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Behaviour/development

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

How do we discipline DD?

48 replies

3NAB · 24/03/2008 09:01

I have just found out that my 4.7 year old daughter punched my cat and just now she has hit her 2 3/4 year old brother.

She had already been sent to her room this morning by DH for saying she was going to punch my cat and then hit her brother when he went upstairs.

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pagwatch · 24/03/2008 19:47

Ummm
I know this must be very difficult and stressful but that is a strange charcicature of what people are trying to suggest.
Of course you don't ignore children attacking/hitting each other.

Do you not want people to suggest things?
Does it feel like criticism? Does it feel too difficult just now?
It is horrible when your parenting feels like it is not working ( remember that very clearly myself) but I took great comfort from the advice I received back then and tried not to be defensive. But maybe this feels too raw just now?.

3NAB · 24/03/2008 19:49

Of course I want people to suggest things. I wouldn't be posting if I didn't. I was trying to be clear in what I was meant to be doing.

It doesn't feel like I am being criticised actually, I felt quite supported.

I am not defensive in the slightest. Just a bit confused at what you seem to have gleaned from my posts.

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3NAB · 24/03/2008 19:50

we crossed posts perhaps?

I wasn't trying to suggest that a four year old has the capacity for a lightbulb moment - they are developmentally pretty incapeable of figuring out consequences until a clear behaviour/consequence routine is established.
Although I would love the explanatory chat with DD to work first time heaven !
But if that suggestion won't help, and you don't have time, I hope you find something that does.
FWIW DD is 5 and has not answered back or pulled a face in her life, nor has she deliberately hit her sibs or the dog( well not since she was two) - so i still tend to think it is copy-cat and will disipate with time.
Hope you find something that works.

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pagwatch · 24/03/2008 19:54

Ok - my mistake.

Just a bit surprised that you genuinely think people were suggesting that if your kids are hitting each other then you should ignore it.And the when talking about praising in your post. It did seem to me you wetre charicaturing what posters had said but that was my genuine mistake/misreading.

So , ignoring my last post ...No , if they are hitting each other you don't ignore it !

pagwatch · 24/03/2008 19:55

yes - x-posted I 'm sure thats it.

3NAB · 24/03/2008 19:56

the was when I do praise my kids they tend to start fighting soon after. the was a rolling eyes emoticon impression!

What should I do when they hit because DD today wouldn't stop when we told her too (in the car so getting her out and walking was all we could do)

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HonoriaGlossop · 24/03/2008 20:23

getting her out and walking was a very good idea I think.

I think when you do come up with a good solution and consequence, you don't seem able to believe it NAB. I think you should believe in yourself more.

Solutions just have to deal with the situation in hand and stop whatever it is happening; you did that, you got her out and away from the situation and stopped her being able to hit.

She got that message. That's enough IMO - what else would you have wanted to acheive do you think? Is it that you want them to somehow be immediately 'cowed' and changed - because they are children and children don't behave, or learn like that IMO. It's just keeping giving them the consistent messages.

And IMO it's also good not to PRAISE too much; don't tell them how well they're playing, perhaps instead just try more obvious LOVE. Kissing them as you pass by will SHOW them that you appreciate their goodness, without having to say the fateful words! Hugging them for no reason, telling them they are beautiful, gorgeous, so loveable, are so sweet, how much you love them, how much their brothers and sisters love them, how much you enjoy it when you're all just together in the house - infinite things to say...and it just adds up to showing an atmosphere of love, trust and acceptance of them which is not JUST about praising their behaviour.

FWIW

3NAB · 24/03/2008 20:32

I can't understand why they don't seem to be able to learn from things or remember.

she has missed out on 3 things this holiday but she still carries on. Too young? I told you I didn't know what I was doing!

I half expected to find a thread about the woman they saw wrapped up in a coat walking home in the snow with a 4 year old with no coat or hat on! She nearly had no shoes on too but eventually allowed me to put them on once she realised we really were walking.

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WallOfSilence · 24/03/2008 20:45

You have said yourself that perhaps you react too much... yes, I think I might agree with that.

I tend to think that drawing too much attention to bad behaviour isn't a good thing.

I have read a lot of pots from you lately, all about your childrens' behaviour.. & I have made suggestions & given you my experiences of when my dd was younger & I had the HV with me for a few days..... it really helped me.

But as I recall you didn't think this was an option for you, nor were parenting classes.

HonoriaGlossop · 24/03/2008 20:47

Why they don't learn from things and remember.......

