What about me??

[Arimeh]

OMG this is driving me mental, please tell me its a normal stage.

DS has this thing at the moment, if any of his siblings get anything (ranging from a reward for good toilet training for DD1, to their photo being taken) he's always piping up with "what about me?!?"

And it is driving me mental!!!

Especially with the toilet training - he's been toilet trained for 18 months, and DD1 is currently training, so she gets a chocolate or a sticker every time she does a wee on the potty - so then he wants one for going to the toilet as well! Which he's been doing for the last year and a half FFS!!

DH just took a photo of DD1 cos she looked cute, and then DS was like - what about me?!? Take a picture of me....

It just goes on and on and on.. all bloody day... and I'm so over it, driving me freakin' insane!!!!!!!

Is this normal!?!? He's never had it this bad before, slight jealousy issues if we were cuddling one of his siblings, but this is getting ridiculous!!!!! He's just so low on confidence and has issues in that area as well, but its hard for me to keep my patience when he harps on about being rewarded for doing something that he's been doing for so long - and that he was rewarded for 18 months ago when he was training!!

Please help me not to kill my child

[NaeNae]

hmmmm no experience in this area but is there something he is learning or something you can ask him to do (like a chore or something) where he can be rewarded for his efforts??

Was just thinking if there was you can say "this is for Miss because she does XYZ, YOU get prize when you do ABC" so he starts some sort of an understanding that he gets rewards for things Miss doesn't do and vice versa ????

or something like that

[Erin_25]

I like the above idea, that could work. Sounds fairly normal, my DS1 who is 4.5yrs all of a sudden has started saying "hey, that's not fair..." and goes on to complain that DS2 has something he doesn't grrrrrrr.

[Arimeh]

Nae - we've explained to him that if he goes to bed by himself then he'll get 50c. Nope, doesn't want to do it.

Its even simple things like before, I was doing up the 3 morning juices for the big kids, and then because I gave DD2 hers first - he was like - "heyyyy how come she gets hers before me.. I never get anything first..."

To which we usually reply "Aricyn you were BORN first, you'll always have that.." LOL

Argh he's just driving my head in with his competitiveness... like if I say Kelti is doing a good job (which she is, hardly any accidents, none since yesterday morning) then he will pipe up with "Kelti is doing a better job than I did" arghhhhhh!!!

FFS child - you trained within a day - you can't get better than THAT!!!!!

[Epacris]

I’d just break out into song. My DS1 often cops Cher’s “If I could turn back time” when he gets like that.

[Arimeh]

I’d just break out into song. My DS1 often cops Cher’s “If I could turn back time” when he gets like that.

LOL love it. Thankfully I know that song quite well

[Epacris]

But of course your DS’s “What about me” leads absolutely perfectly into a belting version of......... And I’d get down on your knees for some more rock effect.

[Arimeh]

But of course your DS’s “What about me” leads absolutely perfectly into a belting version of......... And I’d get down on your knees for some more rock effect.

Bahahahaha.... but would I do the good version or the Shannon Noll version?

[Epacris]

There’s something just so ummm.... ummm.... unashamed celebration of the bogan about the Shannon Noll version though.... I'd do that one. Do you have an old flanny your could rip off, chuck on the ground and stamp on.

[Nai]

Yes completely normal! You will also get versions of "Has she got exactly the same as me? Has she got more than me? Where's mine? Can I do that too?"

At least when they start school you get them separated for most of the day!

[Feijoa Mum]

I totally am a singstar with the Shannon Noll version

I have an incrediably jealous and competitive child who I currrently have seeing a therapist because of it. He is the middle child too so he is just dynamite!!
Hopefully it is a just a stage your A is going through and will he will feel his place in the family is established soon. He is needing extra reassurance from you guys right now and perhaps feeling a bit lost. Nothing at all that you have or havent done its just the way some kids are made up.
With our A it doesnt matter what we say, do, dont say or dont do it is just never enough and he has started acting out to get more attention - hence the therapist.

I dont really have alot of advice just a knowing nod and a sympathetic shoulder. xxx

[MrsFabuloso]

OMG, yes!!!!!!! DD drives me bananas. I can't even say things to the other two without the 'What about meeeee??????????' (whinge whinge whine...) I tell her I'm not talking to her. LOL. I guess I'm just nasty.....

[onthefly]

DS is all about ME too. He wants something. we say no. He says, but I want to do what I want to do. Doing xxx would make me happy, and not doing xxx would make me unhappy.
It's hard to argue with this 'logic'.

[westy]

Oh Hun, i think all kids go through the stage of 'What about me'.My oldest is 9 and he can be very much like this at times.Like Feijoa Mum said ,it's not because of something you did or dont do it's just a phase that hopefully wont last for too much longer.

[Mak]

Normal here - along with wanting to be first, the best, fastest, loudest and most obnoxious and most importantly to have the biggest and best of everything. FIRST. Arrrggghhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jennifer13]

DD isn't at A's level, but she thinks if we get to do or choose something as adults that she can't then THAT'S not fair! And there is no way that child misses out (my current response to "that's not fair" is that we are giving her the baby sister she so desperately wants, so I think we've gone above and beyond what is 'fair'. )

So I'd say it's completely normal, just calculated to drive you nuts.

Love Epacris's suggestion. Similar thinking is that you can start whingeing in return about how you never got such and such either, or how you were so hard done by when you were a child (think of a reason...). Annoying, but breaks the whinge!

[Epacris]

My DS1 would absolutely crack it when I started with “If could turn back time” but now he sings along too. Another good one is “It’s the end of the world as we know it”.

And some hugs.

[Mak]

Try clucking like a chook - turns messy moments here into hysterics. Actually better as then I don't feel so bad for losing the plot! Gawd can't believe I have admitted to it, lol!!!