Age 3

I need advice on surviving! I thought two was tough, but along with age 2 DD1 also had the addition of a new sibling. She is now 2yrs 9mos and she vacillates from the most sweet little girl into a devil all day long! Example - today I ran a 5k in the morning. By late afternoon I was trying to catch a catnap on the sofa with them. The little one was in the exersaucer playing and the older one was reading book and asked if she could lay next to me. Just as I start to doze off I jump to up a cry from the little one. My older daughter is standing there laughing that she bit the little ones fingers! AHHHH!!! Within five minutes she is sweetly saying 'I am so sorry mommy. I be a good girl. I won't bite'.

This morning she also hit me on the leg and I had her in time out on the bottom step. I sat down next to her so we could talk about why hitting is a bad thing to do, etc., and she goes into a total meltdown. Throwing herself on the floor, screaming, crying, the whole nine yards. Within 10 minutes she is running around singing, smiling, and happy. I feel like I'm on some sort of crazy train and can't get off! DH says this is just normal for her age, but that is all well and good when all you hear is the end of the day recap. I need some advice on handling her tantrums and avoiding them in the first place. I do try to keep her occupied and engaged, but sometimes there are times in the day (like making dinner or tending to her sister) that I can't.

Any tips from those that have BTDT?

[Chrisada]

That seems normal. DS1 will be three on Christmas. They are emotional roller coasters and will seek out more attention now that they have a sibling (DS2 is six months). The best advice on the tantrums is to ignore it. When DS1 starts, I simply put him on the basement steps and let him go at it. I tell him he can get up when he chooses to stop. If he gets up crying, I put him back on the steps. I do not feed into tantrums. Inevitably he will come to me after a few minutes and say, "I'm done!"

[spotty_dog]

Luanne is one of our seasoned parents here, and she tells us that in addition to the terrible twos are the trying threes and the f**king fours. Hang in there!