I Love Him but He's Driving Me Insane!

The Good and Bad of Having a 3yr Old

Published on March 24, 2004 By JillUser In Personal Relationships

My youngest little guy is 3. He has the sweetest little face. One that makes you want to just smooch him up. He has an adorable voice and can make the most pathetic sad face you have ever seen. He can melt me in an instant with a hug, kiss or "I love you mommy". But boy can he be a stinker!

I think my first child spoiled me. He rarely ever climbed on anything. He rarely ever broke anything. This one climbs and destroys constantly! Two minutes in the bathroom and I return to find that he tore apart the case label for a library video. I yelled at him and asked him why he did it. He replied "I don't know". Gave me the sad quiver lip and said "Sorry Mommy".

I can't stay mad at him but he makes me feel like pulling my hair out! I find myself yelling and saying "no!" way more than I would like. He just seems to have to take apart everything he gets his hands on. My dad says that he was the same way as a child. When he got older he started learning how things went together and would then fix them after he took them apart. I just wonder how many years I have to wait until he gets to that point.

Comments (Page 1)

TARSIER

on Mar 24, 2004

I think the best way to punish a child after they do something bad is to tell them to go sit in the corner of a circular room. It will keep them entertained for hours why they think of what they did wrong. No, Im just kidding, that is kind of cruel. Not that I am a parent or even an adult, but a possibly foolish suggestion would be to give him a model kit, something that he can figure out how to put back together, or Legos, which are virtually indestructible in a child's hands and enhance the mechanics and imagination of the childs brain. I dunno, just a thought.

JillUser

on Mar 24, 2004

He has tons of Legos but seems to be fixated on taking apart his brother's Lego creations. He seems to be very mechanically inclined. He just currently uses his gifts for destruction

dharmagrl

on Mar 24, 2004

My littlest guy is the same way. Wants to take everything apart to see how it works, but then can't put it back together again.....he's nearly 8, and is getting the hang of fixing stuff he dismantles but I still have to keep an eye on what he decides to 'undo'. His Dad was the same way, according to my mother in law...and my mom said I did the same thing too.

I wish I had some advice for you, but I don't...all I can say is hang in there, and I'm here to vent to if you need it!

JillUser

on Mar 24, 2004

Venting is exactly what I need some times....thanks!

Ian Hanschen

on Mar 24, 2004

When I was little I took everything apart too - I didn't really grow out of it until around 10 years old. I at least learned a lot, at the cost of every electronic toy in the house! If you can find some of those illustrated how things work books(there used to be a great Disney set), he'd probably really like them. I don't think the curiosity goes away very quickly though, sorry

Janders

on Mar 24, 2004

My brother was like that at his age. Actually he is still taking everything apart at the age of 16! So I think it takes a while to "grow out of" At least as they get older they can start to put things back together!!

KellyW0498

on Mar 24, 2004

That is why God gave them the cute faces...so that we don't kill them! :0) My 14 year old still takes everything apart..sometime he can fix it...hang in there...

stevendedalus

on Mar 25, 2004

Now I know why so many moms wish to have girls. On the other hand, your boy will keep you young and alert, although you might lose your hair--suggest you wear a hat when your temper rises becuase of his cute, but vexing behavior.

Dan Kaschel

on Mar 25, 2004

As you've heard, it only gets worse. At first, I took apart things like legos and toys. Then, full of the glory of my aptitude, I began disassembling electronics when I was about 10. Needless to say, few of them were ever put back together.

But it does get better. Eventually. Just give it a couple decades:)

~Dan

KarmaGirl

on Mar 25, 2004

Now I know why so many moms wish to have girls.

Sorry, but girls do the same thing. I was known for taking apart stuff (I still do it) and my daughter does the same thing. My husband disassembled a lawnmower when he was almost 6 years old and was almost able to put it back together. He's more mechanically inclined than anyone I know. Maybe your son is an old soul of a mechanical genius

MasonM

on Mar 25, 2004

. I was exactly the same way when I was a child. I still remeber getting my tail whipped for taking apart our very first color television set two days after we got it. I amazed Mom and Dad by actually putting it all back together though. I think I was around 5 or 6 then.

Probably why I majored in electronics in college.

I still like to take things apart to see how they tick. (I'm 42 now, never outgrew it)

Hang in there Jill. Maybe he'll be the next great engineer or inventer.

JillUser

on Mar 25, 2004

Thanks all.............I think

I love my little stinker. I know he doesn't do it to tick me off. I think he is just inquisitive like all of you who say you were the same way. I will just encourage him to put stuff back together when possible and to apologize when not. For now though I will keep him away from the snow blower and lawn mower

dharmagrl

on Mar 25, 2004

..and the VCR, DVD and CD players......

JillUser

on Mar 26, 2004

He already gave us grief when he was 2 by seeing what would happen if you put a DVD in a VCR. You know what happens? It gets stuck!

KarmaGirl

on Mar 26, 2004

VCR's are just screaming to kids to jam something in them. My daughter tried to put her sandwich in ours when she was about 2. I found a book in one once, which was probably why the tracking was never right after that

Luckily, VCRs are pretty cheap now.

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