Send a priest

acesup

DD is throwing the tantrum to end all tantrums and I think we need an exorcism.

For the love of pickles she has lost her damn mind. I'm really trying here and I don't know what to do. Sometimes these tantrums are just out of control. Screaming throwing her body around kicking, hysterical the point of coughing and choking. Over nothing. Just not getting her way.

Sometimes I try to calm her, sometimes I put her in time out, sometimes I just ignore her. No matter what I do it keeps happening. Sometimes I can tell it's coming and try to diffuse it but it's like once she gets to a certain point there is no coming back. I know tantrums are normal at this age, but is this level of tantrum really normal?

Sometimes she literally just doesn't listen. Like she blatantly ignores me. And sometimes she is so "in the zone" that I don't even think she hears me. I don't think she pulls anything like this at school. Her teachers tell me how wonderful she is, she is mostly a good listener (all 3-4 yr old have their moments) and she is smart and focused and sweet. So I guess it's me.

I'm at a loss. Is 4 better? Because she turns 4 tomorrow

FrickandFrack

4 is better but still not great. 5 seems to be ok so far with the exception of never listening to anything I say.

acesup

Spooko said:

4 IS better than 3 and both of my kids have had total meltdowns like that. Sounds about normal. We had a "crabby corner" that was different from TO for DS and I'd put him there if he was having a tantrum. Whenever he was finished he was free to come out. He'd even put himself there after he got the hang of it. I just put DD in her room when we get past 2 or 3 minutes of tantrum. It pisses her off more, but I would rather not listen to her. She can carry on however she choses up there, but that's not an acceptable way to behave in my house so she doesn't stay in my general living quarters then.

Thanks! I do the bedroom thing with her too, but I knew it wouldn't work this time. The reason the whole thing started was because she wanted to go to her room and I said no. Lol. We keep her leap pad in her room so DS doesn't break it and she was up there all morning playing it so I told her no because it was enough screen time and she need to stay with me and DS and spend time with us. So I couldn't use the bedroom this time and sadly I had to listen to it lol

acesup

AllWasWell said:

For us, 4 has definitely been better than 3.  If he's having trouble calming down, I tell him he has to go calm down in his bedroom.  It's not a time out because he can come back whenever he's calmed down.  It's worked okay for us for the most part.

That's kind of how I treat the "time out" these days. I tell her to go to a certain spot and she can come back when she is done.