DD aged 6 has lots of school friends, in a close neighbourhood so we are constantly hosting play dates. One child really stands out to me and I wondered if anyone had any insight into her behaviour.
She's very bright, reading fluently and exceeding at school where her parents (and DD) say her behaviour is perfect.
At home her parents say she has constant meltdowns and tantrums but is rarely there as she tries to attach to a child on the way home from school (more often than not, mine) and will do what she can to be outside the home as much as possible.
Her parents seem very nice and she has two sweet siblings.
I find her behaviour at our house really odd. She's wildly disruptive, rifling
through any letters or stuff she finds in the house. She flits from game to game, seemingly unable to settle to one activity. She bothers me or DD's dad constantly with requests. I think she wants adult attention all the time - whether that is positive or negative.
She can be very heavy handed and has accidentally broken many things in our house (eg a picture frame she knocked of the wall, a shelf she pulled down, a broom she jumped on and snapped in half).
She's defiant, and disrespectful. She constantly goes to places she's not supposed to - I find her in my bedroom looking in my jewellery box for eg. She will do sort of crazy things like run off down the road (busy traffic street) with no shoes on. She has ripped plants up from my flower beds and, if I don't stop her, will kill ants and bugs in our garden.
But despite all this I am fond of her. She can be a good friend to DD who can lack confidence and likes to look after her a little. She's not unkind.
But what is this attention seeking behaviour all about? And why is she wild at home/ outside home but good at school?
I would love to understand and I would like to know how to manage her better when she's at my house.