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Advice, tips, encouragement...anything would help right about now

Posted by on Jun. 20, 2012 at 9:22 PM
  • 4 Replies

I am going to start with last night. DD (4) fought with me when I told her that it was bed time, nothing new I know many kids argue bed times, I brushed her teeth and hair and put her to bed. She then decided to help her 2 year old brother out of his bed and they ran through the house. I put them both back in bed and told them that at bed time they are supposed to at least stay in bed. I told them I loved them and said good night again and left the room. DD got up again! I put her back in bed and left the room. She kept doing this for about 15 min. I ended up sitting outside her room and she started to throw her toys at the door, I told her that wasn't nice that it could hurt mommy and that if she did it again all her toys were coming out of her room, she cried and got back in her bed. She threw toys again, I guess she didn't think I was really going to take them but I did, they are all in storage, I let her keep two dolls in bed with her and told her they would be gone too if she threw them. I stayed outside her room till she was asleep about 3 hours later! Her not staying in bed is a nightly battle.

A daily battle with her is getting her to pick up her toys, and today was no different. She still had toys in the family room to play with but when I asked her to pick up the ones she wasn't playing with she threw a fit. She was screaming and yelling, i told her to get in time out but instead she ran from me and ran around the kitchen and under the dinning room table. Once I finally got her in time out I took all her living room toys away and only left DS cars and her laptop (learning toy). All those toys are now in storage as well.

Tonight while putting her to bed I told her that if she stayed in bed and was good till lunch tomorrow she would get her toys back. She didn't stay in bed. I don't know all that happened because I was in the shower at the time but I did hear her running around the kitchen. I am at this moment sitting on the floor outside her room and of course she is not asleep and she is keeping DS up.

That is not even everything she has done, she has hit me, hit her brother and has told everyone to "shut up" (something we do not say and I really don't want her to say) and all that still isn't everything. I really don't know what to do anymore or if I am doing anything right. We tried spanking but that didn't work because she laughed at us so we stopped that, we are giving her time outs but that is hard enough as it is because she runs from us every time and ends up spending most of the day there. I am going to talk to her doctor next week to see if it is some issue she may be having, I would hate to have to medicate her though. So any advice, tips, or even just some encouragement would be great. Thank you for taking the time to read this I know it is a bit long. 


Posted by on Jun. 20, 2012 at 9:22 PM
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debramommyof4
by on Jun. 20, 2012 at 9:33 PM

My dd did this at 5.  It was a lot of changes that caused it in her.  We got a councilor for her and we were consistent with punishments even if it didnt seem to be helping.  We made time she got time with us one on one and kept trying.  It takes a really long time.  Good luck.  It can be done.  My dd is 6 now and she is better when she sleeps, though she still doesnt always sleep through the night and on those days it is like going back in time to those days.

lv_my_babies
by Member on Jun. 20, 2012 at 10:40 PM

She was in behavioral theropy for awhile but that didn't work, the therapist was more concerned about her not saying sir or ma'am, which is something my parents never pushed on me so I am not pushing my kids to do that either. My mom and I have been doing one on one time with her because we know that is something she needs. Tonight didn't take as long with her though. 

Thank you!

Quoting debramommyof4:

My dd did this at 5.  It was a lot of changes that caused it in her.  We got a councilor for her and we were consistent with punishments even if it didnt seem to be helping.  We made time she got time with us one on one and kept trying.  It takes a really long time.  Good luck.  It can be done.  My dd is 6 now and she is better when she sleeps, though she still doesnt always sleep through the night and on those days it is like going back in time to those days.


Mom22Ans
by on Jun. 20, 2012 at 11:08 PM

Agood method to try (i saw this on Supernanny lol) is to Just keep putting them back to bed/in the corner and say nothing at all to them, no matter what they do. I tried it when my daughter was 3. It worked pretty well. I don't have to fight with her as much about bedtime 2 years later.  It took a while for her to see that i wasn't going to react in any way, but when she did, i def. saw results.The picking up toys thing is still a lot of trouble, so srry can't help you there! lol Good luck hon!

BaileynMe
by Platinum Member on Jun. 21, 2012 at 12:44 AM
My DD gets really belligerent about transitions. If she's in the middle I something and I tell her to go clean something else, I'm guaranteeing myself a fight, but if I warn her she's usually ok. I'll tell her in 5 minutes, then in 3 minutes, then in 1 minute that she's going to have to do _____. Sometimes she does still get upset, but it's a much smaller fit and much less likely than if I'd just flat out told her to switch activities. Maybe that would help yours transition: lots and lots of warning.

I would also focus on baby steps. It's taken her four years to perfect this behavior; there is no overnight fix. Be consistent about everything you do and praise her when she makes a good decision.
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