Boot Camp for little boys

"terrible two's" HA  ...                  "treacherous three's" is more
                                                       like it

    
              C @ 2 yrs                                      C @ 3 yrs

Why do "they" call it terrible two's? We are having treacherous three's here. They are much worse than the two's could ever hope to be. HELP!!!  ;)

C will be 4 in April. (I can not wait) I am hoping that he wakes up on his birthday leaving 3 and the behavior that came with it behind.  :)
This is my prayer. (honest)

In the past few months we have seen a different child. And not for the better. No, for the worse.

Please, don't get me wrong...he has his days, weeks even where he is the best little 3 yr old he can be. Loving, sweet, well mannered, helpful, etc. But then, just one thing goes wrong for him and it is all over. A new boy emerges, one that I do not recognize. And with this "new" boy, comes a "new" Mommy. And I must add, I do NOT like the "new" Mommy either. She is mean and she yells, mainly bc that is the ONLY way she can be heard over the screams of the "new" boy. That, and it is the only thing that has worked so far for the "new" boy. YIKES. It makes the "old" Mommy's head hurt.

So this week we, (I) decided to try something new. Boot Camp!!! I locked C out of his playroom. All he has to play with are his instruments (bc somehow they were over looked and left in the family room), his story book reader, a handful of blocks that came from some hiding spot, one dinosaur, and a small Thomas fire truck. In his bed he has Salty.
He will not be allowed back into his playroom until he is listening a majority of the time. We are also putting him in "time out". I am not sure this works, but we are trying it out. The rule for time out is he has to face the wall and no crying (I am so mean) for three minutes. (one minute for each year). You would think this was easy...no it is not, not for him. He is in time out for two, three or four times longer than he would have to be, just bc he won't stop screaming.  

I guess staying home with him all this time, I have not realized a lot of this until this past week when I took him to church with me while I working in the childcare in the evening. WoW...he really opened my eyes. Out of 20+ kids, mine was the only one that would not listen to me, his own Mommy. He was also the only one that had a screaming fit and chose to sit out TWO different times. What an eye opener.

I am determined to tame this "monster" I have created. Please pray for us. I will keep you updated. And if you have any suggestions, PLEASE send them my way.

Doesn't he look SO innocent? 

              C-3.5yrs