Question:
My 4 year old will not listen to me..only to his dad!?
Lori S
2007-10-08 14:20:26 UTC
I need help! My son is 4 he will be 5 in December and he just started pre-k this august. He does not listen to me at all! he is talking back all the time and he just ignores me if I tell him to do something. Now if daddy is home he does whatever he says..the first time! We do believe in spanking but it is very rare that we actually do it we threatin more than anything. I am just losing my mind..i hate to yell at him and it breaks my heart to spank but i don't know what to do to get him to listen to me. When i do yell at him to do what i say then he says that he hates me and i am the worst mommy in the world! I am a stay at home mom and i give him a lot of attention and i think i have a lot of patients with him so I am not sure what else i can do. Does anyone else have the same problem or any advice they can give me to try to get him to listen to me?
Fifteen answers:
kia
2007-10-08 15:01:57 UTC
Spanking isn't going to get you anywhere. All it teaches is that big people can control small people by violence.

You can change what's happening but it requires great discipline and behavioral changes on your part.

Also ... why does he listen to his Dad? Maybe you can learn something from your husband.

OK, here is what you can try:

Never react to what your boy says or does. What that means is that you do not yell, hit, or cry.

Just stare at him with no expression on your face.

When he is being particularly rude tell him in a quiet voice that you will not tolerate his behavior.

Then tell him what the consequences will be if he continues.

Use very simple language and do not raise your voice.

Example:

If you do not pick up your toys then you will not go to the park today.

If he says, rudely, I don't care:

You say fine. And you cannot watch cartoons today either.

The consequences must be something the child really likes or they will have no meaning.

If it is a bunch of toys, you can take one toy away for each rude or disobedient act.

Never yell.

And do not beg or say please do this for me.

You are the adult. He is the child.

Threats will get you nowhere.

Deprivation of enjoyable things works almost all the time.

Do not let him bully you by bad behavior.

If he has a tantrum, (not on the street) just walk away and do something else.

Again, do not react.

When he says you are the worst mommy in the world, ignore this. It doesn't mean anything.

When he talks back to you, walk away. Again, at home, not on the street.

If he does this is public, say at the supermarket. Stop shopping and go home. If there is something you needed for dinner tell him you are not going to buy it. Just go home.

If you put him in a time out and he won't stay put, tell him the consequences, tougher this time. No tv cartoons for 7 days. Count out the 7 days for him. Do not tell him anything too complicated.

If he refuses to eat lunch, let him. Take away the food and put it away. No child is going to suffer for missing one meal. And if he is hungry later, tell him to wait for dinner. Tell him lunch was before and now it is later.

You must not waver.

Now ... when he is on good behavior, praise him, tell him how proud you are of what he has said or done. Offer to do something he'd really like to do. The zoo, the playgound, whatever he really likes that is a bit of an effort.

Never use these words:

YOU ARE A BAD BOY or YOU ARE A GOOD BOY.

Instead, praise his accomplishments: tying his shoes, hanging up his coat, clearing his dishes from the table, etc.

Tell him how proud you are of his behavior again.

Too many mothers try to be friends with their children. This is a BIG mistake. He will always have his own friends. What he needs is a grownup parent who will put necessary limits on what he does, recognize his good behavior, his personality, his jokes and games.

Do not leave discipline to your husband. You will teach him that women don't matter. Not a good thing now or for the future.

My niece once wrote to her mother the following:

Dear Mom, I hate you. Love, Trace.

She was 5.

Every parent loved that letter.

Do not give up. Don't get angry. Don't react to a child.

Being a mother is the hardest job except for being a firefighter.

Be nice to yourself.
a.vasquez7413@sbcglobal.net
2007-10-08 14:47:46 UTC
For starters, I know where you are coming from? I have a Daughter, that Lives in an Apartment on my Lot, which was built for her when she Married, when she had her first Son, we were ecstatic about the Baby, when he turned Three yrs. old is when we started to have a lot of trouble with him. My Daughter worked and I took care of the baby, but after he turned two, I started noticing that let's call him Jacob, did not mind what my Daughter told him to do, so I always was scolding him for that, but we could see it was to no avail, pretty soon he started to yell at my daughter, and even hit her, and when that happened, I told my daughter, to start Spanking him if he did not mind her. But since she is a lenient person, Jacob took advantage of it, this went on until he was 41/2, by then she already had another little boy of two, who seeing that Mommy was someone they can take advantage of, did the same to his Mommy. So, not wanting to spank them, because it hurts you when you do that, I was the one that started spanking them, oh, they mind Granma, but not there mom. so, now my Daughter started another tactic with the oldest if he does not behave he will not be able to see his favorite Cartoon, which is Diego, and Dora the Explorer, and his Game boy is taken away also, but now we found out that the oldest has ADD, which is attention deficit Disorder and is taking medication for it. Now the young one is hard to handle also, but he is getting some rules to go by, and it seems to be helping thim some. I hope this will help you in trying some tactics with your Son,. You are the one that is the Adult, and the Child is not suppose to dictate what you should do when it comes to their welfare, so, being lenient with him, is not going to make him listen to reason, I hope that you will be able to find out on what is the right thing to do with your Son, because if you don't you will never have any respite from your problem. Just remember that the one who is there with your Son, is you, and not your Husband, so, your Child should mind you not only your Husband. Above all else show him that you Love him, and if you are going to spank him, tell him why you are going to do it, and stick to your decision, and I am sure you will be able to see some improvement with it. I care.
pansyblue
2007-10-08 14:29:10 UTC
Children usually obey daddy better then mommy. Becuase mom repeats her request over and over. Daddy says it once, then if there's no response, he gets up, goes to the child and helps them obey. Not by spanking or hitting, just take the arm and take them to the table. Or take the hand and help them pick up the toys, ect. Then priase them for doing it even though they had 'help'.

