tantrum and whine

Sometimes I think this babycenter company has cameras set up and they e-mail you according to what it going on in your house at the time! They have always hit it spot on, and to be honest it's a lil creepy sometimes!
I think I may have said one too many times how much I was loving three, because something happened at three and a half, and it ain't pretty.

Your 3-year-old now
"She's 3, but still having tantrums. Although she's older, when she's upset she's every bit as emotionally primitive as she was as a toddler. (And, brace yourself — it's not unusual for occasional tantrums to pop up through the fours and beyond.) When your child is in full-meltdown mode, don't try to reason with her, no matter how advanced her language skills are. Stay calm, even detached. Raised voices and anger only escalate the situation. If you can, ignore her. If you're in public, try to remove her to your car or some other more private, less overwhelming place.

In one important way, handling a tantrum with a 3-year-old is different: Giving in is especially risky at this age because it sets a dangerous precedent — your child is able to remember that pitching a fit can work. For instance, she screams because she doesn't want to pick up her toys so you let it slide, or she flails when she can't have candy in the checkout aisle, so you give in "just this once" to hush her up. If you cave, you teach her that screaming works and that all limits are flexible — probably not the kind of discipline messages you're aiming for.

A great prevention technique: Reward your child when you see her handling frustration or disappointment in a mature way. "Wow, I like how you didn't fuss one bit when I asked you to help pick up the toys on the floor before going outside."


Yep, that's us. Grace is more of the tantrum-er and just plain cranky lately, and Klaire is whiney (they have had a nasty cold for the past week or so, so I'm trying to give them some slack). If there's one thing I can't handle it's a constant whine. Wine on the other hand....anyway, we're trying really hard ot stand our ground, and time out is still pretty effective. I've even been known to take them home and promptly put them on time out from the car. May seem a bit over the top, but I think they are old enough to be accountable.  We can't wait for spring and some outside play time...I think it will do wonders for all of us! 

I gotta find those cameras!