Age 3

[misfitinmn]

I am beginning to think that children are injected with a serum at birth that ripens at age 3 and turns them into some kind of psychotic monster with a weird Jekyll/Hyde thing going on. Is anyone else living with a 3 year old and in constant fear of the rapid and extreme mood shifts?!

Last night, Matthew (age, you guessed it, 3!) was up crying like 4 different times starting at 3:30 in the morning. And I mean scream crying, like it sounded like someone had torn off a limb. So the first time, I went in to see what was wrong (running! Because of the screams.) and the problem was in his bedtime rage, he had thrown his flashlight from his bed (and somehow slept without it for 7 hours) and he needed it immediately.

The second time, his screams were as urgent, and I was a little less so. He was allowing about 30 minutes between these "episodes" which was JUST enough for me to start drifting back to sleep. This time, he wanted to snuggle with his stuffed puppy. Which was about 4 inches away from his face. He just needed to let me know, I guess.

Time #3 was that the nightlight was creating a shadow on the wall. So I unplugged it.

Time #4 was an urgent need to have his little Mario car (think Hot Wheels size) right next to him on his pillow.

Every. single. time. He screamed like he was in the midst of a life threatening emergency.

I need your best "3 year olds are crazy" stories. Or really, any crazy stories! Let's hear 'em!

[YepBrook]

Thankfully, most of my memories from the 3's with my kiddos are blissfully absent from my mind. God is good. Hahaha....

[misfitinmn]

I question whether that particular blessing will happen for me. I can hope. Maybe it's because I'm in the midst of it with Matthew, but I can still recall the horrors of age 3 with Ben, too.

I WILL say, when not in the throes of an irrational tantrum, he is the sweetest thing. Which I think is a survival mechanism, he needs to rebuild my small stores of patience once in awhile.

[YepBrook]

I do remember being in the fetal position crying. Many times.

Oh yes... for us it was pretty much battles over everything they once did as 2 year old's just fine. But I can't remember specifics. I do know my kids were master arguers and still are to this day. But at 3 they argued without reason and it always ended in a meltdown.

[BrattyMeg]

3=way worse than 2

and by way worse i mean wayyyyyy worse

[farrijc]

I'm with Brook, I can't remember any specifics (I have three kids), but I definitely remember wondering why in the heck you always hear about the terrible twos when the threes are so much worse

[mariewilcox]

Originally Posted by farrijc

I'm with Brook, I can't remember any specifics (I have three kids), but I definitely remember wondering why in the heck you always hear about the terrible twos when the threes are so much worse

^^^^^ This totally with both my kids. Age 2 they were angels and 3 was just horrible.

[MommaTrish]

Thankfully there was no Facebook when the boys were 3, so while I remember it being horrid, I don't remember specifics. But Bella is not only still clear, all I have to do is go through 2012 posts on Facebook to remember even more.

This sums up Bella's 3rd year pretty well. lol

[kristijoy]

Originally Posted by mariewilcox

^^^^^ This totally with both my kids. Age 2 they were angels and 3 was just horrible.

I blocked out 3. ..I just remember that *thankfully* I could still pick him up. I remember hauling him out of the library when it was time to give someone else a chance to play with the computer.

[misfitinmn]

Oh yes! The carrying them away kicking and screaming is delightful as well. Matthew has started yelling "NO! Don't take me!!!" when I'm pulling him away from something as if I'm kidnapping him. It's super fun in public! "I'm his mother, I swear! Only a mother would take a child behaving this way, right?!"

[Keely~B]

I never understood the "terrible two" label because for us three was so much harder! I

[hollyxann]

3 is the devil!!!

Kennedy is full blown Jekyll-Hyde. One minute she's loving me and cuddling the next she's throwing a full blown melt down world ending fit because of something completely insignificant. And I swear girls are worse than boys...I wouldn't know but I just have that gut feeling. She is a drama queen! I was just telling my mom the other day that I swear all I do with Kennedy anymore is argue. She argues with me about everything! She would probably argue that the sky isn't blue...even when it is. I hate to see what the teenage years hold for me.
I pray 4 is better than 3.

[ChristineF]

Mine is 2.5 years old and seems to have developed a split personality. Combine this with my 6 month old, still up 2-3 times a night, nursing baby girl and you get all kinds of fun. I am dreading the 5 and 3 combo more than 3 and 1 though. Hopefully they'll outdo the horrible with the cute, good stuff.

[adi&co.]

Marcus' worst year was his third year, but I honestly don't have any specific stories for you. I think my mind was wiped of all memories too, haha

[YepBrook]

The three-year-old memory wipe is similar to the pain-of-childbirth memory wipe. If we remembered them vividly, the human race would surely end. No one would ever choose to have another baby! Hahaha

[Libby Pritchett]

YES! OMG 1000000000000x YES!!!

Chloe (who will be 3 in Feb) is already starting to cop an attitude more and more, and Heaven forbid I don't get what she wants RIGHT NOW because the screaming that ensues is ridiculous. She's so sweet the majority of the time, but holy hannah... it's like someone flips a switch and demon baby comes out.

And I'm all too familiar with the picking up and carrying the screaming & kicking child. My favorite is, "No! Don't get me, mama!" Which sounds remarkably like "don't HIT me mama" when you're in a public setting. Sigh.

[britaneejean]

i'd go back to the 3s if it meant i didn't have to deal with the 5 (almost 6) yr old right now! we won't make it to her next birthday (in DECEMBER!)...it's not going to happen. i can't handle it.

[nesser1981]

3 is a nightmare compared to 2! It's a rough 2 years in general! LOL!

