Hi. I am despairing about my 4yr old daughter (H). her behaviour is AWFUL. I know it's due to our new 4month old baby and starting school, but she is just horrible. rude and beligerent to me, refusing to go to the naughty step etc. laughing when I say 'do this or no cbeebies' etc, she just says 'I don't like cbeebies anyway' etc. calls me names, which I had been ignoring as one of those things, but I'm not sure that's the best thing to do now. she acts as if she's invincible. she's always been independant, but this is a step too far.
the worst is she has started hitting at school. and she did it once at a local soft play area a few weeks ago. I came down hard on her that time (took her straight home, no TV no sweets, no friends back for tea), and thought that was it, but I heard today that she hit a girl in her class because this girl said H's drawing was a scribble. I'll have a word at school, mostly because I wasn't told about this episode, I heard it 3rd hand.
It makes me feel so sad, angry, and responsible. As if it's my fault, that I've brought her up to think that you can hit someone if you don't like what they say/do. which isn't true, but that's what people will think. She'll also lose her friends if she continues to be unpleasant to them.
My husband just says its normal and a phase. I guess he's right but I still feel responsible. My older daughter never did this. And I'm not sure what to do next. Thanks, Cass.