Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

So, as I've written, I have a 3 year old DD; if we're splitting hairs she's actually 3.75. She is emotional...VERY emotional and this week has really been taking its toll on me.

It all started Monday. She wanted to watch On the Town , you know, that lavish Gene Kelly/Frank Sinatra musical. At the risk of putting my DH's sexuality on trial, he's a big fan of Broadway musicals and so he introduced her... As the movie concluded, I turn to find her silently crying. When I asked her why she said, "Because the movie's over..." I briefly explained the concept of DVR to her and thought we moved on. Her crying only amplified--for the next TWENTY MINUTES! I decided to call DH who--as a fan himself--may have been able to talk some sense in her. She seemed to have calmed down. Approximately 15 minutes later, I find her in her room longingly staring at a framed picture of her daddy at his 8th grade graduation. The rest of the day continued in much the same matter...

Tuesday, more of the same...

Yesterday, emotions running at a fever pitch! Adding to the emotional drama are the facts that:
1. Katherine has a two year old sister.
2. Said sister enjoys retaliating physically when provoked (or just for the hell of it more than occasionally...fun times).
I gave them a bath together shortly after lunch and all hell broke loose. Katherine cried for the duration of the bath...for who knows why--I think Abby splashed her. Then proceeded to cry on and off until dinner time. After dinner time, DH and I helped her prepare her hat for "Crazy Hat Day" at school today. Things went well until it was time to try it on...won't even get into that...

Put her to bed...phew...not so fast...

She proceeded to wake up FIVE times throughout the night (usually it's around 1x or 2x which is frustrating enough)! I have been awake more or less since 3:45am. I feel all jittery inside and still quite angry.

I must say, God really knew what he was doing by making them so cute. Now, if anyone needs a ride to the asylum today, FM me because I'm definitely headed in that direction.

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

I hate to say it, but your writing is so good that I had to laugh at the "looking longingly at the picture from Daddy's 8th grade graduation"

Is she sad b/c school is almost over? Any other big changes coming around?

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

When your daughter is ready for a relationship, have her call my nephew. He is now 6 but at 3, my sister got rid of an area rug and replaced it with almost the same exact rug. Well my nephew cried for "ruggy" for over a week. He claimed it was his favorite rug in the house. At 5 years old, he lost his first tooth. My mom, dad, and my husband were home with him (my sister and her husband ran to school for open school night). All hell broke loose. He cried becauase he was so upset he lost it and then cried for days because the tooth fairy stole it. Even though you may want to commit yourself, at least your baby gives you something to laugh at. It's too cute that she cried when the movie was over!

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

Posted by Eireann

Now, if anyone needs a ride to the asylum today, FM me because I'm definitely headed in that direction.

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

i dont have kids yet but this post had me giggling at my desk!

the description of your daughter reminds me of how my little sister was! she was just like that as a kid - always crying and soooo dramatic and you couldn't even talk sense into her hahahahaha....

so cute!

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

Sorry to laugh at your post too. I know she's driving you crazy but I know just how you feel with my drama king, who cries when he's tired about random things that happen in the past examples from the past few years:

"Remember that party where I couldn't have the cake?" (yeah, um...2 years ago?)

"Do you remember when I hurt my leg ...I was thinking about it & I'm so sad" (also 2 years ago?)

"Do you remember when my ice cream cone dropped on the ground?" (last year & you're still upset even though you've had countless other ice cream cones??)

Then goes into worrying about his future:

"I don't want to work nights..."
"Why would you have to work nights?"
"Because I want to be a mad scientists & you have to work nights because that's when the creepy stuff happens."

"I don't want you & Daddy to die."
This is when I call for Daddy to handle it because he's the one that volunteered that one day we were going to die & he's going to be sad about it. This was after he was overtired & had to leave a school picnic and he told us that he hated us.

I find it almost always happens when they're overtired. We introduced the DVR to our kids after tantrums about turning off the TV. Now if they throw a fit, I tell them they can't watch TV for the rest of the day. Then they'll tell you what a mean mom you are.

Hang in there. I look forward to all our posts when they become teenagers.

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

Message edited 6/4/2009 11:22:24 AM.

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

OMG That gave me quite the giggle. I'm sorry you're having such a rough week - it sounds a bit painful . Just think, you still have her teenage years to look forward to

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

My boys are 3.75 also and they are very emotional. THey cry over everything and when you ask them why they are crying they say they don't know. And truthfully I don't think they do know why. I think it is just the age. I hope for both of our sakes they grow out of it QUICKLY!!!!!!

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

OMG, I think I have the male versions of your girls. DH and I often tell them you're lucky you're cute....Nate is so emotional it's ridiculous and Jayden will b!tch slap Nate if he looks at him the wrong way. I can deal with them individually, but sometimes when they are together they are like oil and water.

