7.5yo DS argues constantly about everything and I just can't seem to do anything right. Tonight he tried to run away by opening the front door and standing outside the house.
He's always been a bit contrarian but we could usually be playful with him to get him to come along to do what we need him to do or we would set natural consequences and that would work but his attitude is just getting worse and the playfulness/turning tasks into games just doesn't work and I don't know what to do.
DH is working the next two weeks so it's just me, DS, DD(5) and DD(9 months). I ask DS and DD to get ready to go to the park so we can take baby for a nap walk and DS instantly goes no. He does get ready eventually but he's berating me while we are out about how he wants to be home playing Mario kart and how I'm the worst mother in the world (bearing in mind he's already played some in the morning)
we come back home from the park and I say he can play some Mario kart after lunch when baby is asleep but in the meantime he can read a book, play with a puzzle, draw or help me with chores. He constantly argues how he doesn't want to do any of these things, they are all boring and he just moans and whines for about 3 hours until I put baby down for her after noon nap and he gets to play.
during the time he's whining I've put on lunch, put clothes out to dry and played with DDs and also tried to do a puzzle with him which he just rolls his eyes at. I've tried to engage him in everything I do but just leave him to his whining when he says he doesn't want to do anything.
Tonight i asked him to sit and eat dinner but because he wouldn't sit, and because he was being rude and telling me I was the worst mother I told him he wouldn't get to play on his DS tomorrow at all. He had a massive strop and tried to run away. He went out of the house until I brought him back in.
It has been like this every day since school finished and I just can't cope with the emotional onslaught each day from one child. I get berated constantly all because I have time limits on the DS which I am actually quite liberal with apart from when we need to go out, have lunch etc. I like to spend time playing with the kids so don't want it on all the time but I'm happy to let him play when I'm putting baby down for a nap.
is this behaviour normal. Do 7.5yo berate their mothers?
I've told him tonight he doesn't get to play anything tomorrow because he's been very rude all day and he's just continuing being rude so I might just ban in the whole summer. I don't know how to get the balance right.
please help.