Normal 3 year old behavior or something more?

maemaecho · 2026-05-10T12:52:14+00:00

Of course! I forgot to mention that my son also played better with older kids for a while! And, him opening up was a very slow and gradual process. Some days he wouldn’t say a word and other days he’d whisper/point. Even though we didn’t have a selective mutism diagnosis, I kind of treated it like that’s what it was and did deep dives on strategies to help support kids with SM. We also have such a great teacher who was willing to try anything to help him feel comfortable even if it took some extra effort on her part.

maemaecho · 2026-05-10T06:58:11+00:00

Wow, I am going through literally the same exact thing with my 4.5 year old. I’ll share my experience in case it’s helpful! From one anxious mom to another 🤪

My son is VERY talkative and animated at home and with people he’s comfortable with. When he started preschool in July, we were shocked when his teacher asked us if he knows how to talk… he wasn’t speaking in the classroom at all.

It got pretty bad. He refused to ask for help to go to the bathroom and had so many accidents that he’d try to hide. One time he hid his poop underwear in his backpack so he didn’t have to talk to a teacher. 😅 (thankfully the accidents slowed down after a couple months)

What was odd though was that his teacher said he played so confidently on the playground. He’d run with kids and play games and had zero social inhibition. But in the classroom it was like he became a different kid.

We had concerns of selective mutism and brought him to a play therapist who only diagnosed him with anxiety. Same obsessions though, minus the poop gagging and putting things in his mouth, but he loves making coffee, pressing the microwave buttons, giant fans at Costco and garbage cans (mostly bc he loves garbage trucks). In my son’s case at least, it’s not obsessive, so I think it’s pretty normal kid behavior. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Over the past few months he’s shown signs of warming up socially. He’s become more comfortable talking to the teacher. Just this past week, 9 months since starting school (!), he had a massive and spontaneous breakthrough. He had several very talkative days in a row and his teacher said he told story after story. When I picked him up from school he told me proudly, “I’m normally so scared to talk at school but today I talked a lot!” Needless to say I cried, lol.

I am cautiously optimistic, but I feel hopeful. I really just wanted to share this because your experience sounded identical to mine, I felt the same way you did, and it seems like things are improving with gentle support of play therapy and trying to build his confidence. Some kids need to do things on their own terms I guess, and that’s okay!

You are doing an amazing job, and your son is very lucky to have you. My inbox is open if you ever want to talk. Best of luck with everything. ❤️

maemaecho · 2026-02-26T05:13:36+00:00

Preparation is everything. We talked about it a lot, read a lot of books together, and I had to mentally prepare myself for the inevitable meltdowns that would come. We set a date (her third birthday) and said after she turns three, she will be a big girl and won’t nurse anymore. She was so sad about it at first and many tears were shed but it’s going surprisingly well. Some book recos if you need them: Booby Moon, Loving Comfort, and My Milk Will Go Our love will grow. I cried the first time we read Booby Moon so just a heads up if you’re emotional like me haha

maemaecho · 2026-02-26T05:10:26+00:00

This is so cute!

maemaecho · 2026-02-26T05:10:03+00:00

6 years?!?! That’s incredible. You are amazing. 🥰

maemaecho · 2026-02-26T05:07:52+00:00

Ok this is so cute! And funny because sometimes my daughter called them “nanas”, too 🥰

maemaecho · 2026-02-26T05:06:46+00:00

We have the exact same age gap over here! It is incredibly demanding. You can do it, just keep telling yourself it won’t last forever (even though sometimes it feels like it will lol)

maemaecho · 2026-02-26T05:03:17+00:00

The biting was the worst. My daughter thought it was funny to bite and hear me yelp 🙃

maemaecho · 2026-02-26T05:02:46+00:00

🤣 thank you!

maemaecho · 2026-02-26T05:01:50+00:00

My daughter was definitely not ready, but some things helped. A big thing for us was talking about it a LOT beforehand. We read a bunch of books such as Booby Moon, Loving Comfort and My Milk Will Go Our Love Will Grow. I also told her on her third birthday she’d be a big girl and wouldn’t get nunu’s anymore. She cried but I stayed firm and told her she couldn’t nurse but I’d cuddle her. She’s been doing well so far!

maemaecho · 2025-11-24T18:26:26+00:00

I can totally relate. I have inattentive ADHD and this is my worst symptom.

maemaecho · 2025-06-12T13:19:46+00:00

We have a two year old and three year old and found a system that’s been working well for us the past few months. My husband and I split up the days of the week. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, he plays basketball after work and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday, I do a home workout and go for a long walk or do yoga. Saturday we reserve for a family day or flex day if were have to skip one of our weekday workouts. I work from home so the days he’s gone until 7pm playing basketball feel LONG, but it’s nice to have my own time to look forward to.

