Almost 3 year old laughing at me!

[J1379]

I need a little bit of help with my DS (almost 3).  Lately whenever I speak to him about something that he has done that I am not happy about all he does is laugh at me.  I feel like I'm doing things right - but maybe I'm not?  When he does something that is not appropriate (ex. screaming loudly while his younger brother is napping) I get down to his level, look him in the eyes and explain that I do not like when he does that and why and ask him whether he understands me.  Before he would always say yes and usually tell me he is sorry for _____ and then go about playing.  But the last little while whenever I go to talk to him he starts laughing hysterically at me and won't look me in the eyes.  He also seems to laugh and smile alot when he does things that he knows are really wrong (ex. hitting his little brother).  Please tell me this is a phase!  Any tips/advice?  I know that in general often when he is doing behaviours that he knows are wrong there is always a source behind this such as being tired, hungry or jealous of time Mommy is spending with his baby brother...and I always try to address that if I am able.  But I find it hard not to get really aggravated when he laughs at me or laughs out loud over something not particularly nice that he has done.

[D_McG]

If DS does that I tell him he's being rude and disrespectful and he goes to his room until he's ready to change his attitude. But... he's 4. I don't know how to modify that for a 3 year old!

[tbone_kneegrabber]

I think it's that he's embarrssed/ knows he's in trouble.   My BIL still does this and he just turned 30!  BIL was in court one time and kept smiling/laughing when he was talking to the judge (not because he thought it was funny but because that's what he does when he is nervous). It gave him hell in school, I can tell you that!

But nothing anyone does *to* BIL can make him stop. He's not doing it on purpose.  

So I would not punish him for it, but talk to him about why he is laughing.  Is he laughing because he thinks it funny, because he's trying to diffuse a stressful situation, to try to get you to laugh so you won't be mad at him?