The Preschooler

Trying Not to Let It Phase Me

Right now, it’s whining.  My two boys, especially my older four-year-old, whine about everything.  They whine if they don’t get their way.  They whine if they want something.  They whine…well…for reasons I don’t think I’ll ever understand.  I don’t know if my toddler is getting it from my preschooler or the other way around.  It may be that my preschooler feels my toddler is getting more attention so he is mimicking his actions.  I feel I am grasping at elusive straws.

No matter what the source is for the whining, my one comfort is knowing that this, like most other behaviors in young children, is a phase.  It will not last forever, although on some days I feel as though I won’t be able to take it one more minute, let alone another day. 

However, I know that, one day, the phase will end, and well…they will find a new behavior to replace the one they have recently outgrown.  We, as parents, can only hope this new behavior is one of the good ones we have instilled upon them.  If not, remember, it too is just a phase.

I have also found that making a plan to end the behavior can shorten the phase.  This also helps to save my sanity as I feel a minor, yet often disillusioned, sense of control over the behavior.  My plans also help me to react appropriately instead of simply yelling, since outright rage is frequently triggered when going through a phase when the behavior is as grating as whining.

So if you are going through a phase with your child, I wish you luck, sanity, and a good plan of attack.  If all else fails, blame it on the  moon.  After all, it’s just a phase.

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Written by Laura on March 2, 2010