Terrible Two's is an idiot and did not have kids.

Adam has been a dream child........



Except the last 6 months or so. He does not listen, talks back, and is kinda gettin mean. We are trying to potty train him also. He does great with peeing. Usually always uses the potty for that. Sure we have a few accidents, but I expected that.

Poop is a whole horrible issue. He has yet to ever poop on the potty. He poops in his underwear or pull-up. Fine. I change him and tell him next time to go on the potty. Even got some hotwheels because everyone told me to reward him when he does it. They are all still sitting on the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. He tells me all the time, "poop on potty, get a car!" Very excited like.

This is not the issue. Adam has always had a weak stomach. If he see's puke , poop, or smells it, he throws up. Therefore, I always keep him out when I change Megan and when I change him, I tell him to hold his nose. All worked fine. Not anymore.

The last few days he has been taking is pull-up off himself after he poops. Ok, gross, but I have been trying to deal with it without getting mad. The dog usually eats it which totally makes me gag.

Today I caught him in MY bedroom playing with IT!!! He rolled some under the bed, put some on the dogs bed, put some in the clothes basket, in dh's shoes, on the door, on a pillow, and smeared in the carpet. AND of course I run out of Ressolve. Luckily I had some stuff for my steam cleaner that worked ok. I swear, I just wanted to throw up.

I have been so tired lately. Depressing myself I think. Poor Megan, if she has a bad day, I cry right there with her. Luckily she is always so easy going and happy.

I still keep the house picked up mostly, but cooking, forget it. I hate to cook as it is, but now I just flat out do not feel like it.

To top it off, with Adam's attitude, dh and I have been fighting. If we are mad at him, we take it out on each other. I was yelling at dh and Adam last night and Megan was on my lap. She just puckered her lip and cried. We ALWAYS said we would not fight in front of the kids. And never have. Until last night. The kids faces were horrible.

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Ok, sorry for the depressing rant. I didn't mean to write a book.

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Hey, that's okay, sometimes we all have to.

:

It's been awhile since I've had a two year old, but yea, I hate that term too. My two year olds both were fascinating, dekligghtful, helpful people who weren't much trouble at all. The stereotype really applied to them a lot more after their third birthday.

I have a very sensitive stomach too and literally gag when I have to clean up animal poo. Breastfed baby poo is something completely different, but when dd1 was on formula ("just for 24 hours to see if that's what's causing her jaundice and then you can always try to breastfeed again if it isn't and if it is, then we've solved your problem, haven't we?") I couldn't stand to be in the same room witgh a poopy diaper.,

dd2 did the same thing with playing with poop when she was Adam's age. It's normal even if it is gross. We used to politely say "fingerpainting" and "lipstick" but...um...mny kid did what your dog does.

She doesn't do it any more, though, nor did she get some horrible expensive disease from it. I'll never forget, but I can look back and laugh.

Fighting in front of the kids...well, I can relate to how bad you feel for breaking that promise to yourself (I've broken more than one myself) but my personal opinion with a long range view of things is that your kids NEED to learn by example that grownups don't always get along, Mommy and Daddy are strong enough to see that their needs and concerns are heard and addressed, that they love each other enough to come up with workable solutions to those problems, and that they forgive each other for loosing tempers under stress sometimes.

I wish I could come over and stuff your freezer with ready-to-thaw meals in exchange for a few hours of housecleaning! WTG on keeping the clutter under control. I'm going to be so ashamed if I get an eviction notice today for having a messy house even though I know intellectually that pregnant women aren't supposed to work five different minimum wage jobs and go back to worjk two weeks after the baby is born, so something had to give

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I remember waking up to DS1 in his crib around 1yr covered in poop. It's not fun. With DS2 he would poop in the potty from age 2 but not peeing took me a whole yr later to get him to do in the potty. Sorry you are having to deal with it. I know how it is when you have everything to do then stop and clean up extra stuff, not fun.

As for the fighting, the key is if you catch yourself fighting in front of them, ALWAYS make up in front of them.

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Hmmm, I never thought of the making up part. I will keep that in mind. That is a GREAT idea!!

Heather~Thanks, your post made me smile.

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Awww Carissa!!! I'm sorry you're having a rough go of it w/Adam. I'm sure he will get the hang of it. Maybe try some new rewards in the bathroom? Some bigger toy or a big picture of an ice cream sundae or something? I don't know.

That has to be stressful hun.
As for fighting. Dh and I have caught ourselves in a heated "discussion" in front of Lily a few times. She always pouts out that lip, too. I know exactly what you are talking about!! Makes you feel just awful!
It's life. Try as we might, sometimes it's just gonna happen I guess.
I like the idea of making up in front of the kiddies, too!

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so sorry carissa about the poop issue and the fighting. i can imagine it's all very stressful. i would maybe talk to your pediatrican about any advice w/the potty training and waht to say/do if adam decides to play with his poop again. i think i would absolutely die!!! i can hardly stand the smell of libby's diapers!!!

is he able to control his bms?? or he just chooses not to go on the potty? i don't know anything about toilet training so i don't even know what advice to give. but could it be a gastro. issue? i remember i had a kindergartener once who couldn't control his poops, poor guy!!! i am sure it will all come with time, i heard girls are easier to potty train though!!

