So..She's 3!!

Well, we have often heard of the "terrific twos" and the "terrible threes" now we wouldn't say anything is terrible, but we will say she definitely has perfected the art of assertion. Our question is...doesn't she get tired of going against the tide on everything we ask/say?

While we know why she is doing what she is doing, more or less for independence or because there is really something going on that is bothering her, and while we can find a solution a lot of the time by finding the root of the issue, ignoring if she is just playing the Drama Queen card, or staying with her as she let's all her emotions out, it can be very difficult when a very strong 3 year old challenges all you ever ask of her and with such strength.

We knew this would come, it is only "normal" and of course we hear all of our friends relaying the same stories.

What we keep thinking about is that all the other frustrations we had have passed, and now we are on to a new matter, or two!! So this too will pass. For example, every time we passed an Italian Ice stand she would wail and want some, or a fruit stand, same issue. Now she is over that and is on to stopping and sitting down in the middle of the street as we are crossing, standing against a wall as we are walking to the bus (especially if we are in a rush), saying "no" to changing her pull-up and brushing teeth in the morning, jumps/skips stairs as she walks down the stairway.

(Now that I write this, I realize, maybe she is telling us she doesn't want to be changed anymore and is ready for "real" underwear. Up to this point she doesn't ask to use the potty. We ask her if she would like to go, and sometimes she does, other time she says "no". But we have not pushed her since we feel she will do it when she is ready and that eventually everyone gets potty trained. But, perhaps this is her way of saying she is ready and doesn't want us to have to change her anymore?!?)

She does some very sweet things; every time I sneeze she blesses me, in a story that we read a boy has a stomach ache and she kisses his stomach and asks if he is better after she does so, I tripped and she patted my back and asked if I was ok, she hands friends or kids at park toys she has, asks Nala and us if we had a good day, etc.

It never ceases to amaze us that she knows how to push buttons, which buttons and when. She knows if I am upset with her what will make me laugh, she knows when we need her to do something due to time constraints what to say and what to do to get a reaction.

My goal is to find a better way lead her to what we want her to do. I can imagine being told what to do all the time can be very annoying for kids. When we really listen to what we say, we give a lot of directives, so maybe rephrasing will help.

Here's to trying to weather the 3 year storm...
The Abelsons