Hi,
I’m a single mother and my 7 and a half year old daughter is very very difficult lately.
She used to be a very quiet and easy going baby and child but slowly started to be very argumentative. Everything had to turn into a 10 mn explanation. For the smallest things like asking her to pickup her shoes. She would ask “why ? why do I have to take it ? Why do you always ask me to do these things ? why can’t you do them yourself ?”
At first I would take time and explain but
after a while it became draining. She would argue about every little thing every time, all the time. Eventually I lost patience and started yelling and giving her orders and timeouts.
After a while it got better. She would still argue but whenever I raised my voice or threatened to punish her, she would stop.
lately though, things took a turn for the worst. I barely recognize her. She makes demands and when I say no she yells and stomps her feet. It’s the same behavior when I ask her to do something. When I give her a timeout she says she doesn’t care. Yesterday she told me she doesn’t want to live with me anymore and wished she had another parent. I couldn’t help it and I cried…
This afternoon we’re at it again. Fighting, yelling, threatening for everything. I have the feeling that I’m losing not only my authority over her but also our connection. The faces she makes, the attitude when she defies me… It’s really painful.
I was bracing myself for those teenage years but 7 is so young to go through this and I’m totally lost. I really don’t know what to do. How will she be at 14 or 16 if she’s already that difficult at… 7 ?