7 year old DD still having temper tantrums...

[charliecat]

My dd who is 7 in just over a week still has temper tantrums. They are only once a week or so but still, last night I wondered whether she would ever stop. Or would i be unsuccesfully trying to reason with her like I do now when shes 14....
Usually its something silly, Last nights was I asked her if she wanted a tissue as she had a runny nose, she said I dont know..(Thats her standard response to any question, shes like Kevin the Teenager) I said Well when you decide you do need one get one from the bathroom...so off she started shouting I WANT A TISSUE...I said well get one your self then and so it went on and on and on...
I removed her from the bedroom into the kitchen as her sister needed some sleep and ive got sick of her tempers disturbing everyone elses life...
and eventually she agrred to get her self some tissue and go to bed quietly..about 45 mins after id offered to get her a tissue..
Will it ever stop?
If I had of got her a tissue it would have been about something else BTW...shes been doing it for years...

Oh the point was, is it just her or do other children do it? She has more tantrums than her sister whos nearly 4....I think I know the answer!

She sounds a bit like by goddaughter. She's a very bright but extremely sensitive middle child but I have been a bit surprised by how she could just explode into a real tantrum at this age. However, she's now 9 and doesn't do it at all anymore, and she's doing very well at school, very social etc.

My dd is 8 and she has strops. She can start shouting about anything in the world, for no reason.
Normally she is a happy little girl, but once she starts up she will kick the doors, the radiators, shout and scream.
Have you tried just leaving her to it, don't discuss it and just leave her to calm down. That usually works, the more fuss you make, I've found just makes it worse.

I was exactly like this when I was little. Sometimes for no apparent reason - or over something insignificant that had bugged me - I would just 'switch' as my mum would say, and have the biggest mood swing/tantrum you couldimagine. I would throw stuff, kick doors, toys - anything that was there at the time!! The problem is - it never went away and I still get like it to this day!! I have an extremely short and quick temper and almost anything and nothing can trigger it. When I was a child I was painfully shy and to some extents I still am. I'm not sure if maybe my tempers were a way of craving attention that I was too shy to ask for, or maybe it's just an inbuilt thing - apparently my dad has a bit of a temper. I know it's not much in the way of 'advice' as such but you are definately not the only one. I would recommend that when it happens, you dont fight it - that makes it worse, just let it blow over and she will calm herself down and probably feel a bit stupid!! Good luck

My ds is 5 next week, and he still has tantrums, I thought we were doing something wrong, but we are obviously not the only ones. I have never given in to him, so I don't know why he still bothers. DD is 2 and she has them too, we are praying the next 2 are a little calmer!

Hmmm, well I am seriously considering turning the handle on her bedroom door upside down so when shes hanging on to it kicking the back of the door I dont have to be standing on the other side of the door holding the handle. Just so shes not controlling me for that 45 mins or however long.
Me having to stand there holding the door and sticking my head in every 5 mins to see if shes calmed down yet I find is ridiculus. Shes demanding enough as it is you know ??!!!
Nice to know im not alone.
Any magical tips? My mum suggested getting the video camera out and saying I was going to video her and give it to the teacher...I think it would be interesting to see if it would stop her in her tracks or make her flip even more... but for some reaon im reluctant.

Just completely ignore it. It might be hard at first but as you said yourself - she's controlling you by doing it. When I used to get like it I calmed down an awful lot quicker if I was just left to get on with it - after all there's no point in shouting and screaming when no-one bothers to react. I just used to get over it and come back out of my room feeling very sheepish. If my Mum however had shouted back or got involved I always managed to twist it round so it gave me a reason to have a strop.

I once read that it is important for your child to get out of a tantrum situation with dignity - ie, does it really matter if they don't want to wear their coat? Perhaps they could carry it until they feel cold? I have tried this with some success - my six year old girl has just started this behaviour (to my absolute horror) and I have had to learn to back down occasionally - which I find VERY difficult!

My 7 year old daughter also has outragous temper tantrums, usually at night and usually with Daddy (tiredness??) I find it very upsetting but do ignore it at the time and remove a privelige after?? Is this right?I don't understand having surrounded my kids with love and stability why she keeps getting so unhappy! I also find it puts a strain on my marriage as I don't understand why he triggers these tantrums and really 'gets into it' with her? Please advise

My DD (almost 9) has been like this for the past year and I'm inlcined to think it's hormonal. Her body looks as though it's changing shape and she just goes off on one every now and again; more so when she's tired.

She will choose something really little to start with (last night it was not wanting to wash her hair) and then it turns into a whole "woe, is me" type thing, where she blames me for dh working away in the week, she hates the house, she doesn't want to move, then she does etc.

She lashes out at me and her brother and even when I leave to come out of it alone, she comes out of her room and follows me, shouting the odds. I threaten her with missing out on something important and she recoils and begs me not to take something away. Then she gets cross again.....
I was never like this as a child; moody as a teen but never shouting at my mum/violent etc.