We've had a thread before about strong-willed third children...but what are your experiences with the fourth?

[zephyrcat]

I ask because mine is an absolute nutcase!!

She is 8 months old, her siblings are ages 6, 4 and 2.

She has been in her activity table bucket seat thing since 4 months because she wouldn't be in a bouncy chair.

She is now crawling and gets so frustrated and angry and screams if she gets stuck or can't be moving around constantly.

She is just absolutely manic...are they all like that?!

meep, my dd2 was strongwilled enough and am waiting on dc3 to arrive - doesn't bode well does it?

Lol, well my first born (and only child) is just as you describe zephry! He's 10 months and has enormous screamy tantrums, crawls everywhere, always hated to be still ,wouldn't be held unless I stood up and kept him moving.

For the record, i was the third child and the most placid of all of my siblings! As a child not an adult!

I have spoken to many mums whose pfb has been a nightmare but each one has gotten easier, if that's not the case then I'm stopping at one!

My first DS was what I thought was an easy baby. Then I had first DD and found out DS was crazy compared to her!! DD2 came next, she's been the weirdest strongest-willed of them, and DS2 has been quietest/easiest.

Who knows what fifth and final baby will do??

My DD1 and DS were both quiet and 'easy' babies, when we had just those two things were all pretty calm! DD2 was a bit more 'strong-willed' and that's when I remember seeing a thread on here about 3rd children being like that because they find themselves trying to compete with the others. DD3 is beyond words! She has been bouncing herself off her chair since about 4 months. She discovered at about that time that she could bounce the chair by kicking one leg and would do it constantly and so hard her head bounced off the chair! Manic is the only word I can think to describe her!!

My fourth has always been astonishingly strong-willed and determined. He's 6 now and is (mostly) lovely, although can still hold a grudge for hours, but as a toddler he was a nightmare - he was that child (there's always one) you see at Toddler Groups who'd go round biting and snatching toys . I guess they have to fight their corner for attention from Day One - but the plus side is that he's very confident and self-assured.

My 4th is absolutely convinced she is older than she is and should be allowed to do everything that her elder siblings that are 2 & 3 years older than her do - not hold hands crossing the road, sit on proper dining chairs etc etc etc It is quite wearing but as she approaches 3 it's getting easier. Big plus is that she skipped into pre-school happily from day 1 because that's what her sister do - all go to school quite happily.

Her first sentence was "Me do it" or "and me" not sure which but they are the most frequent things she says.....

This is very interesting...my 4th is similar. Her first sentence also had the word "My" in it, and she has got assertiveness down to a fine art. With 3 elder siblings, she has to though, or she would have a lot of desirable things taken away from her when I wasnt looking.

My fourth, a dd, has been more trouble than the other three put together! Seriously, she's just a livewire and has been from the start. Because her siblings are 9, 17 and 21yrs older than her, I think she's always regarded herself as an adult. I wouldn't change her for the world, she's wonderful.

Hmmm so there certainly seems to be a trend for it then! With our other three being little and so close together in age there is lots of noise in our house to say the least and I have noticed so far with dd3 that rather than babble, she shouts. As loud as she can. Sometimes she does it until she shakes and goes red in the face! She won't cuddle either. If you try and have a cuddle she pushes you and tries to get away onto the floor to see what she can get next!

My fourth is fairly laid back (like the others), but a lot more active than they were at this age (11 months). He is almost walking whereas the others didn't walk until 15 months (and weren't cruising or standing unaided until 13/14 months, whereas he is doing this now). He very rarely sits, is always on the go - but is also very easygoing, happy, and great at amusing himself. Ds1 (third child) is very strong-willed though - we call him "mini-me" after dh