how do i stop a 3 yo from whinning

Charli - posted on 08/05/2009

I tell my 3 yo that I cant understand her when she whines and to use her big girl voice. Once she does that and if I tell her no and she starts to pitch a fit, I snap my fingers and tell her thats enough. Then I tell her that whinning and thowing a fit does not make Mommy do what Emma wants. Then I tell her that she can either stop the fit right now, or she can continue and get the consequenses (depends on severity of the tantrum).

Galadriel - posted on 07/26/2009

I just tell my kids that I do not hear whiney voices and when they use regular voices and words I will answer them, then I ignore them until they do.

Susan - posted on 07/23/2009

My husband and I came up with a way to minimize, but not stop, the whining of our three year old son... we tell him to go upstairs to his room and come back when he's done. He usually opts to just stop because he doesn't want to feel left out of our time and he doesn't want to go to his room. Just a thought. Tried time outs, they don't work for whining, only hitting/kicking/throwing things... :) But it will get better someday.

Tamara - posted on 07/23/2009

When you find out PLEASE let me know! My 3 year old daughter does the same thing!

Suzanne - posted on 07/22/2009

My daughter went through a whining phase. I just completely ignored it. It kinda told her that whining was not productive. She stopped. Not sure if it was because of what I did, or because it really was just a phase. Good luck.

Stina - posted on 07/20/2009

When I tell my son he can't have something, he whines and throws himself on the floor or he keeps asking in that voice. I tell him he won't change my mind and I warn him to stop. If he keeps it up, he can take it to his bedroom and come back out when he's finished. My son is 4 1/2. I do the same thing with dd age 2 1/2. DS actually takes himself to his room complaining the whole way rather than knocking it off... DD either pulls it together or I have to take her to her room where I tell her she can come out when she's done.



I think whineing is their way of showing frustration... and a way of seeing if they can get their way. by confining it to their room, they can finish letting it out but they also aren't changing my answer to whatever it was that triggered the whineing.