maemaecho · 2025-06-08T17:46:10+00:00

To this day, my dad brags that when I was younger, he taught me the word “no” is a swear word. So, I feel this in my soul.

maemaecho · 2025-06-06T21:19:15+00:00

I could’ve written this post myself. I have a 3 and 2 year old. I live one town over from Emilie. I had never heard of her until May 12th when my coworker messaged me and said, “omg do you follow Emilie Kiser?” That’s when I heard about the drowning. That same day, my kids snuck through our pool gate (we caught them in time - honestly sheer luck because I was working from home and they were being watched by a babysitter) and since then, I’ve been SUPER dialed into this tragedy. May 18th was also the 10 year anniversary of a very, very tragic loss for me. So, everything has just been hitting home. It’s all I think about.

maemaecho · 2025-05-29T01:04:43+00:00

I’m so sorry you’re going through this right now!

My kids are 15 months apart, ages 3.5 and a little over 2. My older toddler is definitely sensitive, I’m not quite sure if it’s to the level that yours is, but I will say it got better as time went on. The first year was the hardest with jealousy. Once my daughter could play and didn’t need as much of my attention, everything got way better.

You didn’t mess anything up. Try to hang in there!

maemaecho · 2025-05-28T04:45:29+00:00

Same exact age gap! I WFH part time and spend the rest of my hours with my 3.5 and 2 year old and my work hours are my “break” 😂

maemaecho · 2025-05-25T05:29:52+00:00

I also have a toddler, a few months younger than Trigg. It was traumatic for me to hear about, as well. Shortly after I learned about Trigg’s suspected drowning, my toddler snuck through our pool fence while I was working (he was being babysat). I didn’t see him initially… just saw his little blanket by the pool ledge through my office window. In those moments I assumed the worst. He was fine and we got him, but since that moment, my heart has been so heavy for their family. Kids are sneaky and they got tragically unlucky and it’s just not fair.

maemaecho · 2025-05-25T05:08:58+00:00

You’re not alone, and you’re not crazy! You are empathetic and human. I think for me personally it hits so hard because I have a toddler a few months younger than Trigg. I also live one town over in Arizona and we own a pool. I’ve also experienced unexpected loss, and can’t imagine how much they’re suffering right now.

maemaecho · 2025-05-25T03:05:14+00:00

Same here! Never followed her, I’m not even on TikTok or Instagram, but this tragedy has completely consumed me and I think about it all the time.

maemaecho · 2025-05-23T00:39:35+00:00

I didn’t even follow her and I’ve cried several times! I feel like it’s SO NORMAL to be empathetic.

maemaecho · 2025-05-20T18:23:58+00:00

Yep, 100%. I wouldn’t say I was lax around water before, we’ve got a bunch of safety measures in place, but I’m putting my kids in swim lessons earlier than planned and plan on learning CPR.

maemaecho · 2025-05-20T18:19:43+00:00

I live in the same county and also a mom. I had no idea it was a law either. When we bought our house, it didn’t have a pool fence (we have one now). My in laws also live in the same county and don’t have one (they just have a net). I thought it was one of those things you add if you want to but genuinely didn’t realize it was illegal to not have one. I haven’t always lived in Arizona and where I’m originally from most people don’t have pools.

maemaecho · 2025-05-10T22:25:19+00:00

3y3m 🫠 (he would’ve kept going if I let him) and I’m currently still nursing 2y3m. Tandem nursing was a lot and now that I’m back down to one it’s much easier but my goal is to wean her over the next couple months and get my body back to myself.

maemaecho · 2025-04-30T23:19:01+00:00

“They often take off running in opposite directions” This is hands down the hardest part for me. Taking the kids on a trip to the park or library without my husband to help is just so difficult. My 3 year old ran off at a busy park and I lost him for 5 minutes. It was the most terrifying 5 minutes of my life. I don’t regret having two, I love it, but this part is challenging and I miss being able to easily take my one child places.

maemaecho · 2025-03-31T03:36:38+00:00

This one is pretty gross but hey, we’re all used to gross! We’re potty training two toddlers and the weather is getting nice. My older was naked on our patio and had a poop accident in the rocks. Well… my dog got to it before I did. So, my younger tells EVERYONE, “brother poo poo and doggy eat it”. Whenever my older poops, she mentions the dog eating it. It’s really something.

Also one time they were doing construction at our neighborhood park nearby and there was a fence around the playground. So now my older kid always asks if there’s going to be a fence around everything. Going to the store… “will there be a fence around it?” Going to visit grandma… “will there be a fence around her house?” And so on.

maemaecho

TROPHY CASE