Ok. I need some reassurance here. How much contrariness is normal for 25 months of age? My firstborn never really went through a huge "No!" and temper tantrum stage, so this is pretty new to me.
Ava seems to refuse to cooperate as her default response lately. Time to get dressed? Nope. It's a struggle. Time to eat something that isn't bread or fruit? Nope, absolute refusal. Time to go outside. Nope, she wants to stay in. Time to play? Nope, she'd rather watch television. These things I can mostly deal with. Mostly.
It's the next level of contrariness that really gets to me. If she accidentally bumps her brother and I ask her to say sorry she absolutely refuses. She runs away from us pouting and whining and would rather spend an incredibly long amount of time in time-out than just say "Sorry." If she's having trouble with something and you attempt to help, she'll throw down the offending item and refuse to play with it any more rather than accept assistance. If she wanted to go first and has to go second she will refuse to continue to participate in the activity. If asked to share something, or give back something she has taken she simply refuses.
And then there's her absolute refusal to let her Daddy do anything for her. If she wants milk I have to get it. If she wants down from her booster seat she'd rather stay in than let her father help her. If she has to go to the bathroom she'd rather wait an hour than let Daddy help. We were walking together tonight and she wouldn't even hold his hand. I do believe it's starting to hurt his feelings. And it isn't that she doesn't like him. She loves seeing him come home. She loves to tickle and wrestle with him. I think it is just another way for her to insist on getting her way rather than ours.
Someone please tell me that this is within normal limits for the age. And if it is normal, how long does this last? And could you possibly share some strategies for dealing with it?
