Susie is a sweet, compliant 3-year-old. All day she amuses herself by coloring, or telling herself stories out loud, or dancing around the living room. She is the happy little caboose of our family, and we love her for it.
And then, there is the anti-Susie. Lately she's been appearing around 3 in the afternoon, out of the blue. The other day, for example, in the elevator at the doctor's office, when I pushed the button for the lobby. The button that Susie wanted to push...
I like to think the people waiting in the lobby were amused by the spectacle of me dragging a screaming 3-year-old by her legs out of the elevator. Anna had to sit on her in order for me to buckle her into the car. And Susie continued screaming for the half-hour it took us to get home.
Today, again. We had to drive Theo to his college class. I buckled Susie into her car seat and then put her hat on her head. This order of operation was incorrect. The hat, apparently, was supposed to go on her head first. But, of course! Another 30-minute cacophonous car ride ensued.
Why am I telling you this? I don't know. Susie is once more back to normal, humming and skipping and twirling as I type. There is no trace of the evil that lurks within. And I can only hope that the aberrant behavior she's been displaying is not merely a harbinger of her teen years.
But if it is, I think I'll send her to live with Anna.
It's the three's. They are way worse than two's!
ReplyDeleteI'll bet you a nickel that tomorrow she'll get mad when you put her hat on before buckling her seat.
ReplyDeleteLately, our three year old has decided that he needs to buckle his carseat himself, but he's not strong enough to do it by himself, yet he honestly believes that he can do it himself, and is rather offended when anyone dares to help him with the buckle.
We are late everywhere we go.
I think that is an excellent solution. I had a similar problem with LittleBit when she was two. She did grow out of it.
ReplyDeleteOy, I remember '3' for girls well. My failing ear drums are testament to the number of screaming fits I endured in close quarters. I also remember taking a whole bunch of books out of the library with titles like, "The Defiant Child", "The Out of Sync Child", "The Explosive Child"---I thought my girls were possessed or insane at times. Now that I look back, they were 3.
ReplyDeleteOh yikes! What were you thinking doing the whole hat/carseat routine wrong like that? And pushing the elevator button? Honestly. I hope you've learned your lesson.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely feel your pain.
ReplyDeleteThat age is like living with Sybil and the Exorcist all tied into one cute package.
This probably didn't makeyou feel better - sorry.
Are you kidding? I am still dealing with this with my 7yo. Aren't all children like this all the time? You seem to be implying that this behavior is somehow out of the ordinary!
ReplyDeletei think you should start to worry when your little one is practicing the death glare, asking her big sister for advice.
ReplyDeletebest,
franzi
Yeah, three year old girls are a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteThat's why they're so cute--to keep us from killing them! I have a 2 year old grandson and 3 year old granddaughter who are going through this phase. Just one more perk of being a grandma--I get to LAUGH and go home to my quiet, neat house! Ahhh, payback!
ReplyDeleteI was done. The youngest was no longer peeing on the carpet, and at school every day all day. Then I had to go and woops! start over again. Just as I was starting to smile about being pregnant again....you go and remind me of the impending doom of the toddler years. My kids are lucky they're cute. That's all I can say.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that.
ReplyDeleteAll 'Susie' named persons are evil. All persons named 'Suzy,' including my last boyfriend, are not.
ReplyDeleteI agree with "mom taxi". I think 3's are way worse than 2's. They're every bit as pilly but now they can TALK!
ReplyDeleteI think it's girls, too. My daughter can go from zero to pissed in nothing, flat.
Thanks to you I live in complete terror of my daughter. She's five and I'm already thinking of sending her to boarding school....
ReplyDeleteAnd it would serve Anna right ;-)
ReplyDeleteAt least she's still small enough to pick up and carry. Just don't let her see you sweat. "I'm waiting. This car is not moving until you stop screaming." Boy, once they know you're embarrassed, you're doomed. ;) But you clearly know that already -- you're surviving Anna.
ReplyDeleteMy 3 year old is the same. It's just 3 year olds. You always hear about the "Terrible Twos" but no one warns you about the "Tyrannical Threes" let alone the "Sassy-mouthed Sevens."
ReplyDeleteAge 3 has stolen my sweet Miles as well. But only sporadically. Multiple personalities, things he never used to do or scream, are thrown at me (literally). My friends keep reminding me that aliens steal your child here and there in the 3rd year in a very big way. And then you get your sweet one consistently back sometime in the 4th year. They say they come back even better than before. I'm counting on that and not allowing myself to think of the teen years. I'm already completely crazy so I pretend my boys will never be teens. Why am I telling you all this? Don't know. Rambling today. All over the place. Forgive.
ReplyDeleteHello my dear - thanks SO much for those great book recommendations! I'm heading to the online library right now!
ReplyDeleteit's the time . . . for us it's anywhere from 4-6 p.m. when ANYTHING can happen!
ReplyDeleteI'm going thru something similar with my 10 y/o. I'm hoping she's just getting her teens troubles out of the way now!
ReplyDeleteI hate it when they change things up like that! Man, I just get it down and then..... YIKES!
ReplyDeleteYou made me smile though. Thanks.
you. are. in. so. much. trouble.
ReplyDelete