Does your 5 year old do naughty things around the house?

[AhhhHereItGoes]

My 5, nearly 6 year old is normally a lovely, albeit quite demanding child. But sometimes she does really naughty things around the house.

She's poured shower gel on the bed, drew on the walls and poured oil on the floor. Normally it's when I'm running the bath, doing the dishes, cleaning etc so it can't really be avoided.

How common is this? I understand how my 3 year old might but a nearly 6 year old?

Are your NT children like this?

Mine wouldn't. However, I did something like that at a similar age but it was in my sister's room. I was probably trying to get back at her for something.
I would look into why she's done this, trying to get your attention?

Do you know, when I posted on this I was thinking about my children!
What I didn't do is think back to how I was!
Between the ages of 7 - 10 I
• sucked up the dogs water with a vacuum
• set my hair on fire - just to see.
• poked the toaster with a knife
• found my dads stanley knife and slid it across my finger to see if it was really sharp!
•I touched the cigarette lighter in the car whilst my dad nipped into shop.
•jumped up and down in lifts to see if they would stop!

I am NT! I live a very normal life. I just had an inquisitive mind to see if all the things the adults said were actually true!

My poor Parents!

he hasn't done those exact things but might throw the washing is just put in piles up in the air , or today he was going to put flour in the butter tub while baking. He's generally a very good and super helpful boy but does sometimes do these kind of things.

My2 chuck the cotton wool balls about like snow.
I think it depends why the child is doing it.
Fun. To annoy you. Attention.
My 6yo did draw on her bedsheet and try to blame her sibling.
They both have hidden keys. One hid other toys. Hidden GP keys when visit there.
I think it is mainly personality so impulsivity, not caring about punishment.
Im not sure it's a sign of intelligence but ot certainly doesnt mean they arent.
However i do avoid saying certain things and never draw attention to something lile a toilet brush.
And I certainly dont let dc read horrid henry etc as im certain those things would be acted on.

I agree making them clean it up even taking toys off them or money out of money box to pay for stuff.
One of dc1 favourite is hiding their glasses band, i say they have to pay for a new one then.
Some kids are much more immature. I read with adhd kids are only 2/3 of their age.

Not sure what NT means? My 4yo wouldn't do this and I hope he doesn't start next year!

No DS has just turned 5 and it wouldn’t even cross his mind to do something like that. And he’s no angel!

My 6yr old would but to make it acceptable he now plays 'potions' or 'George's Marvellous Medicine' in the bathroom. He has lots of empty bottles jugs and funnels. And plays with old creams and cheap soaps from the supermarket. He sits on an old towel to stop it going everywhere.

My 5 year old wouldn't do that

No, my child at that age would not have done that. I can never understand why people have drawings on their walls from kids left unsupervised with crayons etc.

I dont know if I was just lucky. Dont feel bad if you are doing all the right stuff and they still behave unlike other peoples kids. Some parents get all the breaks, some dont. They wont be doing stuff like this when they are older.

I agree it's likely to be for fun as bored. DD is very energetic, always has to be doing something - in fact, they both are.

I probably do give more attention to youngest as she needs more help/likely to play up more etc.

But I do always try to do some fun things with her.

I do try to go down the disappointed route more than angry, though sometimes it's hard.

I expect I was a wee shite as a child - but my Mum says I was very good, though I reckon years have rose tinted her view.

Hmm even for fun that is not good behaviour. Look children should be used to being bored. They don’t need 24/7 entertainment. And they shouldn’t be pouring shower gel on the bed when they are bored. That is on another level. I hope you made her clean it all up.
Honestly my 2 year old wouldn’t do this when bored, maybe use his crayons where he shouldn’t but shower gel on the bed, no. And he would know that was wrong and would be reprimanded for it.
I can’t believe, honestly, that ‘energetic’ is the reason for a nearly 6 year old behaving that way. Either there is something else going on OR they don’t care about consequences and don’t have adequate boundaries.
How did you deal with these incidents? I would honestly have gone ape shit.

No. They would never do these things.

My NT 7 year old has never done this but my 5 year old with ASD does it all the time.
If she responds normally to being told off about it or helps you clean up I wodnt worry too much. Can she tell you why she did it?

@BedraggledBlitz "NT" is "neurotypical", meaning not special needs of any sort. In as much as anyone's neurotypical, of course!

One of mine drew on his wall when he was 6, but he drew actual pictures he wanted for decoration, so whilst it wasn't ideal, it wasn't random destruction. My youngest is 4 and may occasionally make a big mess if unattended, but more as a misplaced experiment than to be annoying.