007 17:02
My wife and I have been grappling with the toddler version of the crying when they don’t get anything. When it happens we literally turn our back on the kid – refusing to give in or give them any attention until they stop crying. We are seeing some improvement but I think the key is to show the kid who’s boss. That means being willing to put up with A LOT of crying. Good luck.
February 8th, 2007 10:23
I know this feeling very well! It’s hard not to give in just for a quiet life, and I admit to having done this on more than one occasion… the best thing I can recommend though is as Matthew above said, and that’s to just say no, ignore the tantrums and walk away – preferably in the vicinity of the nearest glass of wine!!!