Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

4.5 year old very demanding

11 replies

Everestisthebest · 30/09/2024 15:36

My 4.5 year old DD has become SO challenging recently. Its causing me a huge amount of stress and really affecting my mood as she dominates the house. Outside of home she is fine. Okay so for context I have long wondered whether she could be ASD ADHD. She still uses a doodie at home and for bedtime. She is very attached to it. She still uses a nappy for her poos. Getting her to do wees in the toilet was a long stressful process. She eats very limited amount of food. No vegetables no meats. Definitely lots of sensory issues.

So anyway her new thing is to scream at the top of her lungs if she doesn't get something she has asked for or if you don't do exactly what she wants you to do. Our whole lives including my 2.5 year old DD life is shaped around our 4 year old.

She insists on having daddy puts her to bed every night and if not it's a huge meltdown. It's putting a huge pressure on my partner. She has specific routines that have to be followed everyday. It causes her a huge amount of distress if they are changed.

She will demand us to do things for her that she is well able to do herself. For instance if she drops something on the floor she demands that one of us pick it up for her.....she won't wear a coat if she doesnt want to, she won't have her hair tied up, if she doesn't want a bath there's no convincing her.

Is this just a case of bad parenting by me or could she be on the spectrum and her need from control comes from this? Anybody relate? The screaming is really really stressful and hard to deal with. Please any any help at all as I really need it.

OP posts:
PurpleChrayn · 30/09/2024 15:47

I'm sorry but it sounds like she's been pandered to.

Why is she still in nappies for poos?

Everestisthebest · 30/09/2024 18:17

I think it kind of started when she started having trouble with constipation..she developed almost a fear of pooing and would withold. I have tried everything to get her to go on the toilet but she will not. Trust me I am aware it's a bad situation, she is very very hard to parent and has been like this since she was small

OP posts:
MovingTooFast121 · 30/09/2024 18:19

What do school say? Have you asked for help before now?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

CallYourselfAChef · 30/09/2024 18:21

If she only behaves like that at home, it's because you've allowed her to do so for too long. What are the consequences for her actions?

MovingTooFast121 · 30/09/2024 18:21

(FWIW as an autism mum and health visitor, what you are saying ticks a lot of the boxes I’d be looking for with ASD.)

Everestisthebest · 30/09/2024 18:35

Yes been to gp several times about different things and not really listened to...told "well she's interacting well with me here". I have a referral to dietitian which I am going to be attending a fussy eater course next week. It's all behind the scenes. Nursery have never outright said they think there could be something but they gave me a booklet to fill out about needs and preferences and it was an autism resource...like for children on the spectrum.

OP posts:
Everestisthebest · 30/09/2024 18:39

Honestly I don't think I'm a pushover or anything. Im quite firm with her, will turn off tv which is the only thing she is actually interested in at all. Will bring her to her room if she start to throw things which she does at times whem she gets very worked. But I don't feel she does these things to get what she wants. Generally she's not badly behaved though. She just gets very upset.

OP posts:
BurbageBrook · 30/09/2024 18:42

A lot of autistic girls are able to mask out of the home. She could very well be autistic.

Everestisthebest · 30/09/2024 18:58

In my heart of hearts I really believe she is but it's hard because no one else seems to see it. Just been very hard recently. I've been so burnout feeling like no one is taking what I'm saying seriously

OP posts:
Everestisthebest · 30/09/2024 19:02

I believe there is definitely masking becasue the second she steps foot in the house it's total catastrophe. Everything is an issue and a big issue at that. She can't seem to regulate herself at all. There's no talking to her

OP posts:
olderthanyouthink · 30/09/2024 20:08

Most people don't notice that DD is autistic but we have the bit of paper that says she is.

Back when she was in nursery and struggling she was a LOT more demanding and had a lot of meltdowns and things had to be much more just-so. Nursery had no idea and didn't recognise the child I described and were shocked the couple times they could her loose it when she thought they were gone. We removed her and she recovered and it's better.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page