3 Yr Old Crybaby

I agree with what some of the others are saying; I think this might be his way of looking for attention from you. He had you all to himself, and now he has to share! When a child that age gets upset, a lot of times they don't remember that they can tell you how they feel, and they revert to crying, because it gets the desired result. I think if you set aside some time (even 10-15 minutes a day) to do a fun project with him, you can talk to him in a positive environment about why he gets upset and cries. I've found with my son that if we talk about a tantrum after the fact when he's in a good mood, he's way more likely to use his words to tell me what happened to make him upset, and we can talk about different ways of handling it the next time it comes up. Hope that helps you! I'm no expert at this either--just taking it one day at a time!

I have a daughter who will be 3 in April and she does the same thing. I thought at first that the addition of our second child, who is now 18 months, was the cause and this was a bid for attention, but now we have a 3rd child who is 4 months old and the behavior has continued despite the different routines and privileges I've tried. If you come up with something that works for you, I'd LOVE to know what it is! Maybe this is just part of the Terrible Twos/Threes? We are nearly at our wits' end on this issue.

You might try ignoring the behavior; picking your battles. My little guys learn early how to get our attention & what works on us.

I can't wait to hear the responses. This sounds so much like my situation, I felt like I was reading my own. I just figured it was the "terrible 3's" instead of "terrible 2's". My husband and I just usually go to another room in the house until he stops. He usually follows us to a couple of rooms, then gives up.

I have a 5 yr old that acts this way, and has for awhile. It is getting better though! We used to use time outs etc but only seemed to make matters worse. Really, explaining to her that we can't understand her when she is whinning or ignoring her until she stops has helped us.

I raised two boys 20 mos.apart and today they are 30 and 32.
The oldest is still jealous of the younger one. I'm guessing
the 3-year old is crying for attention and feeling he has lost
his "place". How to "love your brother" is taught not forced.
The differences in our children's personalities makes it hard
sometimes to know how to meet their particular needs. When we
raised the older ones it was the "terrific twos"....but I see
with the younger ones it is more the "terrific threes". I had
far more problems with the 3's than the 2's with the last one.
Put a sign on your refrigerator, "This too shall pass" and one
day it will IF the NEED is met. Grandma of 27..Sunny G-ma

my 3.5 yo is similar. Try not to get upset. Realize that this is how your son is coping w/ frustration right now. It will get better, but it will take time. This is what I do:
1. I NEVER scold for crying. You would MUCH rather him deal w/ his frustration w/ crying instead of hitting.
2. I say to her: "I know you are angry, and I am sorry about that, but this is just the way it is"
3. Then if she continues to cry, I take her to her room and shut the door. I make it very clear she is not in trouble. She just needs to sit in here and calm down. And when she is calm we can talk about it. My theory is: it isnt wrong of her to cry, but that doesn't mean i have to listen to it.
4. When she calms down, we talk about what it was that upset her. I try to realate and let her know how frustrating it is to not get your way. But it happens sometimes. And I tell her how I am proud of her for being such a big girl, and staying in her room to calm down.

I like to feel that doing it this way will help. I have noticed the crying episodes don't last as long anymore. When she is all keyed up, she just can't verbalize WHY she is so upset. But usually after she calms down, she can tell me. It will take time for her to learn how to deal w/ her emotions. And it is our jobs as parents to help teach that.
Good luck!!

That sounds just like my situation. My daughter will be 3 in April and I have a 7 month old girl too. My oldest one turned into a cry baby when we had the other baby. Sometimes after sending her to her room I try and let her out and she tells me "no I'm crying" and stays in there. We have set aside special time for just her and I and that helps. Mostly it is during the baby's nap time. They say it is just a phase brought on by the new baby. Try to give him special mommy alone time and see if that helps. Good luck, I feel your pain:)

I have a 2 1/2 year old son and a 6 month old son. We got the book Parentig with love and logic: from birth to 6 years and it has changed our life completely. I had the same trouble and in just learning how to change my response has made our life so much easier. I enjoy my days now!! The bood is by Charles Fay (I think). It is an easy, short read!! Good luck!

Sounds like you are doing the right thing here! Use your words followed by ignoring until he talks like a big boy is what you are supposed to do. I am guessing that with a 4 month old in the house he sees that when the baby cries he gets what he wants. When all else fails they resort to what works and crying used to work! Just give it time and stay strong!

Good Luck!

I do not pretend to know all the answers, but I have some thoughts on what might be your 3-year old's problem. I am mother of two college age kids, 3 years apart in age. It sounds like your son is very sensitive by nature. He has been used to having you to himself, and now he must share your attention. This is a huge adjustment for any child. I remember how hard it was for my daughter. My suggestion, take it or leave it, is to set aside time each day that you devote to him. It sounds like he is regressing in behavior due to the adjustment, so allow him to be rocked and held during this time. It sounds to me like he is just needing some reassurance before he can move on developmentally. Hope this helps!

Boy, I am right there with you!! lol I have a little girl that will be 2 in July. It seems like she is crying more than she is laughing! It is just a phase they are going through. What works best with me is I COMPLETELY ignore it. When she sees that I am not paying attention, she will stop and go on her business. If she gets too bad, I simply place her in her room and shut the door. I know it is hard, but they will get past this.

I am totally convinced that it is not the terrible two's. My son did similar things and it seems that it started a couple of months before he turned 3. As much as it stinks I had to just wait it out. Just give him choices when able to so that he feels that he is independent.

The hardest part of this one is ignoring it. But do your best...even if it means locking yourself in the bathroom for 5 minutes to get away from it....When he is settled, let him know that you love him but you need him to start using his words. That mommy doesn't understand crying. Crying is for when you are hurt and ONLY when you are hurt...if you cry all the time how will mommy know when you are hurt or not hurt? He will eventually come to discover that when you ignore him he is not getting attention. However, let me say that you do need to make sure to spend some quality snuggle time/play time with him...with some kids & pets I have discovered that bad attention is attention if they aren't getting enough....just something to keep in mind. Good luck. Hang in there and stick to your guns....you may also want to take him to the Dr. just to make sure nothing is physically wrong either and have Dr. talk to him and let him know that something/nothing is wrong with him....just so everyone is on same page. L. B