No, I Told You No...

Really?!  Is a 2.5 year old supposed to already talk back to you?!  Please tell me I'm not alone...

The tantrums have been in full force the past couple of weeks, but this talking back nonsense has been the last week or so.  Maybe her vocabulary is growing and she knows how to communicate better, but come on!

We have about 2 tantrums/melt downs a night and I’m really trying not to give into them, but it’s hard!  Last night, I was getting ready to put Hadleigh to bed and she goes for the drawer in our kitchen with the play-doh in it.  I tell her no, that we’re getting ready to head upstairs for bed and that we will play with it tomorrow.  The norm these days is to tell her “no”, and then tell her “no” about 100 more times.  In there, I’ll say “I told you no”…to mix up the plain old “no”. Well she now looks right back at me with this all-knowing look and says “no mama, I told you no”.

Lovely huh?

I give her time-out, which then turns into a meltdown. Crying and whining and screaming.  A few nights ago, I actually tried whining and fake-crying back at her.  {yes, I went there}  It semi-worked. She did not like me whining at all and told me to stop, which distracted her a little from the full blown meltdown she was having.  She’s also getting upset if I go and try and put Hayden in the highchair.  She wants to sit in it, so I let her.  I’m picking my battles, and if it doesn't hurt anyone or anything, go for it.  Last night Hadleigh, at 2.5, ate her dinner in her sister’s high chair.  We've actually had to start asking for two high-chairs when we go out to eat.  As soon as Hadleigh sees Hayden in one, it’s cause for a potential meltdown in public. 

I’m not really seeing the light at the end of the tunnel anytime soon.  I hear 3 is worse, and then 4 is no cupcake either.  By the time Hadleigh is 4, Hayden will be 2, so the cycle will start all over.  I see a lot of wine in my future.  CHEERS!