‘I don’t like’

Those three words,  ‘I don’t like’ seem to front a lot of our 3.5yrs old sentences at the moment.

It feels like he is rarely completely happy with any situation, unless it involves him dressed as Spiderman, watching Peppa Pig, in his corner of the sofa, sipping a freshly made banana milkshake with a gingerbread man on he side to nibble on when the moment takes him.

Even then, no doubt he might find something ‘he doesn’t like’ about the situation.

What does one call this? Moaning? Perhaps whining is better suited, or maybe he is like his mother, and is just argumentative. Is this just a 3.5yr old testing the water. Instead of asking ‘Why’ he tries his luck with relentless ‘I don’t likes’. God, maybe I say ‘I don’t like’ too often and he is copying me! Ah, isn’t it wonderful have children constantly make you look at and analyse yourself.

Either way it is rather annoying.

I have noted down a number of his current woes from various days out recently to give you a flavour of what I’m talking about.

These are reported as said:

– General Winters day “I don’t like these clouds”

– On the M25 “I don’t like this speed”

– On any motorway “I don’t like this big road”

– On a drive to visit friends, Toddler “Are we there yet?”, Me “Not yet, about 20 minutes to go”, Toddler: “I don’t like 20 minutes I only like one minute”

– Walking through town, approach some steps “I don’t like steps”

– Being out at anytime after 4pm “I don’t like the dark”

– Getting dressed “I don’t like stripes”, “I don’t like blue” “I don’t like long sleeves” and “I only like tracksuit bottoms”

– Heading upstairs for a bath “I don’t like the upstairs of the house” quickly followed by “I don’t like baths”

– Getting ready to walk out he front door “I don’t like this door, I’d like to leave through the garage”

– At Birdworld “I don’t like this bird” (harsh!)

– When he climbs into our bed in the middle of the night and he says to his father “Daddy your breathing is keeping me awake”

I mean seriously, is there any pleasing the chap! Don’t get me wrong he really is a happy fella, comments above aside, but the constant ‘I don’t like….’ can get rather tiresome. If anyone has any advice on how to curb it, please do let me know.

Next week we will be discussing ‘But Mummy….’

Related posts:

Being up in the night with a toddler The threenager Toddler Traits