[LeeAndra]

Oh yes, 3 was awful. That was the year that I woke up in the middle of the night to find baby powder all over her room and her happily playing in it... and two weeks later diaper cream all over the bathroom. That's when I made her start sleeping with us!

4 was nice, I think.

5 has been another trial in patience. Everything is a BIG. FRIGGIN. DEAL. She bursts into tears when I take too long to put her food on the table, when I don't know that she wants to wear her MLP teeshirt to school instead of another one, when I ask her to brush her teeth before bed, when I don't put her socks and shoes on the right way, when I say she can only have 2 cookies instead of 3, ETC ETC ETC.

[fifilur]

I really don't remember. It was a hard year, definitely, but I can't recall a singel specific. Feels pretty strange, but it's probably a good thing.

[kristijoy]

Originally Posted by misfitinmn

Oh yes! The carrying them away kicking and screaming is delightful as well. Matthew has started yelling "NO! Don't take me!!!" when I'm pulling him away from something as if I'm kidnapping him. It's super fun in public! "I'm his mother, I swear! Only a mother would take a child behaving this way, right?!"

I heard one Dad and thought this was the best line ever. When he's preschooler threw a fit he said "We can go now, or I'll have to use my muscles". (meaning..I'll have to pick you up!)

[Jjriward]

Age 3 is WAY worse than age 2! Hang in there! It gets better... For a couple years. ;-)

[kristijoy]

The best preschool line ever:

"You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!" I bow to all preschool teachers.

[MissKim]

I have 11 students and six of them are not only three, they also have developmental delays. Every day is so much fun. And that's not sarcasm. There's something sick and twisted in me.

[fifilur]

Right now I'm loving age 6. My son is still driving me crazy sometimes, but no more than once a day or so.

[Lyd]

Three is hard. And, I agree with everyone that it's worse than two. But, honestly, right now, I'd trade in my 10 year old for two or three of my three year old. Parenting is hard, period.

[jk703]

3, ugh. hard. so hard.

2 was a breeze compared to 3. It's just their personalities are starting to emerge, their wants, and well... their emotions and voices, lol!

I don't envy you... but right now, I think 6 is my favorite. I've got the almost 10 year old slight attitude and the cute 6 year old. I'll take the 6 year old!

[jk703]

Originally Posted by Lyd

Three is hard. And, I agree with everyone that it's worse than two. But, honestly, right now, I'd trade in my 10 year old for two or three of my three year old. Parenting is hard, period.

Oh... I don't know if I'd turn in my almost 10 year old... ugh. We can at least avoid each other knowingly for a little while.

I do agree that parenting is hard.

[MommaTrish]

I think the 3 year old rooms are the only ones that I have never taught! lol But I just always remind myself that 4 is like the best age ever, and to get to it you have to get through 3 first.

[nietis]

OH!! That explains why my son is behaving crazily and he's only 2.5 years old!! Gah! The stubbornness kills me literally! Can I have rewind button to when he's still all itty bitty and cute please?!

[missmarcy]

Just need to say yalls comments made my night. No really. I have 4 girls (2,3,5,&9) and my 9 yr old was SUCH an easy kid. Still is, actually. She did not prepare me for my current 5 year old... that angel is.... not such an angel, sigh... My 2 & 3 yr olds are pretty easy going at the moment, other than fighting over things - which to be honest is usually when my 5 year old is around (hmmm...?) She was really crazy at 2 & 3. Not all the time, but definitely threw fits that had me wishing I could curl up in bed and let someone else handle her... lol.

Anyways - thanks for making me feel like less of a failure in the motherhood department! Haha.

[JennNtheBoys]

I've been pretty lucky in the 'throwing fits' department... my kids all knew/know not to do that with me, at home or in public. It's the fighting with each other than tries my patience.... especially between the two younger ones, they are purposely the opposite on everything just to be able to pick a fight, and this is how it has always been.

I agree that they mellow out as they get older and 6 and up is when they become bearable again.

[Lime_Freckle]

My little one just turned 4 and I'm waiting for the threes to disappear. Last night she was screaming at her father "you can't stop me from starving" when she decided she was hungry 2 hours after bed time when she had eaten no dinner. That one us a handful!!


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[Freckles]

3 was horrible with both of my kids, but so was 4, unfortunately.
My boy is 5 now and still is hard to handle.

The worst were the drama scenes he made in public, especially at the supermarket. Throwing himself on the ground, screaming like he was being killed...
He has always had a very loud voice (he still has) so no doubt that every single person in the entire store could hear him. And then when I tried to pick him up, he would scream even louder 'AAWWW, YOU're HURTING ME!' while I barely touched him.

I still get embarrased when I think of it.

Going to the store with him is still something I try to avoid. He crawls under the racks, touches everything and just won't listen. Sigh.

[kristijoy]

Originally Posted by Freckles

3 was horrible with both of my kids, but so was 4, unfortunately.
My boy is 5 now and still is hard to handle.

The worst were the drama scenes he made in public, especially at the supermarket. Throwing himself on the ground, screaming like he was being killed...
He has always had a very loud voice (he still has) so no doubt that every single person in the entire store could hear him. And then when I tried to pick him up, he would scream even louder 'AAWWW, YOU're HURTING ME!' while I barely touched him.

I still get embarrased when I think of it.

Going to the store with him is still something I try to avoid. He crawls under the racks, touches everything and just won't listen. Sigh.

My son was 7 until I felt comfortable taking him to the store. No fun. Now at age 8, he actually helps me pick out produce, cereal and other products. The key for us was teaching him about money, giving him some, and working with him to decide how to spend 'his' money.

[Traci Reed]

I much prefer 3 to Josiah's douchey 8 behavior. At least you can chalk up 3 year old attitude to not understanding and learning. 8 year olds totally understand.