[Merrymom4]

Oh help. We are having a bad day at my house. I am becoming more and more convinced that my almost three year old cannot control his impulses. He sees something he wants and he takes it, even though he knows there will be a consequence. Today, it's moms jewlery. I have pulled him out of it muiltiple times, I have put him in the play pen for time out, which he hates. He screams and cries as though the world is ending. After the time is up, I let him out and he goes right back to it. Of course, ending up again in timeout...and the cycle continues. I suppose I could put the jewelry up, but then it would just be something else that would capture his attention. It's like he just can't help it. These days are becoming more and more frequent.
Any advice about how to help him control his impulses??

[floridamama]

This is just a suggestion, but maybe try distracting him with something else. Like a toy or coloring, or playing with your Tupperware. Maybe if you move him onto a different activity, he might forget the jewlery.

[mommysqueek]

I have the same problem with my son wanting to eat the dog food. You would think that the taste alone would not want him to eat it again. But no he keep's going back for more.
I find trying to be consistent with him and each time telling him no firmly and removing him from the situation seems to help. The key is being consitent. Which is hard and tireing at time's. We do it at least a dozen times a day.
Well good luck. I don't think it's you're son it's the age.

[Merrymom4]

Thanks ladies,
Both suggestions are great and they are things I do. It is just so exhausting and I wonder when he will learn. My husband and I talked about it last night and we are going to set up a designated "Play area" for him. I have a little bonus area next to my kitchen. We are going to put hook/eye locks on the doors and a gate at the doorway to the kitchen. This way I can watch him and he can't escape. It will be plenty of room for him to play. I think he may actually like it. At least I can put him in there when I can't keep an eye on him. (Today I went to the back door to chat with a neighbor and he threw a dozen eggs on the floor!) And, when he is bent on getting into something he is not supposed to ge into. Aye... this is an exhausting age!

[Diva]

Hang in there hun! I think this is pretty normal behaviour for his age; he is really putting mom to the test! lol
I think your idea of a play area is a great one; I was able to do this with my sons when they were little and it worked wonderfully!
Remember, this too shall pass!
(and it will be on to something else! )

[mamaip]

Good luck to you! If it makes you feel any better, my five-year-old son took my jewelry the other day. How did I find out you may wonder? Well....I was doing the laundry and took some clothes out of the washer when, lo and behold, what did I find but a shiny, CLEAN ring...of mine. AUGH!!!!!!!!! At age three though, it's much more common for this sort of behavior to happen regularly. Kids are learning then what is right and wrong and start testing limits, boundaries, and everything in between. I'd like to offer you amazing advice, but in truth, you can just try to steer them somewhere else and hope for the best. Be consistent with your consequences too. That seems to help. Best of all, stressful as it may be, remember that this too shall pass and soon you'll have a whole new problem to deal with. Heheheheheheheh...don't you wish you had a nanny?

[MJ7]

3 is such a difficult age I think! I too have a child with an impulse control disorder. We're wondering if it's ADD or if it's from drug effects (I didn't use drugs, his birth mother did). Getting him into a psychiatrist and Early Intervention helped us TREMENDOUSLY! He still struggles but now, at almost 5, I see lots of hope for him as a result of acting on it when we first really started becoming concerned. My son had horrible tantrums though which was our "red flag" concern.