Almost 4 yr old girl?

[Glittergal]

Someone please tell me if this is the norm and if things will get better, lol!
All my friends have boys and are not going through these issues. My easy sweet child is turning into a little troll! She is having major tantrum lasting an hour, when she doesn't get her way about the smallest thing. I never know what is going to set her off and she is completely moody. I'm going insane! I don't even know how to respond to her. Sometimes I feel like we're having a great day, lots of fun, eating good food, getting along and then BAM, she gets upset about something and is just awful to be around the rest of the day. I hope this is a phase...input from other moms of girls??? please???

[desert_mommi]

My DD just turned 4. We have a little of this going around too. I don't know if what I do is right or not...but it's what we do.

When she is having a 'moody' time, I give her a warning. If we are out, it can be as simple as if she cannot control her body, use a big girl voice, etc we will leave. I give her one chance and carry her out (she may be yelling) which sometimes sucks more for me than for her if I was visiting with other moms.
If we are home, I will hold her in my lap (so she does not hurt herself or anything else) and tell her I love her but she needs to be able to control her body. I tell her it is okay to be upset, then I give her different ways to express it. use words, stomp her feet, play in her room till she feels better with her friends etc, but screaming and hitting are never okay. I may have to hold her for 5 minutes while she freaks out but then I can literally feel the stress leave her body and she will melt into my arms and the smile will come back to her. (Many times during this she will yell that she does not want me to hold her, that she does not like me/want to play with me/that I am mean to her/ etc) It's almost like she needs to hit a 'reset' button and she has to get to some crazy place to be able to do that. We also use time out facing a wall and sitting very still which just the removal of all stimuli will help her come back. (My son is very different and will actually put himself in time out when he starts getting overloaded, he'll just go and sit and face a wall. It is really funny to see. My daughter doesn't have that self discipline or awareness though)

We practice meditation as a family, so I have high hopes that through that she will learn to 'control' her physical urges and turn inward for guidance as she gets older. Right now, it is just a practice in sitting perfectly still and being quiet for a minute or two every day (never as a punishment usually part of bedtime ritual). Kids are go go go and I think some still time helps her very much - not being read to, or going to sleep or anything, just sort of a moment to just feel her body, be quiet etc, we usually tell her to send love to her grandparents, imagine them feeling her hugs etc

Other things to look for: enough sleep, growing/needing to nap/ fighting off something/ too much sugar/ tv/ boredom/ developmental changes


Good Luck,

I too hope this phase is a quick one.
Chris

[twopinknoblue]

Hopefully it's just a phase. DD1 will be 4 in two weeks, and we have the same thing happening here!! Ah, the joys of having little girls!!!

[PumpkinSeeds]

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=307611

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