Hi everyone,
Im new to motherhood and experiencing some difficult times with my partners nephew who is almost 5. We have a 10 month old baby, previous to her arriving on the scene the 5 year old had the attention of all adult company within my partners family. Since her arrival, things have been pretty interesting. I understand that he feels threatened by her prescence and I try to minimise the threat by distracting her whenever she approaches any of his toys or whatever game that he might be playing. I make sure I bring her own toys with us and whenever he visits I make sure that he is able to play with her things, I encourage him to put away his own toys he does not want her to have, drool on or throw. He exhibits baby type behaviour whenever my girl is around ( ie crawling around talking like a baby, getting in the walker that lives at his house, he expects to be carried like a baby by his mother and patted and rocked like a baby to sleep). Recently things have become too much for me. I have learnt that he is calling her names "you little b***h". His mother told me about this episode with a laugh, but the more I thought about it the more distressed I have become. My partner and I have fights over this because no one would believe that the child is acting in such a way and I look like the evil aunt. I would like to limit the contact between my girl and her cousin but am worried that my partner wont support this as he and his brother have an extremely close relationship. Am I over reacting? Does any one have any tips?
Thanks
angledust