Julia is testing me to my limits lately. I try to give her options when I can: "Do you want banana or apple?" or "Do you want to take baby or bunny in the car? "Do you want cheese or yogurt?" or even "Do you want a bath or a shower?" When she goes to bed, we go through the bedtime routine and then turn the lights out, turn on her bedtime (relaxation) music very low (she has had it since birth) and then I ask her if she wants to rock or lay in bed. Up until about a week ago, this worked PERFECTLY. Now she usually picks laying in bed and as SOON as I start to lay her down, she starts SCREAMING about wanting to rock. I mean SCREAMING like someone is beating her. And if I try to rock her when she tells me she wants to lay in her bed, she will fuss and fidget until I lay her in her bed.

Another example, today we went to the fire station for a PG outing and at the end, all the kids got to ring the bell on the old-time firetruck. Julia wouldn't have anything to do with it (wouldn't even look at it) and no more than 15 seconds after refusing to look at the bell, she started pitching a fit about wanting to ring the bell! :tearhair: OY!!

It's like all of a sudden she realizes that making a choice excludes her from the thing she doesn't choose. Often times I give her two options (banana/apple, etc.) and she won't even answer me at all. I know that she has to come to terms with choices but this is really getting frustrating!

Someone PLEASE tell me that this is a NORMAL phase she'll grow out of and not something I have inadvertantly taught her to do!!! :pray:

It IS a phase that they go through (only to go through again :rolleyes: ). I think Aidan's been through it twice now and man...it drives me MAD. I so clearly recall making him his lunch he chose (out of the choices I gave him) only for him to turn around and throw the largest tantrum, screaming, "NOOOOOO...I want XYZ!!!" :disbelief: There were times I was ready to throw the damn food at the wall.

Carter is just slowly starting to get out of this phase. Boy, can it drive me insane!

PHEW!!! Even though I know better, I was beginning to think that I was causing her indecisiveness by being too lenient or something (um...how many times have I heard DH say I "coddle" her??? :rolleyes: )!!

Joe does the same thing. I don't have any advice, just sympathy.

Dennis

Oh Suzi, we need to get together, let Julia and Emily play and sit back with a pitcher of Sangria!! We are so there with you...to the point that I'm about done giving her choices. I ask her "Do you want waffles or a cereal bar for breakfast?" and she'll either say "No" (ok, was that no to waffles, the bar, or both?) or she'll pick one and as soon as I put it in front of her, start crying with these huge crocodile tears and the saddest face you've ever seen. It's driving me MAD!!!

so no advice, just sympathy. Actually, I think my advice will be what DH has been telling me...no more choices! I hate it, but just for peace I might give it a try.

Julia is testing me to my limits lately. I try to give her options when I can: "Do you want banana or apple?" or "Do you want to take baby or bunny in the car? "Do you want cheese or yogurt?" or even "Do you want a bath or a shower?" When she goes to bed, we go through the bedtime routine and then turn the lights out, turn on her bedtime (relaxation) music very low (she has had it since birth) and then I ask her if she wants to rock or lay in bed. Up until about a week ago, this worked PERFECTLY. Now she usually picks laying in bed and as SOON as I start to lay her down, she starts SCREAMING about wanting to rock. I mean SCREAMING like someone is beating her. And if I try to rock her when she tells me she wants to lay in her bed, she will fuss and fidget until I lay her in her bed.

Another example, today we went to the fire station for a PG outing and at the end, all the kids got to ring the bell on the old-time firetruck. Julia wouldn't have anything to do with it (wouldn't even look at it) and no more than 15 seconds after refusing to look at the bell, she started pitching a fit about wanting to ring the bell! :tearhair: OY!!

It's like all of a sudden she realizes that making a choice excludes her from the thing she doesn't choose. Often times I give her two options (banana/apple, etc.) and she won't even answer me at all. I know that she has to come to terms with choices but this is really getting frustrating!

Someone PLEASE tell me that this is a NORMAL phase she'll grow out of and not something I have inadvertantly taught her to do!!! :pray:

Suzi...I could have written this post word for word. It drives me nutty. :silly:

Oh, I'm right there with y'all. Julian waffles constantly. If I present him with two choices - for example, whether to wear a red shirt or a blue shirt - I'll get, "Red!...No, blue!...No, red!" And TV is the worst - "mama, want to watch the Wiggles on TV", then, as I'm about to start the Wiggles, "no, mama, want Charlie Brown"..."no, mama, want Thomas". AAAAAAAARGH!!!!!! :banghead: It makes me absolutely bonkers, and I'm so glad to know it's not just my child. I try to let him make choices for himself, but I've told him that sometimes mama just has to make an executive decision and those times, he just has to live with whatever mama chooses.

Anna does this sometimes. Lately it's with her sun hats. She picks the butterfly one, and half an hour later when we're at the park, she wants the yellow one. I usually just say "You chose the butterfly hat this time. Next time, you can choose the yellow hat." If she keeps changing her mind about food, I'll say the same thing. If she persists, then I tell her that I'm not going to waste food, and that her that her choice has become the apple/grilled cheese/etc. that she chose or nothing. She usually eats what she chose, and if not, she couldn't be all that hungry anyway.

I am so glad I'm not alone on this. I have decided to continue giving her choices and tell her if she won't pick that I will pick for her. Don't know if it'll work but it's worth a shot! :dunno: