Househubby Diaries

In my opinion, the Terrible Two's have nothing on the Three's. Age 3 for C1 is much more of a challenge for T and I than the 2's were. Conner has always been the most pleasant kid I have ever met. I admit I probably haven't paid much attention to others kids, but C1 has been a true sweetheart from day 1. We have always received many compliments on how well behaved he is. Then came age 3. Tantrums, yelling, 2 hour bedtime routines, kicking, hitting and even being afraid of his bed. This "househusband" thing isn't so stress free. T and I often wonder what we are doing wrong with discipline and have changed tactics more than once. Maybe that is part of the problem. Maybe he needs consistent discipline standards. At one point we thought that maybe he had a medical condition, and another time T and I were sure that we were just the worst parents ever. Things changed a little last week. We started having "Quiet Time" between 1:30 and 3:30 in the afternoon. It is my way of giving C1 a nap without saying "nap". Sometimes he naps, and sometimes he doesn't, but he seems to be in a much better mood at night. We have been rewarding him for good behavior too. He earned a toy truck last week for staying in his bed all night every night for a whole week. He also has a sticker board. When he earns 5 stickers he picks a reward from the "reward bear" he has earned a puzzle, toy car, and crayons so far. He has gotten better, but we have a long way to go. He isn't allowed to stay overnight away from home for awhile. Mostly because we want him to learn what our expectations are at home first. I was also told by our pediatrician, that most kids go through this stage, and not to worry too much and he will grow out of it. Whew! That's a relief. Just a couple of days ago, I overheard a lady at the grocery store say to her kids, "look at those boys and how good they are being". That made me realize T and I aren't the worst parents ever. I just hope C2 learns from watching this first hand and doesn't express his individualism as C1 is. T and I will be professionals by the time he turns 3. Or will we? If any parents have any suggestions please feel free to comment. And if I can give any advice to parents of kids yet to reach 3, fasten your seat belt, and hold on tight.
links to this post