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3 year old is a terror! Help?

Meagan - posted on 10/03/2011 ( 2 moms have responded )

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My 3 year old is a terror! She constantly whines about EVERYTHING. I'm at a loss at what to do. Time out doesn't work - whining back doesn't work (it actually makes her worse) - ignoring her doesn't work (it also makes it worse). When I tell her to do things she ALWAYS replies with "I CAN'T do (whatever it is)" and whines. She will eventually do what I tell her to, but not without whining. She is also very very mean to her 1 year old nephew. She takes away his toys and pushes him off riding toys. And it seems she always wants to make him cry. I can put her in time out and she goes right back to doing the same thing, which doesn't make ANY sense to me because she plays with a family friend's child who is younger then her and the family friend's child is mean to HER and she just lets the other kid be mean to her.

She also won't eat much of ANYTHING unless it's junk food like her "poofs" (those cans of cheetos looking things) or chips or just juice or cookies or crackers (plain saltines - she doesn't seem to care for graham crackers). Occasionally she'll eat half a PB&J sandwich or a few chicken nuggets or maybe some applesauce or pieces of apple. This doesn't make any sense to me either because when she goes to the baby sitter's on the weekend she will eat anything and everything for the baby sitter. You name it - she'll eat it. I have hidden the items she wants and when she asks for them I don't give them to her, but sometimes she'll go the whole day without eating anything! It worries me.

I need help! I'm at a loss at what else to do to straighten up her attitude! @_@

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Meagan - posted on 10/05/2011

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I have an appointment with her Pediatrician this Friday, so I will also ask him/her (there are several different doctors that switch days, so I never know exactly which doctor I will see) for some advice as well. I know the last time it had been asked was to supplement her with PediaSure, but those things are EXPENSIVE for a 6 pack. It's ridiculous. I give her gummy vitamins daily, which she eats those like candy. I give her juice maybe once or twice a day and the rest of the time it is usually water or milk with the occasional Sprite.

I try to praise her as often as I can, but most of the time she isn't doing anything praise worthy. I am very consistent with time outs. She knows her time out chair and I make her sit there until she stops whining. I have done spankings and I feel bad about it, but sometimes even spanking doesn't even seem to work.

Rebecca - posted on 10/04/2011

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Just keep being consistant. Keep offering her different foods and if she doesn't eat it now she may eventually eat it. I have been told not to worry about them not eating as long as they keep drinking. Which reminds me that my pediatrician said to limit the amounts of juice I am giving because kids will fill up on that and then not want to eat.
As for discipline, we use a few different techniques. Here are some tips.
1.) Use praise whenever you see her doing something good. Start out with even the smallest thing. She'll start to want to hear she's good and start doing more things that are right.
2.) If you are going to use time-outs make sure you are being consistent.
3.) Spanking is a last resort when nothing else works.

It also helps if everyone is on the same page for dicipline.
One person not being consistent with her can ruin it.

Hope this helps a little! Good Luck

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