DD (in reception) told me this morning that her cousin (18 months older and DH's niece) said that DD's handwriting and drawing is rubbish on Sunday. It worries me that she has been thinking about this for a couple of days, so she hasn't just shrugged it off. She was even telling her which colour pens she could and couldn't use.
For the record, her teacher actually sent her to the headmistress last week, with a group of four others, to show the head their handwriting because it was so good. Cousin doesn't know this though. I don't want her losing confidence in her abilities as I have been told by three sets of educational professionals that she is very bright.
Her cousin is no prodigy and has struggled at school, so I wonder if she is just taking it out on DD.
Unfortunately she has form for being mean to DD. Off the top of my head I can recall incidents when she told DD that she couldn't play with her and her friends as she was too young. Another time when another cousin from far away arrived and they excluded DD. Another time when she told DD that she didn't have any friends (she has a birthday party to attend practically every blooming weekend). There have been other episodes.
She seems to be bigging herself up at the expense of DD (always a giveaway that all is not well inside) and I am wondering if she is doing it to see what she can get away with, or just repeating what other kids at school do to her.
I don't want my DD being constantly quashed by her cousin as we see them every Sunday. SIL says the cousin really misses DD when she is not around to play with. DH says that she just misses someone to boss.
How do I handle this without causing a family rift? Do I tell the child not to be mean in private, tell the parents, bring it up when both children and parents are present, stop them from being alone together (she only does it when no adults are present) or stop seeing them so much?
Thank you for any advice.
Please or to access all these features
Please
or
to access all these features
AIBU?
To reduce contact with niece
4 replies
Coldnoseandtwinkletoes · 02/03/2016 12:20
OP posts:
Please create an account
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.