He's gotten a reaction from you when he says the hate thing, and you're worst mom ect. So you have to make sure he doesn't even get another reaction by saying that.

Make sure dad isn't getting to do all the fun things, (reading stories, bath, ) while you have to always be the bad guy. (time for nap, pick up toys)

Don't yell. Back up your request with action. Physically help him to obey. And catch him being good and praise/reward.
Lew A
2007-10-09 11:26:32 UTC
well the reason is either your Hubby doesn't show you respect when the child is around......if he does the only other answer is, to put it quite frankly, you are a wussy. He probably listens to Dad because he knows Dad doesn't screw around, and I'm willing to bet that if dad "threatens" a spanking.....he follows through with his threat if his demands are not being met.



To remedy this, the next time your son disrespects you yolk him up by the arm and paint his butt red!! there is absolutely no way a 4 year old should ever have guff to ignore or not listen to his parents.....he needs to be knocked down a couple pegs.......literally
jheng p
2007-10-08 15:10:37 UTC
i think we have the same issue, when my eldest was 3 or 4. my husband actually told me that i should learn to accept that there will come a time that i am the one who's in charge or spanking. if i think he needs to be spank, there's no reason for me to be patient at all. as a parent, we need to do things to teach our child/children that we, parents, are still the authority.



spanking a child once or twice per incident,is fine, just but don't forget to talk to him/her once he/she acknowldge his/her mistakes. tell him/her why he/she deserves to get a spank. that if he/she does it again, it would be worst.



loving our children is not just by embracing, kissing, feeding, being patient or taking them to a park or so is enough. but teaching them how to respect elders, from parents to great-grandparents,even the young is another plus.



Respect should be the first in line.



enjoy parenting and spank when you think it is needed.
30
2007-10-08 14:27:16 UTC
Ya my brothers do that to my mom all the time they try to do that to me but when they say that they hate me i tell them well i love you. When my brothers don;t listen to me i put them in the coner cause i hate spanking too so don' t feal bad it works and also count to 3 and then after

3 put them in the coner and if he won't go willingly put him there and if he gets out just keep putting him back in the coner and don't get mad just keep doing it it will work and good luck :)
Betsy
2007-10-08 14:30:52 UTC
#1 stop threatening. If you tell him you will then do it. If you don't intend to then don't say it. It makes your threats just that, only threats.



#2 Our son did that for a while and it was my husbands fault. He would try to "help" me by backing me up when I would tell him to do something. BIG problem! If YOU tell your son to do something he needs to do it because YOU told him to NOT because dad says mom said do it. Does that happen at your house?
?
2017-03-01 06:16:12 UTC
1
SpringChick
2007-10-08 14:38:34 UTC
I had the same problem until I stopped saying "I'm going to get your dad". I'm not sure if you ever say that but don't. It makes them think "We'll then I guess he's the one who I need to be afraid of". Since I stopped saying that & started sticking to my guns, she's so much better.
Mickey
2007-10-08 14:28:04 UTC
Maybe you should get his daddy to talk to him. I don't think that you are being mean or anything, but maybe you should reward him for obeying you. As he realizes that you reward him for good behavior, you should start limiting the rewards to him obeying the first time given. Maybe put him on a token program?
Megegie
2007-10-08 14:23:43 UTC
Well since he only listens to Dad, have Dad tell him that he needs to listen to you and that if he doesn't, there will be hell to pay when he gets home.



Also, if your husband does not treat you like his equal and undermines you infront of your son, you need to tell him to stop doing that. Doing so teaches your son that it is ok to treat you, and all women, like that.
anonymous
2007-10-08 14:23:08 UTC
does your hubby raise his voice or talk down to you infront of the kid if so thats where the answer to your question lyes
anonymous
2007-10-08 14:24:17 UTC
we do not have that problem just be stern with him and do what you say don't give him a dozen chances just do what you say you are going to do
van v
2007-10-08 14:24:05 UTC
have u tried having his dad talk to him?
anonymous
2007-10-08 15:25:30 UTC
well you should start hitting him it works


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