contradicting EVERYTHING!

[LaFlaca1226]

Here's a common conversation between my 29 m.o. and me.

ME: I'm making toast for us.
DD: IT'S NOT TOAST!
(I ignore her, as she says this in response to almost everything I say.)
DD: IT'S NOT TOOOOOOOOOOOOAST! (begins to cry)

Toast is simply an example. It can be any noun in the English language that I use. She insists that I'm saying the wrong word.

If I say "It's not toast? What is it?" she still begins to cry, saying "It's just nuffing!"

It's a fakey cry, and I can see her trying to cook up some tears to make it look authentic.

If I say "Okay, it's not toast," that will usually put an end to her crying, but when this happens dozens of times every day, I worry that I'm doing damage by letting her contradict simple fact and then just agreeing with her to make her stop crying. So lately I've just been ignoring it since it's so annoying and rude.

Mamas, any idea what is going on with her? Anyone else's child do this?

[jenfl]

Yes yes yes.

We went through months of this. There's really nothing to do to avoid that breakdown.

We did exactly what you're doing, sometimes agreeing, sometimes not, sometimes ignoring. Nothing made a difference.

After months (at just past 2.5), she's coming out of it. No harm to her worldview seems to have come of agreeing that it wasn't toast -- she still knows toast.

I know it drove us crazy, but I think all you can do is wait it out.

[LaFlaca1226]

Wow, thanks. Glad to know that someone else's kid did this, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

[MidnightCommando]

You are definitely not alone! It is enough to drive a person insane somedays I just play along with it