Okay, I need all the help I can get with my 3yo DS.
He seems to not listen or take notice of anything I tell him. He is the perfect child for his father, but I seem to have little (if any) power over him at all. If I tell him to do something he just yells "no" at me, drops to the floor with a tanty, or starts hitting me. He is really the opposite for his daddy who is definitely his favourite at the moment. I've even had to ask DH to have a stern word with him about how he's been treating me of late. Even if I want to include myself in what he / they are doing, he tells me "not you mama".
He refuses to eat his dinner when I ask him to, won't bath when I ask him to etc etc, but can be easily coerced by his dada.
Does anyone else have this problem?

my DH is the favorite with my two because I'm at home with them all the time Daddy works 12 hour shifts. do you do time outs or anything when he doesn't listen to you? my 6yr old DD and 3yr old DS have to sit in their room for time out (no toys in their room)

Yeh, we have the time out mat and I have had to use it quite often. I guess I just get so deflated when I see what a beautiful relationship he has with his dad, and it's the total opposite with me. My DH also works "odd" shifts (usually starting at 4:30am and home by 2pm, and every second weekend), so DS doesn't get to see him until the night time and only every second weekend around the same times).

its tough sometimes but you have to remember Daddy is a novelty. Mummy tells me off and puts me in time out!! Sorry I'm not to much help but a good tip is to focus alot on him when his being good reward good behaviour go over the top with it! and ignore bad behaviour. (i'm having alot of trouble with my 6yr old DD at the moment! ah!)

Hi Jeanette

My DS favoured Daddy a lot. Probably not to the extent your boy does - he would still respond to me when I asked him to do things but would be more responsive to Dad. It is still like this some days although I like to think it has evened out a bit! I definitely found it upsetting and frustrating some days. And my DH doesn't even work funny shifts - he is around quite a bit for all the hard bits as well as the fun bits and disciplines him as much as me.

Sounds like your DS is really testing you at the moment. I guess the thing that works best for us is to be consistent. Agree on a discipline for such occasions and stick to it - hard though it may be. Hopefully he will soon learn that he still has to do that stuff for you as well as his Dad - or suffer the consequence (wheter it's time out, remove toys etc).

Is it an option for you to spend some special Mummy time with him? I know you are with him every day but maybe do a special outing just you and him. Or do something he really likes doing with just you and him?

Good luck!