Question
Errr! I'm so frustrated. I can't get my 2 1/2 year old to listen. I can hear Rosemond saying, "That's not a child problem. That's a parent problem." And I agree. I just need to figure out what's I'm doing wrong. His suggestion for limiting toys may be needed in our household. Perhaps it's jealousy over the new baby. And on top of that he is now in speech therapy because we cannot understand anything he is saying. He's frustrated because he can't tell me what he wants or needs, and I'm sure that is half the battle right there. It causes me to second guess myself and wonder if I'm being too harsh. For example, he knows how to undress and can almost dress himself completely. But most of the time he wants me to do it for him. Rosemond says don't do anything for a child he can do himself so I've been working to get him completely independent in that area. But sometimes he just won't budge. I'll leave the room and tell him he can play after he gets his clothes on, but he will stand there and eventually cry. I got frustrated today and sent him to his room with his pull-up. I told him he can come out once he puts his pull-up on. He's upstairs just crying naked. Is this too harsh or the product of being too easy on him for too long?
He has gotten so whiney too. One day he whined for 10 hours. It would have been 12 but he napped for 2 hours. I send him outside but he sits out there and whines/cries until I let him in.
He's also started hitting when we tell him no. He hits objects and occasionally us. I send him to time out for hitting.
Okay. I feel like I'm unloading too many things at once. Perhaps I can reread Rosemond's books. I wish I could hire one of you to come to my house (like the nanny show) and observe and point out all the things I'm doing wrong. I don't want to cause any damage from being too harsh OR from being too easy. With all of that, do you have any suggestions on how to have a more peaceful home?
