To want to slap my niece

[LieselVentouse]

Okay thats a bit of an exaggeration. DH, his brother and his dad took his mum out for a meal yesterday and 10yr old niece was a brat all day and basically ruined the whole day - my DD of course was an angel!!! DH said nobody said a thing and let her get away with it. Last night when putting DD to bed she said "niece said I was really dim etc. etc." DD is only 5. A ten yr old should surely not be acting a brat should they?

[meeeeow]

not at all! children should know right from wrong at that age. Obviously kids will always play up at times but then it is the parents responsibilty to discipline them. What exactly did neice do?

[LieselVentouse]

Every time MIL asked her a question she was doing that rolling eyes and shrugging shoulders stuff. My DD gave MIL her Mothers Day present and niece kind of throw hers at MIL - no kisses no hugs nothing. Then spent the rest of day running round restaurant like a loony. They decided to leave early. I have to say I wasnt there but when she starts taunting my DD with crap like that I really want to say something.

[meeeeow]

I would definatly say something. If my dd came home upset cos she was teased by another child, family or not, I would act on it. You every right to be angry.
Can your dh say something to his bro? If not, maybe next family gathering, makesure you are there so you can bring the behaviour to their attention there and then. They cant ignore it then can they!!

[LieselVentouse]

I have to say I wasnt there but if I had been I would have had to say something.

[ishouldbeironing]

Is this normal behaviour for your neice?
Could something have happened earlier on in the day to make her behave like this?
Altho please dont think I am not sympathetic as I HATE badly behaved kids.

[DumbledoresGirl]

They enter puberty ever so early these days. It sounds like your niece has done that. My ds1 is 10 and I know from what he tells me that it is quite common for the girls in his class to be stroppy in this way.

I had a similar situation at Christmas when the wider family was all at my parents' house for 3 days. Ds1 took it upon himself to not talk to anyone except me, dh and ds2. I felt cross with him, but actually, in such a big crowd, his behaviour did not really stand out. My family noticed and commented afterwards but he didn't really spoil anything for anyone.

Your niece should have been disciplined IMO, but I am not sure how much that helps when the hormones are having their effect.

[Caligula]

I don't think there's any point saying anything now - it's over and finished with.

Would be very careful next time though and ensure that somebody responsible is there to ensure this 10 year old isn't allowed to be nasty to a 5 year old.

[twelveyeargap]

I DID slap (on the bum, not hard, through jeans, before you all call social services) my 10 year old DD for being rude to her grandparents in the eye-rolling, shrugging, sighing way that only pre-teen and teen girls seem to manage. She got SUCH a shock - not that it hurt, just that I did it and she was SO embarrassed - that she'll never do it again.

I can't stand that sort of behaviour. Certainly a 10 year old should know better than to speak to a 5 year old like that. It's not excusable, but I think girls that age get frustrated with hormones/ feelings etc and take it out on those around them without really knowing why. Of course sometimes they're just brats.

Either way, it's not acceptable.

[Caligula]

I think one of the most effective ways of dealing with the eye-rolling etc. is to take the piss - I remember a friend of mine calling her DD "Kevina" whenever she did it and doing some eye-rolling herself. Soon shut her up!

[LieselVentouse]

Thanks guys.

[ScummyMummy]

@"Auntie Batter's bootcamp"

Do you think your bil was secretly mortified or just oblivious, liesel? I'm sorry your daughter had a bad day because of her cousin.

[mateychops]

LVT, can I suggest not slapping neice, but slapping mother of neice? I'll hold your jacket, and I'll even video it so you can enjoy at your leisure?

[LieselVentouse]

[princesscc]

Next time you are out with them and niece is being a bratt, why don't you say something to her? My dd is 11 and I wouldn't let her get away with it, although at that age they can be a pain in the arse frankly!

[mateychops]

Batters, I know the mother. If you knew her, you would want to slap her too.

[mateychops]

LVT, big kiss.

[LieselVentouse]

Sorry Batters Mateychops knows how bonkers said mother is. Thanks Mateychops am just drafting you a wee email.