Honestly, my only saving grace right now is that I work FT. Nate's whining, crying, pouting, just drives me up the wall bc anything can trigger a meltdown. After being with them all weekend, I'm looking for the nearest wine bottle.

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

Could have written this almost word for word about my DD who just turned 4. Its like walking on eggshells with her emotions. The littlest thing will set her off into an emotional wreck. She also has a 2 yo sister (Katherine, by the way) who is strong willed and isn't afraid to stand up to big sis. Every morning is a battle with her, she cries and cries she has nothing to wear (yes, only 4), her hair is not beautiful, etc. Then 2 minutes later, I love you mommy, etc. It is so trying and exhausting. The staring at the picture of her dad made me laugh, I mistakenly showed my girls my wedding video since they are into the whole princess, getting married thing and what a nightmare that turned into.....why weren't we invited, the 4 yr old, I love my daddy, I love my daddy, I miss my daddy, why didn't my daddy dance with me.....only to set off the 2 year old Daaaaaadddddy, sob, sob, Daaaaddddy, the two of them sat there like emotional wrecks until I finally got DH on the phone. All I know is that we are so in for it when they hit puberty. I am SCARED. Thank God #3 was a boy!

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

I think we're headed down this same road and already say DD has "too much estrogen". So, if you wouldn't mind, send me those directions to the asylum! BTW, you should write a book or blog...you are very funny and write well!

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

I am shaking at my desk, I'm laughing so hard.

DD has brought me close to the ledge a few times myself & she's only 16mo old. As it is now when she doesn't get her way she sits down on the floor and slaps it.

Thanks for the heads up for what's in store for the future.

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

Message edited 11/29/2011 7:30:58 PM.

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

I swear - I think we have the same children.
I keep telling Dh that he will have to come visit me every other Sunday at the funny farm because I'm losing my mind with my 3 year olds drama (she practices in the mirror) and her 2 year old sister's stubborness (she's a hitter, even though she's tiny).

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

Posted by imthekevinofcindyandkevin

Chelsea was a little like this as a baby and is to this day to some extent. What I have found is children like this DO NOT like surprises in any way shape or form. I'm not talking about "oh we're going somewhere and I can't tell you" kind of surprise I mean any deviation from the norm with out explaining it ad nauseum.

What I find that works sometimes is telling them exactly what's going to happen on any given day and throughout the day as needed.

Example the movie incident.~ " We're going to watch a movie and you know when it's over we can watch it again, maybe not today but it's not gone for ever."
Pineing for dad.~
"Daddy's at work but he'll be home and we'll all be so happy when he is."
Bath time. ~
"You're taking a bath with your sister and she may splash you, you know she's done it before, so be prepared."

You get the idea. You know how to talk to your child. I'm just giving examples of what I did and sometimes still have to do with my daughter who at 12 is still a little tightly wound. Yayyyy can't wait for the teen years!

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

Thank you SO much everyone for the support and advice! All of your stories made me laugh. Moms on the site always ask, "Is my DC the only one who..." It's good to see it's not only my DD! So, I guess to sum up: Firstborn=emotional basketcase; Second born=the devil!

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

Posted by Eireann

Thank you SO much everyone for the support and advice! All of your stories made me laugh. Moms on the site always ask, "Is my DC the only one who..." It's good to see it's not only my DD! So, I guess to sum up: Firstborn=emotional basketcase; Second born=the devil!

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

hello. I am your daughter... at (almost) 35...

pleased to meet you.

don't worry- I turned out (kinda) ok.

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

Its true they are cute for a reason!

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

Want a set of twins? I'll trade you!!!!!

Lexi is crying...when asked why she responds "Im crying b/c I miss Brandy. Why did he have to die?" Brandy is the dog her father had growing up. The fact that this dog died almost 20 years before she was even conceived is irrelevant....

Jaedyn is crying...when asked why she is crying she responds..."I wish I didnt love animals so much b/c then I wouldnt mind eating them. But I really like hamburgers and steak so maybe I just wont like cows"....

I could go on and on....

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

Posted by Eireann

Thank you SO much everyone for the support and advice! All of your stories made me laugh. Moms on the site always ask, "Is my DC the only one who..." It's good to see it's not only my DD! So, I guess to sum up: Firstborn=emotional basketcase; Second born=the devil!

Re: Please talk me off the ledge, and once I'm down convince me not to kill her...a 3 yr old's mom's tale of woe...

awww poor thing!!! i feel bad for you!! my DS gets like this occasionally and i noticed whenever he gets emotional for seems like no reason at all, and starts crying for silly little things - he gets sick a few days later. just keep an eye on her she might be coming down with something. i hope tomorrow is better hon!!!