Terrible 2's are killing me...anyone have any tips???

[almostthere]

My daughter is almost 3 (10/31) and I am having the worst time through the terrible 2's. I have a 6 year old so I have been here done this before. But I cant seem to stop her tantrums. And needless to say it's driving me crazy. I wont spank my kids so thats not an option. Time outs dont work. Taking things away makes her scream louder but I know I can't give in either. Any tricks or tips would help. I think she is in major need of Prozak....lol Maybe thats the difference between little boys and little girls. I can't wait until this period is over!!!

[Thor]

My ex and I bought some protective head gear that people use for shooting. They block out noise rather effectively. The important thing to remember here is that it's just a phase and she will grow out of it once she has figured out that it does nothing to help her situation. You've lived through this before, and you'll live through it again. My oldest used to throw tantrums that I could swear could be heard by our neighbors. Once she noticed that her mom and I weren't paying attention to her while she was screaming the tantrums had slowly desisted.

[luvmyboys]

Best advice I can give is to put her in her room; close the door and let her scream, she'll get tired of it eventually if you just ignore her. I know it's hard and I felt I was losing my mind at times when the children were small. But, it is just a phase and when your kids turn into teens it's a whole 'nother world of problems, and some that are quite serious to deal with. What I'd give to have my boys under age 5 again now. You'll look back years from now and tantrums will seem a pleasure compared to the stress and worry you will face when they seek their independence and do things that dissapoint. It's something every parent goes through, so as hard as it seems now; don't sweat the small stuff. Be glad you have some control over them still.

[jalexy]

im not a mother, but i am in school learning about early childhood, currently. i guess all you can do is what you already know- its all about reacting and not reacting. when she does something bad, you want to show her not to do it again. liek someone said, put her in a room and leave her there. or sometimes, just dont react, just ignore. the worst thing you can do is encourage such behavior. just know its all going to end at some point if you keep standing your ground.

[ilovemybabies]

I understand you pain. But, I discipline with spanking for out and out temper fits, and it seems to be effective. So I probably cannot help you. But, ignoring will sometimes work for some kids, I have heard.

 

No matter the discipline method, being consistent is the key to success.

[meanon]

My youngest is almost 3 and oldest 5 both girls but very different. With me it is the eldest that had the tantrums. They eased as she got older but I suspect she will always have a tendency to histrionics.

 

Starting school has helped a lot. We found time out worked for bad behaviour but not for tantrums. She wasn't doing it to get attention but because she felt things so deeply and got overwhelmed. She needed help and comfort to regain control. She is also ecstatically happy a lot of the time.

 

Mostly what helped was continuing to talk about the problem calmly and encouraging her to do the same. Distraction and bribery were also very effective.

 

You may get good ideas from others but trust your instincts about which things will work best for your child - you know her best.

 

It gets a lot easier when they are three there are many more activities for them to do, they develop so fast and can cope with so much more without blowing a fuse. It will get easier!!!