When do they get their ears back?

I'm talking about listening to us when we tell them things? Does it ever happen or is it gone forever? Many know that we are renovating our new house and today I was staining our new stairs (they are the treads so I was in the garage and putting them outside to dry) I was limited on space so I found some old shelves and put the freshly stained stairs on them. My mom was there and was helping watch the kids (she has a broken heel and is in a wheelchair but she can keep an eye on them for me) Anyways, I told them all morning not to touch the stairs b/c they are wet. They usually listen pretty well. We just finished painting so they know what "wet" means.

Well I'm nearly done doing about 45 or so stairs. It took me about 3-4 hours to get them done (constantly doing them, no break) and I look over and K found a paint brush and a bucket of water and was painting my stairs with water :woah: Needless to say she ruined 6 stairs that now have to be re-sanded and re-stained. I was so angry at her. She was sent to time out for a long time (probably 15 mins, I know too long but I was so mad that I didn't want to even look at her) After she was done, she said she was sorry and gave me a hug (which of course made up for it ) but still...they use to listen so well..what happened? Is this a phase? PLEASE tell me it's a phase....

 

I'll let you know when (if) it happens.

 

:gah: I'd be mad too! I'm sorry that happened.

As for the listening, I'm hoping they start listening again soon. <_< My dd is the best at tuning me out all together. She usually starts hearing me when I say "time out". :lol:

 

Oh noooo!!! That's such a bummer!!

 

Lately my trick is to make them repeat back what I say before leaving the issued command. That seems to help a bit.

 

I think they're still toddlers in a lot of ways. One thing I found helpful during the toddler stage was to remember that they just weren't capable of overruling their impulses a lot of the time. You can tell them "Don't throw all the toilet paper in the toilet" and they know they're not supposed to, but they just do it anyway. Just like when we tell ourselves "Don't eat one more potato chip" and then eat it anyway. :ibiggrin:

So, 3yos are much better at listening and remembering, but something like the temptation to paint a whole bunch of stairs was probably just too much for her. I would have been really mad too! But that's how they learn to control their impulses -- by getting in trouble when they don't.

As for mine, they can be completely deaf to all requests for them to do something, until the moment I say, "OK, then I'm going to do it myself" -- at which point they jump up and start screaming "NOOOO! I want to do it!!!!"

 

Sorry bout the steps. Patrick is 19, I'll let you know when he finds his on a regular basis. He's better than when he was 3 but...

 

:gah: :grr: I'm SO SORRY TO HEAR IT!!!! :hug: I can imagine it's especially hard with the health issues and such that you have to contend with!

I"m afraid it's going to be about 20 yrs. old?! :cry: