Annie's Latest Issue: Whining

I'm afraid that Mamma has been struggling with the latest Annie-Phase lately: continual whining and crying. It is so severe that saying, "Pour out a cup of that whine." doesn't really work anymore. Of course, it's worse when Annie is tired, . . . and has come on the heels of "Daddy Mode." Mamma is getting VERY frustrated with this. Annie truly ruined a playdate today: "Waaahhhh. Uuuuaaaaah. I can't WALK!" "Waaahhhh. Uuuuaaaaah. I'm hungry." "Waaahhhh. Uuuuaaaaah. I don't want to ride that tricycle!" "Waaahhhh. Uuuuaaaaah. I don't want to step in that water!" "Waaahhhh. Uuuuaaaaah. I have sand in my shoes!" "Waaahhhh. Uuuuaaaaah. My feet are hurting!" "Waaahhhh. Uuuuaaaaah. Waaahhhh. Uuuuaaaaah." In addition to today, Annie REFUSES to wear dresses and throws a fit whenever it is nap time (of course). I kind of suspected from the beginning that, in addition to being a normal three-year-old thing, this phase corresponded with the change of weather, . . . and a change of clothes. With Annie being a truly tactile child, she is very affected by these changes that involve her sense of touch: short sleeves, short pants, no socks, sandals, wetness on feet, sand between toes, sweatyness, etc. She is too young to remember last year, so this all seems new to her. Ironically, the way that we have "fixed" this is for me to emphatically whine back at her and turn it into a game so that she can hear how horrible it sounds, so each day, at some point, you'll hear me saying, "What if Mamma said, . . . Waaahhhh. Uuuuaaaaah. I don't want to make dinner! Waaahhhh. Uuuuaaaaah. I don't want to get you a band-aid! Waaahhhh. Uuuuaaaaah. I don't want to play that game." Annie usually winds up laughing, . . . thank goodness. So much for the unconventional methods! : )