Toddler behavior

Yup definitely a minature teenager attitude 😅

@Melissa get her to help me cook. She chops with toddler safe knifes, fetches things from the cupboard or freezer, sets the table ish. My daughter is 4 but she's been helping since she was 2. Younger than that she would be playing on the floor near me (safety) mainly with all the pots and pans she would get out and bang like drums!

I guess I should ask this to you ladies instead. How do you keep toddler entertained without screens while cooking?

Trust me I do ALL of the above lol I don’t know if this is getting through when she throws her toys and refuses to let me cook 😂

It feels like it but toddlers don't have the tools to do things intentionally. First they need to develop the feeling on empathy and they don't get that till nearly 5. So I agree it's like talking to a wall but they don't do it intentionally. Gental parenting does mean being walked over. You have boundaries and stick to them, e.g. ask them once to do it, ask them again with an option and boundary....put your shoes on please....which shoes are you choosing? I will choose and put them on if you don't..... I can see you are struggling to choose so here I've got these ones and I'm putting them on you. Make things fun, do silly things, make sure you have time to factor in these things if you're going out so you don't put the pressure on yourself or them

Yes! I’m ignored all the time unless I do something funny to catch his attention I’m just a shadow 😂

Whisper. Get close and whisper. Sometime a whisper is better understood when it comes to directions. If it's just to get their attention see if a whisper even at a small distance works.

If you need to stay at a distance (ex, can't walk over because you're cooking and can't walk away from a stove) , maybe try calling them in a silly way? If possible, getting closer/on their level, quieter, and/or touching their back.

@Melissa I hate raising my voice and yelling at him. Normally I’ll be like heyand then wave my hand in front of me like I’m talking to you because the second I raised my voice to get frustrated that’s when he starts cry, and then there’s definitely no getting through to him lately when we have an issue or something I take everything that could be distracting him away so he put all his focus on me. Then we talking it out explain why it’s wrong or why we can’t do it and then I always end it with a yes mama no mama so I know he understands

How do you address this issue gently and make progress with them? I’m at a loss gentle parenting is allowing her to walk all over me and I don’t like raising my voice.

I swear to God, he just does it because he thinks it’s funny but right now we’re in the picky stage. Hes never used to be a picky eater and now it’s I don’t like food. I don’t like that I don’t like night night. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Yes it’s like talking to a wall sometimes. I understand how you feel.

I’m gonna say yes because this is my 3 year old. I think most of the time he is just so engaged in what he’s doing so he doesn’t respond. I don’t think it’s always intentional although sometimes it sure seems like it lol