Is the absolute inability to listen to one's parents an innate characteristic of a four-year-old, or should I be concerned? I'm pretty sure he has a filter for my voice. I tell him to stop doing something; no response. The voice gets louder and louder until the seventh or eighth attempt, when I am essentially yelling. I've been teaching him sign language, so sometimes I even yell at him in sign. (He can tell it's "yelling" by how emphatic my signs are and how angry my face looks. It might be more quiet, but it's essentially the same as raising my voice.)
At this point, I finally get a response, except it's anger and frustration at the fact that I am yelling at him. So, what's the deal? Is he testing my limits to such an extreme that he refuses to listen until I'm red in the face? Or should I be worried that he's so focused on what he's doing that he tunes me out completely?
This stage of development seems tricky to me. It seemed easier when I was just looking for the milestones the books tell me to expect. We wait and wait for the newborn to roll over and express grave concern when such a milestone seems late to us. But the doctor assures us that there is always a range for these things, and eventually, the babe does roll.
My approaching-two-year-old is supposed to throw tantrums and tell me "no!" I expect this. But I KNOW my big boy understands what I am asking of him. Must he wait until I've asked him so many times that I am feeling like the hold music on the pediatrician's phone?
Do your kids listen to you? How can I get mine to do it? Desperate (and highly repetitive) mom seeking advice...
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