I really don’t know what to do with my 5-year-olds who is acting very defiant with both me and his mom.It feels like everything we say is met with resistance… like following rules is optional. I’m losing patience often and his moms also getting frustrated. Anyone else dealing with this? Any tips or strategies that have worked ?
I feel you, I really do. My son went through a phase like this where everything was a battle, especially when it came to tidying up. What worked for us was turning it into a game—“Let’s see who can clean up the fastest!” Sometimes we’d do a “beat the clock” challenge with a timer. It didn’t always work perfectly, but it helped take the edge off and made it less of a chore. Also, I found that giving him choices rather than direct orders helped a lot. Like, “Do you want to clean up your cars or your blocks first?” It gave him a sense of control, which seemed to reduce the defiance a bit. Hang in there, you’re doing your best!
I’ve been there too and completely understand your frustration. For our family, we found it helpful to give him the options and give him the feeling that he is in control. For example, would you like to clean up now or in 5 minutes?
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