This age is HARD!

I will start out by saying that I know I've had less patience lately because I'm pregnant, hormonal, and dealing with a move back stateside. Also, the girls are transitioning from having a nap to no longer needing it. They've picked up some TERRIBLE habits from preschool including spitting when they are mad and saying a few wonderful swear words. I've decided to stop sending them to preschool for the last two weeks we are here simply because I don't want them learning anything else crazy right now.

Anyway, their tempers are OUT OF CONTROL. I was thinking it was initially because they were still needing a nap so I would put them down for only an hour. Well that little nap changed bed time from 7pm to closer to 11pm. That doesn't work. DH and I have also been spending 20 min alone with each twin after he gets home from work to try to give them undivided attention in case it was an attention issue (I also spend 90 min technology free time with both of them during the day minimum). That hasn't seemed to help. I'm so frustrated. I do not spank, but I am starting to understand why people do. It seems like no amount of time outs or ignoring bad behavior is working. I am so upset every night because I feel like I am failing at being a mother and I'm afraid it will only get worse once the baby is here. Please someone help me

 

I felt very similar things when I was pregnant with Emmett. In fact, I have some awful memories of things I said to the girls in the last months of my pregnancy just because it felt like they were pushing all of my buttons all of the time. I worried that maybe it really had been a horrible idea to add to our family. But it turned out it was way more hormonal than I thought possible. After Emmett was born I was much more myself again & it seemed like overnight the girls were "better behaved".

So I don't have any help for dealing with things in the moment but maybe a thread of hope that it may actually be better after baby arrives. :hug:

 

3 was HORRIBLE for us! 3.5 got worse! They just turned 4 and already Jack seems a bit more calm (and he was my more wild one)...they seem to be able to reason a little better and calm themselves down better before throwing out the mean words and hitting/spitting/kicking--whatever the initial response was before. Now we are working on yelling bc it seems that if you aren't going to hit right away we need to yell like a madman <_<

It's true it never gets easier but I will say so far 4 seems to be "easier" than 3 Good luck with the baby...I know hormones are not helping at all!

 

My boys are almost 3.5 and it is very hard like you said. One is more verbal than the other so he tends to use his words more when he is frustrated. One of the boys hits and bites me and screams. My daughter who is now 6 calmed down around 4 and then it just got easier from there on. I give myself breaks(time alone) so I can maintain my patience. But most days can be a challenge! Hang in there.