2.5yo refusing to go out. What do you do?

[hooch]

Sometimes if I organise something fun to do like swimming etc my LO totally refuses to leave the house. He will not put his clothes on or do anything I ask him to do.
I know he will enjoy once he gets there so what do I do?
We have been using sticker charts to put clothes on but this doesn't seem to work anymore. I hate forcing him to put clothes on but I had to do this today as he blankly refused.
Do you force your child to do anything? I feel so bad that I shouted at him too. He just would not do a single thing I asked him to do.
Thanks.

 

[caitlyn2009]

My LO is still a lot younger than yours, but I can tell you how I would handle it and maybe that will help. I would just explain that unfortionately whether we want to or not clothing is something we must wear and that you understand he doesnt want to get dressed but he has no choice really. I would then go on to explain that he can however choose which outfit he wants to wear. I hope this helps.

 

[RachA]

If I have something organised that I can't back out of then I will explain what we are going to do etc. if she still refuses then I will put her clothes on for her and bundle her into her buggy or the car.
While its preferable to be able to do everything without force unfortunately it doesn't always work. Like on school mornings I can't spend 30 min reasoning with Esther about getting her clothes on as that would make Daniel late for school and that isn't fair on him. So if she won't get dressed then I have to force her. Giving her a choice of clothes won't always work either as she'll just say no to everything.

 

[_Vicky_]

Hmm you need a twin - when one of mine is in that mood I just help dress his brother and say to stubborn boy - right then we're going you stay here with the dogs bye! - hasn't failed me yet but it will bite me one day!

I personally would just do what you're doing and keep chipping away - I do frequently have to do
What one doesnt want to
Do as it's unfair on the other. Just remember its all about testing you at this age xxx

 

[hattiehippo]

Tom gets told we're going out anyway and that if he doesn't co-operate with getting dressed etc then he will go in the car however he is dressed. He knows I mean it so always suddenly wants to get dressed/ready.

He was awful at 2.5 for 'I don't want to' and refusing to do things. I I'd sometimes try giving him a choice of clothes but tbh it didn't really help. I did tell him I understood he didn't want to but we were going to anyway. He got the message after a couple of months of me repeating the same phrase and then getting ready to go out without him properly dressed.

 

[ayls]

When we are going out, I will just tell my 2 year old son, that we are going to ride in the bus, and he will immediately run and get his clothes. He loves cars, bus and trucks, so I used it to encourage him to dress and so on. Try to know what he likes, maybe you can use it to persuade him.

 

[Peardrop]

My son is also 2 and a half and we are at that same stage. It's exhausting. I agree with Vicky they are testing the boundaries. If he had his way he would never get dressed, never have his nappy changed, never have a coat on, never have a bath (and conversely never get out again!) We start with persuasion and reasoning but if that fails then his clothes are put on/taken off anyway.

 

[Abz1982]

Emma used to do this........once she took her clothes off as I nipped to the loo before we went out so she ended up in the car in her pants. I just took her clothes with me. That shocked her enough that now she just grumbles but gets that we have to go. That and if she says she doesnt want to do something, i just tell her well I dont want to have to do X/Y/Z, but that if I didnt she would be cold naked and hungry,

 

[fairypop]

We have exactly the same, he doesn't want to go out anywhere except to a cafe!!! (Namely Starbucks!) he says. I'll just stay here and play mummy, you go out, bye! Then we have a battle to get him changed etc, no advice as not sure what to do other than persevere. If we go to a friends house, he won't go in the house, he stands on the step and makes a dinosaur noise - whichever friend, and says I don't like this house, let's go home!

 

[hattiehippo]

We have exactly the same, he doesn't want to go out anywhere except to a cafe!!! (Namely Starbucks!) he says. I'll just stay here and play mummy, you go out, bye! Then we have a battle to get him changed etc, no advice as not sure what to do other than persevere. If we go to a friends house, he won't go in the house, he stands on the step and makes a dinosaur noise - whichever friend, and says I don't like this house, let's go home!

Tom went through telling me to go out and either leave him at home or in the car on his own. I told him the police man would be very cross with me if I did that as it was very naughty. He really took that on board and kept telling any policemen we saw that mummy was a good girl and hadn't left him on his own!

 

[hooch]

Thanks for your replies! They did make me chuckle! Glad it's all normal.
I'll just persevere as we have been. Sometimes he's fine.
X

 

[bubbles123]

I ask nicely, then ask again, then again. If that doesn't work I dress him and pick him up, often ridged like a board and strap him in the double buggy and off we go. He is fine once we get out the frontdoor.