ADHD or am I over-reacting???

[MelanieLily]

My 4.5 year old daughter have gradually been getting naughtier and naughtier from the age of 18 months. At first I assumed she was entering the terrible 2's but as she has gotten older she has really started to behave horribly. She answers back, throws tantrums, physically fights with her 6 year old sister and 18 month old brother and she has had me in tears on many occasions. This is also the case when she is with other people, although not to the same extent as she does with me. What signs should I be looking for with ADHD or am I really just over-exaggerating the issue. I need advice please.

Rather than trying to diagnose her as having a behavioural problem, maybe it's best to tackle the behaviour first? Some children are very difficult and need a lot more discipline and a different style of parenting than others. Some use bad behaviour as an extreme form of attention-seeking. There's quiet a lot of evidence that diet affects mood and behaviour.... that's something parents can influence.

If you still struggle then you could talk to your doctor about a referral to a specialist in child behaviour... that might be a way forward that would give you some extra tools in your parenting tool-box.

And then, yes, there are a host of psychological imbalances that can be diagnosed and appropriate treatments that can be prescribed. I would personally try everything possible in the traditional sense to change her behaviour before going down this route... largely because I'm not a fan of medicating children.

Thanks for the advice. I am not a fan of medicating children either and this would be the worst possible outcome for me if she was to be diagnosed as having a behavioural problem which needed medical intervention, but I can't see a way forward at the moment. With regards to her behaviour, I feel I have tried every trick in the book in trying the resolve the issue.

If she was diagnosed with something though she would still be the same and you'd still have to live with and deal with the behaviour?

I know a diagnosis wouldn't solve my problems but at least I would know whether there is anything else I could do to improve her behaviour and get advice on how to deal with a child who has a behavioural problem; especially as I have 2 other children to consider. I wouldn't want her behaviour to have a negative affect on them.