Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Struggling with DD (6). It is upsetting us all. Any advice on what might help would be most gratefully received!

33 replies

MyCatIsAStupidBastard · 30/06/2012 14:13

My DH and I are struggling with my DD who is 6 and I really don?t know what to do.

She has always been feisty and quite argumentative and we go through phases every few months where it just gets worse and worse. She ignores us and ignores us and ignores us. Sometimes (quite often) the only way you get through is by shouting. She wont try anything we ask. We know she can have dry nights, but only if there is a reward for doing it ? so she will do 5 days to get a doll/toy/whatever, get the reward then immediately be wet again ? for weeks until we reward again. We want her to try cutting up her food (she is 6 nearly 7).. she will argue until she is blue in the face that she wont do ? she would rather have a row that give it a go (I know she can do it, I have seen her and shown her).

She is lazy, rather than get herself something from the kitchen (about 10ft from the front room) she will shout through and unless we get it, will go thirsty or hungry rather than get up (she often goes thirsty and hungry, I don?t mind if she makes the effort ? but the mouthful I get for not doing it immediately is unbelievable).

It really is her way or the high way. I try to talk quietly to her about it (why didn?t you do what Daddy asked, why are you shouting at me because I don?t have any biscuits left) and when she shouts sorry (which she invariably does) asking her if she knows what she is sorry for (never does, even when I try to explain it).

These are just a few examples. My suspicions are that we have, unwittingly, cast her in the role of the ?naughty one? (we have a 3yr old DS who is an easy child by anyone?s standards), that she is jealous of DS (they do play well together and don?t fight particularly ? just the odd squabble) and perhaps we are trying to get her to grow up more quickly than she wants to. But just for once I would like everything not to be a huge great fight.

But I don?t know what to do ? how do I get her (and us) out of this ?naughty one? role. How do I get her to stop ignoring us completely? And, if I am honest, our reaction is not good ? sometimes we really really shout, she has had the odd smack (not many) and a lot of sendings to her room (these are not our instant reactions, but usually arise through sheer frustration after many attempts at talking calmly).

She is happy at school, she has friends, she eats well, she is always very witty, cuddly and very very lively.

If you have got this far without wanting to tell me to belt up and grow up, well done. So, other than telling me that very thing, please can you give me some practical advice on how we move on. I am upset, DH is upset and most importantly, DD is upset.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
MyCatIsAStupidBastard · 30/06/2012 15:17

She has been in the nightpants for the last 3yrs - we took them away about 2 weeks ago after we felt that the bribes and rewards had proven she could do it (and she can, up to 6 nights in a row). She wants them back and I genuinely feel that she is being as stubborn about this as she is with everything else.

Btw - this particularl round of behaviour has been building up for a lot longer than 2 weeks (and yes, I can see now that perhaps I should have tackled the behaviour before the bedwetting, but at that rate I reckon she would still be wet at 15 knowing her!)

OP posts:
TheTeaPig · 30/06/2012 15:19

Ps - she is just the right age to start doing chores Grin
Mine do dishwasher,bins,pets and hoovering - start em youngGrin

TheTeaPig · 30/06/2012 15:22

It will only be an issue if you care about it - my guess would be she will grow out of it or when the (hell that is) sleepovers start she will want to ditch them !

MyCatIsAStupidBastard · 30/06/2012 15:24

Thank you all for your help. It has helped me write it out and see in black and white what I (and DH need to do).

Got to go now and do mum things (cooking, cleaning and being calm).

None of this was in my life plan when I was 8!

OP posts:
Fairenuff · 30/06/2012 15:37

Oh my she is getting a lot of attention for all this unwanted behaviour.

She ignores us and ignores us and ignores us. Sometimes (quite often) the only way you get through is by shouting

She ignores you because she knows you will ask again, and again, and again. There is no incentive to respond immediately. She gets more attention for ignoring you.

Make sure there are consequences for unwanted behaviour. Then tell her once, 'I have just spoken to you, if you do not (whatever it is you wanted) you will (name the consequence - have no tv, or whatever).

Don't ask again - follow through with the consequence.

We know she can have dry nights, but only if there is a reward for doing it

She is controlling your attention here too. Either from staying dry for a reward or, when that's not enough for her, by wetting. Why does she need a reward at her age. You are making this into a much bigger thing than it is. Don't give her any more attention for this. If she is dry be casual about it, after all it is perfectly normal and what you would expect. If she wets, just change her bedding without comment as if it makes absolutely no difference to you.

We want her to try cutting up her food (she is 6 nearly 7).. she will argue until she is blue in the face that she wont do ? she would rather have a row that give it a go

Oh dear, op, she's getting loads of attention for this, at least three times a day. Why? It's just not necessary. One day she will do it for herself. She is not going to want to eat with her fingers when she's out on a date! Don't cut up her food for her and don't ask her to do it. Just give her the food, give her the cutlery and let her make her own choice about that one. She can't argue with herself, remember, so if she says she's not going to cut it just say (casually) ok, and change the subject.

will go thirsty or hungry rather than get up (she often goes thirsty and hungry, I don?t mind if she makes the effort ? but the mouthful I get for not doing it immediately is unbelievable)

Ignore, ignore, ignore. Walk out of the room (the house if you need to). I never listen to my dc when they shout at me. I say 'If you want to talk I will listen, but not if you're going to shout at me'.

I try to talk quietly to her about it (why didn?t you do what Daddy asked, why are you shouting at me because I don?t have any biscuits left)

Because she gets lots of attention for it. She won't actually be aware that this is the reason and she won't be able to articulate it to you but it is. Wanting attention is perfectly natural and using whatever means to get it is also natural for children. We need to learn that some behavious are inappropriate at best and unacceptable at worst.

So it all boils down to the old favourites, ignore the bad, praise the good, no shouting, no smacking, both parents using the same strategies, set the boundaries and always follow through.

Sorry for such a long reply, op, but sometimes it helps to understand the reasoning behind the behaviour Smile

sixthsense · 30/06/2012 15:43

Cat - well done at keeping calm......a level mood of calm even though at the time you feel like shouting your head off is really the key. If your DD sees a calm mummy then she will start feeling more in control of her own emotions iykwim by feeling like she has steady emotional barriers around her. (nothing worse than feeling like screaming and shouting and the whole world around you is doing the same. You are her rock :)

MyCatIsAStupidBastard · 30/06/2012 18:41

fairenuff - that is really good advice. Thank you. And you are right, it does help to understand the reason behind it. I am an intelligent person (honest, I hold down a career that requires quick thinking and a good amount of calmness), but when it comes to DD, I feel bloody useless at times!

I get so caught up in it all that I cannot see the wood for the trees.

Thank you all again. I have already been a lot calmer just by putting it all down and seeing it in print.

Just about to show the thread to DH too.

Wine and Flowers for all!

OP posts:
MissM · 01/07/2012 21:48

My DD of 6 is being awful as well! Different to yours OP, but I came on here to post about her and got distracted by this. Lots of good advice I think, especially fairenuff's. All I can say is I sympathise, and I hope you get through it soon. Now I'm off to post about my own problem and hope I get such helpful advice too!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page