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I don't think its any kind of medical issue. I think he is just stubborn. I was thinking maybe I just started to potty train him too soon. I wanted him to be pt'd by August though for preschool. He really does need it. I think the structure will help. If I try to teach him anything out of a book, he hides the book. Started doing that at around 18 months. So all of my teaching had to be "tricky." lol

Thanks for all the kind words. It helps just putting it out there. Adam is not hell child or anything. I am just not sure what is going on.

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Could it be regression from having Megan?

I know my 6 yr old has gone through it where he wants me to dress him, help him bathe, pack his book bag. These are things he has been doing on his own for a while. Sometimes he will just want DH to hold Mili and me hold him.

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You know that sounds like my 3 year old boy, ever since caleb was born his been very naughty, Doesn't want to go to the toilet anymore, He toilet trained himself in 1 week including no bed time nappies way before Caleb was born. Now he just wets and poo's in his pull ups. Or even on the floors. He just doesn't care and he laughs about it. Althou he loves helping with the cleaning of the house.

I have never had any problems with him before baby was born. He was just an amazing little kid. sits in the pram at the shops for hours and doesn't complain. Very well behaved and does what he was told no problems.

But I do know one thing, His is jelouse. You see brayden was so close to me, what ever I ate he ate, If I wanted to have a nap he would have one too, If I had a bath he would want one too. He stopped drinking milk at 15mths old.... my first kid ever to stop drinking milk. Then when I started drinking milk it in pg, He would too. Even if he didnt like the flavor of foods if I was eating it he would too.

Then after Caleb was born he did a 360 turn, Just plays up alo't, doesn't want to listen, And every time he did somthing wrong, All He would say is mum said! I was gonna post awhile ago bout this. You bet me too it.

He loves it when he gets into trouble with me, You "see" all the attention is directed at him and not the baby, He does is purposely. He gets heaps of attention still, But he just cant have me all to himself like he used to. I try to do things with him, But to him its just not good enough.

Im sorry your going through that with adam, I know how your feeling.

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I never ever had the terrible 2's or any of the toddler drama. Although my son Joseph was a high energy toddler. He stopped napping at 15 months old. Then came DD2 and it was so hard. He was into everythingf. I remember all in a matter of a few months he had drank rubbing alcohol, split his eyebrow open and needed stiches, fell backward inot the radiator and sprayed WD40 in his mouth. The attending ER DR. sympathized with us because his son was the same way.

As for the fighting it seems you got a handle on it since you acknowledge it. Just remember you are human and it may happen and the making up infront of the kids is a great idea. Marriage is hard with one child, even harder wiht a toddle and an infant. I remember dd1 being 6, joseph 20 months and dd2 an infant. It was hard work.

Good luck.

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I'm so sorry! James is a few months younger, but I can completely relate. He is overall such a pleasure, and even since Kyra has been born, he's still overall such a wonderful kid. I have heard 2 things though... my mom said she went through the terrible 3's with both of my brothers. I've talked to a few people who think 3 is the terrible age, not 2! (Gee, I'm really looking forward to this next year now!) and also I've heard that an older child may regress a few months after the baby is born, after he realizes she's here to stay.

We're attempting potty training now too, and James will not go. He sits on it, but he won't go on it! And he'll tell you he gets a new train if he goes, but that just doesnt' work. So I don't have any advice, just some empathy! I am the exact same way about my house too. I can't stand cooking, I'll clean all day before I cook a meal. Needless to say, we haven't been eating well lately!

what a great idea! I'm going to mention that to DH.

I hope you realize that you're soooo not alone in feeling this way.

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Megs (28) DH (28)
James 10-30-05
Kyra 1-14-08

Oh I'm sorry

Boys typically do take longer potty training - so I hear..maybe you could ease up on him for a bit? Not even worry about it - go back to diapers?
What about taking him to visit the preschool and use that as inspiration?
DS#1 was so easy to train literally I told him not to pee/poop on the floor and that was it, pullups were for me when we went out or at night - he was 2 1/2...
DS #2 hmmmmmm well it isn;t happening yet, but I am going to wait for summer Outside - I dont want to clean up my floor

The jealous thing, yeah maybe, but I feel that playing into it can almost indulge the kid more if you kwim?

He is 2, and most kids hit a horrible phase for a LONG time - they are expressing their independance! The poop playing thing - ACK! No advise for you, except maybe to see if you can get a big enough diaper shirt to go over pullups or diapers....but then potty training is out.

Good luck, hang in there!!

Just think of all the stories you'll have to tell him when he is older

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I forgot to add ds1 was so hard to train, my girls were no older then 18 months old.
DS had a hard time, he turned 3 years old and BINGO, never used a pull up , he never wet himself or the bed. I guess he was juist ready then. My ped at the time told me leave him be till he is ready.

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