Friday, March 13, 2009

The Punisher

LLB is three ... forget the terrible twos, this three year old business is much worse. There are days when I feel like I'm at my wit's end and can't deal with it anymore. My biggest complaint is she won't listen, shocking for a three year old I know! But seriously, I find myself repeating things at least 5 times and it KILLS me!

I'm efficient, I'm a multi-tasker and I HATE repeating myself. DETEST IT! So herein the problem lies ... even if I recognize that her doing something on the first shot isn't necessarily realistic, I cannot take having to repeat myself that many times. Timeouts are a regular in this house, for a kid who used to see the timeout chair once or twice a week at most, she's now averaging 2-4 times a day!

The part I hate the most is I'm fairly certain that I'm not setting a good example. It can't be good that I give her a million chances to do something I want her to do. And it especially can't be good when I threaten her with punishment (for example: "if you don't pick up those toys" -- on the 5th time of asking -- "I will throw them out" -- then as I pick them up to trash them she freaks out and actually snaps to it).

I know I'm not the first, and not the last, to go through this. And I know that what she's doing is right on par with her age. But I need some help with how to punish her properly and effectively because at this rate she's going to be on timeout until she's 12.

If you have punishment or even parenting tips for how to handle this please, please, PLEASE share them!

Three Is Not Company,
Bronwyn