Aaargh!

I have to preface this with the fact that Ewan is usually a pretty easy toddler and is generally quite compliant. It is just that this particular behaviour is really pushing my buttons!

Ewan has picked up a rather unpleasant habit (from one of the other boys at the childminder, whose mother had NO boundaries in place for her son!). However I also know he doesn't do this AT the CM's, just at home

When we ask him to do something (or stop doing something) and he really doesn't want to he says 'shullup' (shut up) and then blows a raspberry in my (or DH's) face. He was doing this about month or so ago and our strategy worked quite quickly to stamp it out, but it had resurfaced in the last 2 weeks and the strategy we used last time isn't really working at all.

We have been using the "warning followed by time out if it continues" with no shouting involved but it isn't really stopping the behaviour recurring. Time out involves him sitting in the hallway for 1-2 minutes and then whichever one of us put him there goes out to him and says what we didn't like and why. Sometimes he says sorry, sometimes he just wants to give a hug (to which we respond 'I know you are sorry for xyz'). We have been saying that it makes us sad, that is is rude or mean.

Any suggestions, or do we just persevere a bit longer until he stops / get sick of it?

Have you tried ignoring it? Perhaps he is doing it for a reaction out of you xx

Hmmm. I thought we were keeping the reation pretty low key but I suppose a reaction is still a reaction so perhaps completely ignoring it or just leaving the room might be worth a go!

sorry to be no help what so ever but i will be watching what replies you get as am having similar problems with ethan too. (they are so similar in age) He goes to nursery and there are a lot of polish children there who speak little or no english and I've been there and have herd them grunt "eh" when spoken to and Ethan has picked that habit up which i absolutely detest. Its just so rude and ignorant. He has also started blowing raspberries at us when we tell him off and is constantly running around saying "he's not our friend" especially when we tell him off for something.

Its a tough age to be sure hun so good luck. we try where possible to ignore it but it doesn't always work.

Have you mentioned it to the CM?
Just wondered if the behaviour is being punished by her (with the other child) so that he is being given the consistant message that it isn't acceptable?
We had similar things with Jack although I think he was a bit older & we just used to make it clear that we didn't allow that word / phrase / behaviour in our house as it wasn't nice/polite
((((hugs))))

I'd personally just carry on as you are.
I find the ignorinh it tact a difficult one. If I ignore something Noo foes he will either keep doing it or escalate it till I do do something at which point he has either effectivity won as he has managed to get a reaction it or at the very least is struggling with a mixed message. I just try to be consistant.
For some reason unpleasant behaviour really does seem to rub off easily but breaking the cycle cam be very hard work.

Have you mentioned it to the CM?
Just wondered if the behaviour is being punished by her (with the other child) so that he is being given the consistant message that it isn't acceptable?
We had similar things with Jack although I think he was a bit older & we just used to make it clear that we didn't allow that word / phrase / behaviour in our house as it wasn't nice/polite
((((hugs))))

Yes I have. They don't accept it from the other child but the mother doesn't seem to back them up so they are fighting an uphill battle


We ignored it tonight when it happened (he didn't want to get changed for bed) but once he had calmed down I sat Ewan on my lap and told him why I (we) didn't like what he had done and that we don't speak like that in our house. He gave me a cuddle and said sorry of his own accord.

Awww that sounds like progress

I am sure he'll grow out of it soon