Hello,
My DD is 3 years 4 months old. I love her to bits but she has always been high needs! Nothing has come easily or early. She was a late crawler, walker, talker (diagnosed speech delay) and has never been a good sleeper. She cried and screamed a lot as a baby.
She went to the childminder for three days a week since she was 10 months old and started preschool around 6 weeks ago, she goes there 3 days a week. Since starting nursery she has started hitting and really shouting at other children, both at nursery and when we see friends outside of nursery. I feel like gentle parenting strategies aren't working. I'm having the same talk with her, and removing her from the situation over and over and it doesn't seem to be sinking in. She has also started having the biggest tantrums about the slightest thing e.g. today she made a den with her dad and when they tidied it away, he didn't put a cushion back correctly, which she really shouted at him for. She is also highly sensitive to how things feel e.g. after going to the toilet, she always shouts and cries that she has wee in her pants even though I supervise her wiping.
My partner (her dad) and I are very much on the same page, and try to be firm but fair. Will she ever stop hitting and shouting?? Will the tantrums ever end? I just want her to be kind! I feel like I'm the parent of THAT child. We had planned on having two but we both feel at our limit with DD, and I'm feeling really sad about it. I feel like a bad parent but am really trying my best. I'm a teacher myself and love working with children but this isn't how I had imagined feeling as a parent.
I have always questioned whether she could be neuro diverse. I teach a tricky Y2 class 2 days a week and after working and then looking after my own DD I just feel emotionally spent.
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.