Nearly three year old lunatics

Well I just read the posts about the Gemelli twins with strep throat and feel a little better-only because I don't feel so alone in this situation. Just have to vent, if no one replies-that's ok too!
My girls have gone crazy and I'm not sure at what point it is far beyond the terrible twos because we are nearly three and no sign of improvement really. They whine for everything. They fight and
compete constantly. If I set up something like painting for them, one will always steal something from the other and chaos ensues. However, in public they are not that bad. In fact, they can be downright lovely at someone else's house. But when they are home with my husband and I it is crazy. Not only that, we have a four month old baby boy who is wonderful but unfortunately is a cat napper and needs a lot of daytime attention too. I am a SAHM and have been since the girls were born, and I fear they are turning into the dreaded 'spoiled brats'. Like, NOTHING is good enough and no rules apply to them. I told them ten times to stop coming upstairs when I put the baby to nap, and they did, so I locked the gate at the top of the stairs and my one DD started screaming at the top of her lungs-therefore waking the baby who had an awful day starting from that nap.
We try timeouts which sometimes work, sometimes not. I take things away ALL THE TIME. Like toys, activities, etc. However, it seems like if they are acting up and fighting and I take away the issue hthey are fighting about, they don't care anyway and move on to the next toy and next fight. IS THIS NORMAL??? They are due to start preschool in two weeks and I am feeling that I will have the worst behaved lunatic children there. I am SO TIRED and no longer enjoying their company. The only time I feel relaxed is when I go to sleep, if someone isn't waking me with whining that is, and also when I am alone with my son because he is so darn cute and a real pleasure. This is really, really tough. Sigh.

 

I could have written your post...your kids sound like my kids. It was as if someone flipped a switch when they turned 3...all the sudden my sweet kids turned into terrors. They are very good out in public but at home we have really good days and really bad days. I think a lot of it is the new awareness that they can assert themselves, so they will. They know how to push our buttons and so they do.
The only thing that I found that has worked is being consistent with discipline, even if I have to say and do the same thing 100x. I still do time outs and put toys in time outs and if the undesired behavior doesn't cease, they keep getting time outs and the toys stay in time out longer.
It's also hard with a new baby in the house, they could also be reacting to their new baby brother as well-they don't have your full attention anymore because they have to share it with a new brother.
You are not alone, I've been counting down the days until my two turn 4 and I will say as my two get into the late 3's, we seem to be having more better days then awful ones.

 

Wow, I have noticed the exact same thing! My guys had some moderate brattiness in their 2s, but it's like the week they turned 3 they turned into raving lunatics!! :gah: Timeouts don't work (they just laugh and won't sit down), redirection doesn't work any more (they're super stubborn), and every word that comes out of their mouths is NO! But when I say "no", I get "don't say no, say yes!". <_<

They've also started to hit, kick, push, headbutt, etc. when they don't want to do something. I swear I have bruises all over my body. I'm tired of fighting with them about every.single.thing.every.single.day.

I don't know if this is normal, but I feel EXACTLY the same way. I do love my children a lot, but right now I don't always LIKE them and I am exhausted. We're also starting preschool soon, and I have the same concerns. Then again, I'm hoping that by interacting with all these other children and adults, they'll come to realize that the world does NOT revolve around them, and it will inspire some much-needed humility!

 

My husband and I joke that we need to just live in the public! Then they would always be good. I have no advice, but a ton of sympathy!!!! :grouphug:

 

This is scarying me! Mine turn 3 in a week and I already thought 2 was bad enough. One of mine has started just screaming at the top of his lungs when he doesnt get his way - like some spoiled brat who always gets what he wants - which he doesnt. I dont know where this came from but it is SO embarassing when he does it in front of others. And the hitting - oh man - its getting SO old.

 

Sounds like every day at my house to be honest. They don't listen and it's a big tantrum if we say no or make them do something. DS is much better than DD though (ie, 2 tantrums a day vs 50), so I'm sure it's also a personality thing.

 

HUGE SIGH. Yes, I know exactly how you feel (minus a 4 month old). My DS has just started in the "NO, NO, NO" coupled with hitting phase. It drives me crazy. Up until this point my kids never hit. And I am so tired of the refusal to agree to anything. I swear if I really want something I just ask for the opposite now. Sadly, I have no advice as I am feeling tired and lost on this one too.

However, one piece of good news....my kids go to daycare part time and apparently they are good as gold. Little monsters (bless them) at home but the exact opposite there. So I wouldn't worry about them being the worst behaved. ;-)