I have daughters aged 5 and 2. The eldest is always pestering me for food and drink, even if she’s just eaten. If I don’t watch her she takes bottles and food from my younger daughter. