: My daughter just turned six in May, and I am having a very difficult time lately with her focus, or lack thereof, and of her ability to listen. This last week has been terrible, I was almost in tears the other day in the grocery store because she was so difficult and I could not reach her. I don't know how to explain it, but her behaviour has become increasingly problematic, she is rough with her brother, grabbing him and talking angrily in his face many many times a day, she seems incapable of listening and when I sit down and try to talk with her about it how important it is that she listen and not go running off into the traffic or hurt her brother or scream in the store, she just won't hear me, she just won't focus and hear me, and she goes on and does it because she wants to. Now I know many other 6 year olds, and while I do see that they are striving for their independance in many ways, she is extreme in her very young behaviour, in her inability to pay attention and listen, and this seems to be recent, it seems to be getting worse. And I can't seem to click with her right now, and I don't know why. She is either overly physical with people/friends, or completely isolating herself. She seems to be screaming out for negative attention, and yet clamouring for attention from friends by climbing on their laps, getting in people's faces all the time. And when I explain to her why she can't do this, that she needs to give people space, she says okay she understands, and then will run and do it again. I am perplexed, she is six. It seems she is regressing somehow. But she is also having difficulty with friends because of this. She just hasn't been herself, I don't know what is going on. And when I try to talk with her and ask her if there is something bothering her or if she is feeling angry/frustrated/ sad...she can't focus on it to talk. When a few months ago she could no problem. I am worried. Every night I have a plan for the next day, how to try to make the day better, and every morning something goes bad, is worse than the day before. I am so seriously struggling here, I feel helpless. And I feel like I am just making it worse because I am upset with her so much of the day because she will not listen to a thing, is hurting her brother and lying about it every time I turn around, and the lying is constant. She is fiercely defiant and it is beginning to scare me. Tonight she said she wanted to smash something. I don't know where this anger is coming from, and I don't know how to help her right now.: My daughter just turned six in May, and I am having a very difficult time lately with her focus, or lack thereof, and of her ability to listen. This last week has been terrible, I was almost in tears the other day in the grocery store because she was so difficult and I could not reach her. I don't know how to explain it, but her behaviour has become increasingly problematic, she is rough with her brother, grabbing him and talking angrily in his face many many times a day, she seems incapable of listening and when I sit down and try to talk with her about it how important it is that she listen and not go running off into the traffic or hurt her brother or scream in the store, she just won't hear me, she just won't focus and hear me, and she goes on and does it because she wants to. Now I know many other 6 year olds, and while I do see that they are striving for their independance in many ways, she is extreme in her very young behaviour, in her inability to pay attention and listen, and this seems to be recent, it seems to be getting worse. And I can't seem to click with her right now, and I don't know why. She is either overly physical with people/friends, or completely isolating herself. She seems to be screaming out for negative attention, and yet clamouring for attention from friends by climbing on their laps, getting in people's faces all the time. And when I explain to her why she can't do this, that she needs to give people space, she says okay she understands, and then will run and do it again. I am perplexed, she is six. It seems she is regressing somehow. But she is also having difficulty with friends because of this. She just hasn't been herself, I don't know what is going on. And when I try to talk with her and ask her if there is something bothering her or if she is feeling angry/frustrated/ sad...she can't focus on it to talk. When a few months ago she could no problem. I am worried. Every night I have a plan for the next day, how to try to make the day better, and every morning something goes bad, is worse than the day before. I am so seriously struggling here, I feel helpless. And I feel like I am just making it worse because I am upset with her so much of the day because she will not listen to a thing, is hurting her brother and lying about it every time I turn around, and the lying is constant. She is fiercely defiant and it is beginning to scare me. Tonight she said she wanted to smash something. I don't know where this anger is coming from, and I don't know how to help her right now.
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My DD is 7 and is still going through something like this. I just keep telling myself that its gotta get better sometime...
Thank you for the empathy and the book suggestions. I have thought of food allergy actually but I haven't nailed that one down yet, i will pay extra attention to that though, because I can see that the symptoms sound like this in some ways, particularly the distraction and zoning out, and temperamental outbursts.
: and also 
Your library will have them for sure.
) is visiting, so I'm stealing this late-night moment on the computer...ok, back to my spew...
