Trying, Temperamental Three's

Whoever coined the phrase "terrible two's" did so prematurely before their child turned three! Looking back I really don't think two was such a bad age for Tyler. Three on the other hand is trying our patience. Let me count the ways:

• The constant testing of limits and rules
• The attitude
• The frequent tantrums when Tyler doesn't get his way (this seems to be at least once a day)
• The stubbornness (granted, he did inherit a large dose of this from me!)
• The competitiveness (again, a genetic trait from the Hulett side of the family)
• The whiny "but I need such-and-such" or "but, but, but, but..." while he searches for a reason
• The super whiny "I need help" to do a task on his own (e.g. wash his hands) that he has done a million times before but he wants help just because he is craving extra attention

Of course you can also turn up the crankiness level when Tyler skips his nap, which is becoming more frequent lately. On the flip side, Tyler can be super sweet when he wants to be and will just melt your heart when he knows you need it most!