It's because they're children. They won't act like grown ups till they are grown up. With children it IS a daily thing.

WallOfSilence · 24/03/2008 20:49

I agree, reinforcement on a daily basis is what usually works for my two, aged 3 & 6.

MadameCh0let · 24/03/2008 20:50

3nab, I feel for ya... I was in the book shop the other day and my five yr old said to me "pick that up immediately" She then said "you've had your turn to browse, now it's my turn". Then she ordered me to read her a book.

I was so mortified. Everyone was looking 'round and htinking there goes Violet Beauregarde.

3NAB · 24/03/2008 20:54

I shouldn't smile a wry smile but you post to me, like you think I know what I am doing!

I do appreciate ALL your ideas but it is hard to remember what i should be doing when I am so tired and stressed out.

I clearly need to write things down

the HV won't help

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3NAB · 24/03/2008 20:54

DD is a completely different personality to her brothers. Much more stubborn.

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MadameCh0let · 24/03/2008 20:59

I know people think that you're doing it ALL WRONG if your child is bratish, but I try to do it the right way, praise, not shout, reward systems etc etc etc

My DD, much as I love, and sweet as she can be, has a volcano of brat simmering not too far beneath the surface!

3NAB · 24/03/2008 21:04

She reminded me of me tonight but I had a really unhappy and unsettled childhood with no food, clothes, toys, lots of beatings.

She has plenty of the first 3 and only a couple of smacks on her bottom so what has she got ot be stubborn about?! I know the answer to that but i posted it anyway.

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foxythesnowman · 24/03/2008 21:10

How did you get on with sticker chart? Did you do one for DD? Competition is a good motivator here! They act as a good reminder of what is expected as well as a reward system.

3NAB · 24/03/2008 21:12

Good idea.

Will get Dh to print out the same as DS1.

Off to bed now. Shattered.

Kids back to school tmw.

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ingles2 · 24/03/2008 21:15

Feel for you NAB. Sometimes being a mum, it feels like you can do nothing right. and quite often when you take a big sigh of relief for things going ok for once it's all gone t*ts up by the next day...
Anyway, from what I remember (it's ony 1.5 yrs ago but my brain ) at around 5 our dc's hit a developmental stage where they start to deal with their emotions in a much more complex way. They can recognise a much wider range but are just learning to attribute the causes, if that makes sense. I think your dd's behaviour sounds pretty typical. Dealing with it is a different matter. I don't know if you use it or like the idea but I always used the naughty step with lots of success. In fact most of the time it didn't get that far. I'd try and talk about the behaviour first, then warn and distract, then count, then the step.
Chin up honey...I'm sure it's just a stage.

foxythesnowman · 24/03/2008 21:16

Honestly, they work! My DD is 3.6 and a stubborn princess, shall we say? At the end of the week she gets a little toy.

Personally I'd rather not test her stubborness (I have 4 DCs and can't be arsed anymore ). If she wants to wear a tutu and ballet shoes on a snowy day, she can. I'll have the approprate clothes in a bag, and she'll say sorry. Bless!

3NAB · 24/03/2008 21:16

she is an angel at school............

i really have to get some sleep now

thanks all

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gagarin · 24/03/2008 23:02

You are having a tough time - but I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "too strict" & "too inconsistent".

The anger children feel can be difficult to deal with.

Missing out on treats will do no good because I bet she's too young to make the connection between what she did and not getting treat. Her brain just won't let her understand.

For this to work she needs to be mature enough to weigh up what happenend last time she was naughty and work out whether she should, on balance, change her behaviour. I know many adults who can't do that!

I expect the red mist of rage erupts and she is "living in the now". She won't remember anything you told her and won't know why she's lashing out.

At school children are given constant gentle reminders about what good behaviour looks like - it's important to describe what you see is good and to ignore the bad.

Teachers say things like "good listening Jonny" and "nice sitting still Bobby" which helps everyone else know what they should be doing.

At home we often get it the wrong way round and spend our time telling children what not to do - which perversely makes them more likely to do it! It's like saying "don't think of an elephant" - and bang - what are you thinking of!

So "don't cry/hit/fight" often has the wrong effect - we should be trying "nice building/listening/playing".

Hard I know and we all get it wrong everyday - but just keep trying!

3NAB · 25/03/2008 11:53

Thank you.

She seems quite happy to have a chart like her brothers but no faces on it yet - good or bad.

She looked adorable in her Easter bonnet parade this morning and I was so pleased to have her keep smiling at me. :

Am going to try really hard.

Off to put DS2 to bed now.

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