These kids are going to drive me to DRINK!

From the time the girls get up in the morning until they go to bed they are screaming, fighting, grabbing at each other, whining, getting into something. I SWEAR I am going to lose it. This is worse than when they were newborns, by far!!! I was in the laundry room that is right next to the kitchen throwing a load in and I come out the whole kitchen is basically FLOODED. They pushed the cold water button on the absopure machine and let it all out!!!! I had to get freshly clean towels that I had JUST folded to clean up the mess. Immediatly after that mess they of course wanted to play with the same toy (out of ALL the crapload of toys they have) so Soph was grabbing Lola in the face, knocking her down on the ground, pinching at her. They are both screaming. UGH. Repeat that ALL day here.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there something else I should be doing? They DON'T listen to me, ever. I feel like all I do all day long is yell at them, and nothing is fun to do with them. Every activity I try to do with them turns into a fight. My DP is so much better with them right now, he's been taking them to the cider mill and park while I am at work. I do those things too but they are still so awful for me.

I am off to cry now...

 

:drinks:

 

:drinks: Here! Have a couple on ME! :drinks:

I personally would 'count' them and just keep putting them in time outs or try separating them for play. I would use the superyard or something to physically keep them away from each other. I don't know if that's possible, but worth a shot! :hug99: Check their mouths too, they might be getting those 2 yr. molars!!

OH! AND....time to update your tickers!! I KNOW they are not just two!

 

It's going on here too! I've gone so far as to pour a glass of wine and leave it on the kitchen counter within my eyesight so it serves as my reward when they are all tucked into bed.

I stopped counting (even though I love "1-2-3 Magic") because they were counting back at me and thinking it was hilarious. They get one warning (I usually say something like "this is your warning") and then they go to TO. Natalie is good about staying, Gabe sometimes has to be put in his old booster seat. It's a long day with lots of timeouts but I'm just trying to be consistent.

You are certainly not doing anything wrong. It's a tough age. Hang in there and go enjoy a much needed drink :drinks:

 

We have days like that here too! And my girls are about the same age....

I try to get outside alot (fenced yard) and that tends to alleviate the worst of 'she is touching me' stuff. Also 2 serperate activities (each has a puzzle, book, toys etc) get rid of some fighting. We have days with no Time outs and some with A LOT!

Hope it gets better soon!

KC

 

I am right there with you! My girls have really been driving me crazy lately too. I just want to scream most days! It's a good thing they are so darn cute! I think I am ready for them to be 3 already! Kara & Kiley do go to preschool twice a week for 3 hours, so that is a big sanity saver for me. Hang in there!

Nell

 

I am glad to hear that it is not just my 2! And that girls fight too!! I know mine are cutting their molars right now, so I guess that is one reason for the increase in fighting. I finally held them down last night to clip their nails so they wouldn't have such bad scratches on their face! What is the deal about grabbing each others face?!?!? Luke has also started to throw his food again! And whenever he is done, he throws his bowl or plate on the floor. AHHH!! Last night he was eating some macaroni I had left on the table in the bowl I heated it up in (crock type ceramic bowl). He was out of his chair because I thought he was finished. Then he climbed up on the bench and decided to have some more. There was only a little left, and I was cleaning off the table, so I let him eat it out of the bowl. Big mistake!! I went to put something in the trash, and CRASH, he threw it on the floor! It didn't break that bad, but it broke and there were pieces all over the floor. So I had to get out the floormate to clean it up! There is never ever a dull moment in our house!!
My poor Mom watches them 3 days a week, and she was just about to pull her hair out yesterday!
I always say they are going to drive me to drinking!! I found that Cruzan Black Cherry Rum is really good with Coke or Sprite Zero! :drinks: Cheers!!

 

I posted in the Buddy Club (come join us!) about how they are into everything lately. They used to be pretty good about leaving stuff alone, but now they just get into everything. In the past few weeks, I've had to get rid of the changing table because they were climbing it, the diaper pail, they get into the diapers and wipes, tissues, the kitchen trash, laundry, opening cabinets, doors, etc. I feel like screaming "Stop touching everything!!" I guess I need to do a second round of babyproofing. I cannot leave them alone for a minute when they are somewhere other than the family/playroom.
The fighting over the stupidest toy gets old too. I swear, they were fighting over a sock today.

What keeps me from losing it is getting out of the house and going outside. We have to go somewhere every day. We also joined a Mom's Club which provides us with lots of opportunities to play with other kids their age, and me to talk to adults. Sending them to preschool has been wonderful too. It's only two hours a day, twice a week, but it's a nice break for me and they really enjoy it.

Wish we lived closer, we could get together and turn them loose at the park or something!

 

All I can really say is hang in there, and do your best to lay down the law. It's a rough age and they're trying to find their "place" in the world - which means they're testing their "rank" against each other, and with you.

Try to find new experiences for them. They bore easily, so giving them something new makes them not think about "testing" you so much for the moment. For us, it was memberships at the zoo and the local science museum. The museum was nice because they have a big enclosed "kiddie room" which is just a big play area. If you have something like that in your area I highly recommend it - although it can be a little overwhelming at first by yourself if the girls take off in different directions. Go in the middle of the week when it's not so busy, and it's easier to keep an eye on the kids from a distance if they separate. After a while for us it was easier to talk one into going over to see what the other was doing. For me, even taking them for a walk through the mall was a nice break once in a while.

I can totally relate to the "yelling all the time" thing. I felt like I yelled all the time at that age, too. But I figured it's a whole lot better than smacking your kids all the time - and I felt it paid off as our kids are pretty well behaved for 3 year olds. Doesn't mean you have to punish them constantly, but being careful to carry it out if you threaten it, and don't let them turn punishment into a game. It's kinda like having a dog at that age. Be firm, gentle, and consistent with their boundaries.

It does get better. Hang in there!

--> Andy

 

Sounds like my whole year with my two... it hasn't gotten better yet