The threenager stage…take two! – Mummascribbles

I wrote a post four years ago about when Zach was at the threenager stage. And I read that post over just now to refresh my memory and literally rolled my eyes at how tame it was. Because Oscar is taking being a threenager to a whole other level!

Of course there are parts of that post which are very similar, but as has always been the case, Zach was a much calmer boy. Oscar has a level of determination that cannot be argued with. There is no negotiation. It is quite simply his way or the highway. I of course say no to him. He doesn’t simply get his own way all of the time. But it is a battle to come out the other side of an Oscar disagreement and sometimes it is just not worth it.

On Tuesday we were on our way home from pre-school. He was riding his bike like he wants to do all of the time now. He is really good at it, but needs a little help sometimes to get going or make his way over some of the trickier parts of the pavement. Or sometimes, just sometimes, his little legs are just too tired and he just needs a little assistance in getting anywhere.

Anyway, we had barely got anywhere from pre-school – we had managed to pass Zach’s school (which is next door) and I had managed to coax him away, but we were in the alley right opposite at the hump that he likes to ride over and I made the mistake of giving him a tiny weeny little push. Which was apparently not what he wanted. And so he sat there, on his bike refusing to move. And then pushed himself back over the hump to start again where I had intervened.

This happened several times on the way home. At one point, when it had already taken about twenty minutes to get five minutes up the road, and on yet another refusal to move, I was almost in tears. I know that the people walking past could hear my voice cracking while I was begging him to move. And there were tears brimming in my eyes. Thankfully I think he realised I was getting pretty upset and he decided to start riding again. For a little while. Until he then asked for a sausage roll from Greggs. Which he had had the previous day and not even eaten. So I said no. Which created a battle. Of him not moving again for a while.

I cannot even tell you how often this is happening. Well, I can. It is on most school runs! Even this morning when we were just walking (it was too wet for the bike and he didn’t want his buggy), he still managed to get annoyed and refused to move. And this was on our street, so we had barely made it anywhere before I was having to deal with it all. And yet again we were late for school, despite having left with plenty of time to get there.

We are so often late. Not late, late – Zach has never had to walk through the office to get to his class. But I am sure there are many times it has been a close call. And so often in the afternoon we are late picking him up because Oscar has had a number of tantrums on route. Even when I leave super early we are still only just skimming being on time. Honestly it is a flipping nightmare.

I of course absolutely love him to bits. I adore him. He is the most wonderful little boy. Polite (mostly outside the house – inside he is known to call you an idiot or comment that he hates you – all picked up from his big brother of course), and is just a general cutey pie. On Tuesday when I dropped him off at pre-school, one of the staff commented on how lovely he is because she had been wearing a sparkly top and commented that she looked lovely. Honestly, he is a complete charmer when he wants to be.

But by god he is hard work. Really, really hard work. It is exhausting. He is exhausted.

I try to persuade him to not go on his bike on the afternoon school run because he is knackered by that part of the day, but he is insistent that he can deal with it – and who am I to argue with that?

I can’t force him into the buggy (it would take longer than his tempestuous ride to school). He is also technically faster on his bike than he is walking. But the whole thing is exhausting. With the many meltdowns that he has at home (usually over the contents of the snack box that he has eaten but wants more of), on top of all of the above; I am utterly exhausted!

Luckily, Zach has been an absolute darl just recently. He has his moments but on the whole, his attitude has definitely calmed down, and he does a lot more of what I ask him to. So I am very thankful of that because I am not having to deal with two children that are constantly having screaming meltdowns!

In my previous post I mentioned the reference to the whole “this too shall pass”, and while I don’t like wishing away the time – I am so over this threenager meltdown stage already. So hurry up and pass. Not that it actually does. Because then we have the fours. And the fives. And those hormonal sevens. Just as Zach will be about to hit puberty. Oh joys!!!!

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