Argh! Help! What is wrong with her???

[Kaydee]

I'm really sorry if you took offense to my post, but please read it again. I was only suggesting things by using words like "maybe" and "make sure".

Personally I do have a very strong belief about not smacking children, but i was in no way trying to put you down.

I still hope things are going well with you and you found some things that are helping with your problem. I agree with the pre-school/daycare idea, that's something to power her out everyday. DS loves going to Kinder and is always too tired when he gets home to argue

[2 please]

Antheia, It is so normal what you are going through. Dont worry mate, she's just ready for Kinder. DD just loves so drag things out and make a mess, and I almost loose my mind too. My nextdoor neighbour has 4 kids, and I told her pritty much the same story as you. She said that once they get to kinder you will start to enjoy DD all over again.


Im glad you reached out and asked what was going on with her. It takes gut's to put yourself out there. I hope I have helped.

[Antheia]

Yesterday was ok. But today, omg they are both terrors! DS is just following on from DD and has noidea but DD is just being rude and horrible. She has started calling everyone a loser an keeps sticking her tounge out(i so hate this!) and making nar nar singsong noises. I know she doesnt know what it means as such but she does know its wrong. I have noticed most of it is when she doesnt get her own way and then it just esculates(sp?). Like today she wanted more of DS's birthday cake, i said no more, you have to wait until after dinner now. She cracked this ****s and starts being naughty. Asking for things she knows 1) we dont have and 2) she knows she isnt allowed to have. She is breaking things, throwing things, hitting, ripping up books. Only in the last couple of hours too.

DH just sent her to bed because she almost pulled down DH's computer onto the floor. She went into her room for 2secs. Has jsut come out now and is asked to go back, she says no no no, blows a raspberry and asks all smart. How can i disapline her when she wont stay in her room?

Sorry, i really am just venting in here. It's so frustrating!!

[MantaRay]

It sounds like you are having a very trying day. I wonder if you started a food diary? It could be something in the birthday cake causing the behaviour (or making it worse), maybe the sugar, or coloring from icing. I know birthday cake can be a trigger for my boys too. It's a hard one to avoid though, but at least they each only have one birthday a year.

I hope the birthday has gone well anyway today. Has the little man had a good time?

[Antheia]

Yeah i think he did. He keeps showing his presents to us sohe must like them. Loved his cake anyhow.

[Nai]

Arrgh! Antheia, I feel your pain! DD has been doing this recently after her dinner and bath when it is time to get ready for bed. She refuses to get her pyjamas on and jumps around like a nutcase on the couch while I try to control her. She has started back chatting and being rude. It happens every night and always at the same time. She has had the same bedtime routine for over 18 months so there hasn't been a change there at all.

I thought it might have had something to do with the pregnancy and seeing how far she could push me. The reward chart sounds like a good idea but at 2.5 I'm not sure that will will fully understand. I haven't noticed any difference from days when she is at CC or home with me. She has just started dropping her daytime sleep so I also thought that it could be due to that and being overtired.

I hope you find something that works as I know how tiring their behaviour can be especially when you are pregnant.

[~Raven~]

Perhaps she is feeling a bit anxious about the bub and any attention is good attention in her eyes so could be part of the reason she is acting up.
I have noticed increased whining and demands for my attention from my 5 and 2yo's. Usually when I try to grab a bit of a rest but more often if I'm on the phone or in the kitchen cooking.

One thing that I can say that could help is to totally change your evening routine. Mason used to go on the rampage and demolish his bedroom every evening. Sometimes before dinner, while I was cooking, other times after but it would happen every night. The way we got around this was to have dinner prepared earlier in the day. After dinner instead of doing the dishes we would do the bath and PJ routine, then go play all together with his toys for a while, then it was story time and bed. During summer we would all go for a family walk to the park then when we got home it was bath, PJ's, story & bed.
During this time the TV and the PC was off and it was all attention on the kids. And yes it helped!

I think you need to adjust your own habits to create better behaviour in your children. Having a child with Aspergers Disorder I know full well the type of havoc destructive habits or routines can cause and if she is doing the same thing every night then you need to get serious. I'm not saying that your DD has the same issues as Mason does but kids can be complex little beings and habits can be hard to break, especially if she thinks the only way she can get your attention is to act in a certain way.

I actually agree with what Kaydee says too. I don't think it's a good idea to threaten to take her to the hospital. She has probably worked out by now that you won't follow through with it which is why she still acts up.
Why don't you try taking away a favourite toy or DVD instead.

[Antheia]

You know, i didnt even think it could have anything to do with me being pregnant. Come to think of it, she has started this about the same time my belly started getting noticably big. Also the fact she knows its a boy and really wanted a girl.

Tonight she actually asked to go to bed. Woohoo! Some progress at last.

I'll start the food diary on Monday and see how that pans out. If its a trigger i'll take her to a naturopath so we can work out a plan. And over the coming weeks i'll start on the rewards system.