my kids aarrgggghhhhh

klare_2

i have two boys 3 and 4 and they are driving me crazy! ( i should add that they are both gorgeous and i love them to bits)...someone please tell me its normal for them to not listen to me at all at this age!

Has anyone got any top tips, things that they have tried...

they have more energy than i can cope with...
they dont eat processed food or fizzy drinks etc so their energy isnt hyper activity because of food etc
we do loads of things out doors, when im off work we walk to the cillage which is about a mile there and again back but they just never stop,
they are so loud and destructive - not naughty but just have no concept of their own strength
i have tried reasoning with them, tried a more direct approach ie telling them no etc ( very adult to child), have tried bribery ( i know i shouldnt!), tried ignoring the bad behaviour etc

when i speak to other mums with boys close in age they all roll their yes and say oh yes i remember when my boys used to ..... but they got better as they got older...
i may not have a house left by the time they get older!
added to that they do fantastic team work!
we have fairly strict routines inreagrds to bed times and all the other stuff..
we have tried the sticker charts. my youngest ate the stickers lol
we have tried rewarding.. ie if you are good int he shop you can choose a new cup etc ( never sweets) ,,,usually by the time we get home its been broken:eek:

has anyone out there got anything they have tried with their children or do i just have to grin and bare it until they do get older.
4 year old starts school ( leaving nursery) in sept and the 3 year old goes to morning nursery in sept.
we dont have loads of cash to take them out all the time but when we do its usually to go to activity centres so they can burn some of their energy off!

i am just worried incase its because they feel they arent getting enough attention ( i work full time because i have to rather than because i want to), or because the time i give them isnt good enough quality.

the eldest is average intelligence i would say, doesnt listen,likes to do his own thing, is very handy and visual rather than brainy at his current level of development and the youngest is far to clever for his own good! lol very quick, agile, nimble and clever.

help!!!:eek:

Keeping_Positive

I think its there brightness that is part of it. It is normal for boys that age and because there are two they can play off each other as you said "excellent team work".

I have a four year old boy who is very different to my two girls. Dad looks after them while I work and he is fairly strict and can yell loud enough to stop all the kids in the street in one go but still its K who winds him up! The girls learnt after a few shouts to leave something while K saw it and still sees it as a challenge.

I think you are doing all the right things and they feel they can express themselves. Indoor play areas are excellent but I guess it all adds up.

One thing I can think of is to create an area ie their bedroom where they can cause some mess/destruction and be left on their own for a bit to wind down an hour before bedtime. If they wind each other up could you separate them for this time? Leave the eldest to play on his own for half an hour and put the youngest to bed spending time with him alone then give the eldest half hour with you to himself.

But dont beat yourself up about working full time I have seen boys even worse who have stay at home mums. You probably spend more time with them than most.

gollygosh

oh hunny all parents have lived through this, you do survive! but i must admit it's why i imposed a six o'clock bedtime on mine (they were so tired by then anyway).

owsaboutthatthen

I'm struggling really badly with my 3 yr old boy this week - i don't work due to personal circumstances - he starts nursery in Sept too which hopefully will relieve me a little and instead of being with each other 24/7 we will appreciate each other a little more. I also have an 11 month old daughter - they get on really well with each other but have to have eyes in the back of my head with her - she's becoming very tomboyish too!

I have been at the end of my tether with my boy and tried allsorts of techniques when he has been naughty. Like I say I think nursery will sort our problem out in that he can let off some steam with kids of his own age and not at me!

klare_2

my eldest definately got better when he got to school so am hoing the yongest will do the same,,,,
as for the time out in their bedroom,, i tried that and when i went back my youngest had made holes in the plaster board wall!:eek:
still least his room now matches the rest of the house!

I have to give up with the shouting, i have muscles that hurt in my throat that i didnt even know exsisted and they dont take a blind bit of notice and i can yell! even my husband scowls at me when i yell ( and he used to be a drill instructor!0 ... unfortunately he works stupid hours from stupid o'clock in the morning to even more stupid o'clock at night ( again we have no choice about this) ,,,, the rest of the time they are loked after by my au pair ( i should point out that i live in an ex council house - semi detatched and am not posh, but this was our only option) and thank god she has her head screwed on and is beyond fabulous and can cope with them ) providing i slip her plenty of valium on an hourly basis haha )

roll on September thats all i can say!

Keeping_Positive

even my husband scowls at me when i yell ( and he used to be a drill instructor!0

My OH does that and its really annoying. I have to really lose it to get the kids to listen sometimes and then I get accused of overreacting!! Like I havent already asked umpteen times before I yelled :mad: .

Sorry to hear about the plasterboard. We havent had that yet so I guess we are lucky, just pen on the walls so far.