I have a 2.75 yo dcg who will throw fits at the drop of a hat. She's been with me since she was 13 months, for 12 hours a day until a month ago. Since then, 10 hours a day. I have a strong-willed son, and this dcg has many of the same characteristics, but I think she even goes beyond that. If she doesn't get her way in whatever situation we're in, she'll drop to the ground screaming like I'm stabbing her. She did this at the bus stop this morning ... again. And then I have to drag her home screaming the whole way. I used to deal with it because I thought she'd grow out of it with consistency and time. But she hasn't grown out of it, and it's getting worse and worse.
I know at home her tantrums get her whatever she wants (or they plug her with a soother), and I refuse to do either of those things here. But I've always thought that since she's with me more waking hours than at home, she'd eventually clue in that the tantrums won't get her anything.
I also know she's chronically tired, and this morning I've just been putting her in a playpen every time she starts up. But now she's falling asleep, and it's still 2 hours til naptime. I'm willing to bet that because I'm letting her sleep now, she won't sleep at naptime and she'll keep everyone else up.
I just don't know what else to do -- how should I deal with her fits, and her tiredness? Is 2.75 yo too old for a regular morning nap? She arrives at 7:30, and I'd be putting her down at 9:15 since we need to get to the bus stop in between. Afternoon nap is 1 - 3, and then she gets picked up just after 5pm. From what I understand, bedtime is whenever she falls asleep on the couch at home.
For what it's worth, I'm not looking at terming or telling the parents how to parent. She's with me more waking hours than them anyway, so I would think that how I deal with it would likely be more effective than anything they do at home.