Bossy and moody child

[scorpio]

My daughter is very bossy, she is 4 and talks to me at times like she's the mother and bosses her younger brother around the same. She can be very moody and like the centre of attention, just wondered if anyone know of any tips to stop her being the boss, especially to her younger brother.
She's driving me mad.

Does it bother her little brother? Most younger children I see expect a certain amount of bossing from older ones and they don't mind or care. Maybe she's imitating you (not meaning to be rude - just that she is being 'mummy' to her little brother) She sounds a really normal little girl.

Hello aloha,
I can see what you mean, it does bother him sometimes 'cause he wants to do stuff himself. She just goes over the top, and if I tellhim not to go upstaires, she will ask him if he wants to go upstaires, when I have just told him he couldn't of need of a better example.

Hi scorpio, I can sympathise my daughter was extremely bossy to her younger sister around this age.

If she spoke to me in a tone that I didn't like I would tell her that I wasn't going to listen until she could find another way of speaking to me. If that didn,t work we would sometimes lock the bossy part of her away in a cupboard together (well pretend to obviously!)then if i heard bossy boots again we would say "oh no she's got out go and lock her up"

My daughter loved this game and it really worked well for us! Although on a bad day I would still just resort to putting her in her room!

As she started school full time it gradually began to wear off and we soon did the usual exchanging one set of problems for another!!!

Good luck with finding something that works for you and your daughter. Could she be made responsible for some things around the house setting the table/ choosing desert...anything where she gets a constructive opportunity to fine tune those organisational skills!!

As aloha says, is she immitating someone - from nursery or playgroup or even you? My dd has always done this and we even learn her new teacher's mannerisms after a few weeks in a new class - she also went through a really bossy stage at around 4 (now 6), fortunately, there isn't a younger sibling to boss around so she used to play 'teachers' - she has a desk and a register and 'teaches' her dolls. Love tireless' suggestion of locking 'Bossy Boots' in the cupboard!!

thanks for advice like the cupboard thing and might try that when she gets really bad, she is starting school in september, so hopefully wear off like yours did. And I suppose it is not that serious problem, will try all suggestions. and let you know what progress, especially liked the part of responsible job for her to do. I would like to be afly on the wallat nursery to see if she does it there.
thanks all