Sticky Situation..

All in all it's been an unusual week, fab in a lot of ways but also really tough with my 3 year old and his new independent streak! I've tried every possible technique known to man (and insect?!) and still no joy.

Here's a typical morning-
Mummy- okay, what would you like for breakfast? toast or wheatabix? (2 reasonable choices I think which will mean he has some breakfast)
Ash- I want crisps
Mummy- No, you can have toast or bix.
Ash- No..no no no no!
Mummy- (in head, fair enough) actual words...no
Eventually-5 mins later
Ash- I want toast now..
Mummy- what's the magic word?
Ash- Please mummy
Mummy- Good boy Ash, you go and sit at the table and I will bring it
Ash- Okay mummy (if i'm lucky or no, I want to sit on the sofa, starting another choice issue)
Mummy- Here you go (puts toast on the table)
Ash- I wanted a big one
Mummy- It is, I've just cut it in half
Ash- NO Mummy, i want it BIIG
Mummy- ummm no
Ash- Grrrrrrr
Mummy- ????

This can happen with toast, spoon size, which pants to put on, how much tooth paste to put on, going to school, washing hands, potty, drinks, I swear he could start an argument about anything if he tried!

I think we're at that point where we keep trying different ways to manage his recently found Independence and to be totally honest..I'm confused and am generally causing complications. We've tried the naughty step, worked for a year, now he doesn't want to sit down, reward charts, (at the mo finding it really hard to find things to reward him about) on his level talking, quiet talking, (so that he knows when he's in trouble) time spent just with him, in his room, ignoring, you name it, we've done it! Now I think I've just realised the problem.. too many things, changing too quickly. He's only just started pre-school so I'm assuming this is one big change and we keep saying things like 'you're a big boy now so....' which I think has resulted in the 'I am a big boy now and you can't tell me what to do phase' ah well.. I've now got him a sticker book and have made a resolve to just stick to one idea at a time and just try to encourage his new found 'status'! Not too much like a big boy though, he still needs his mummy xx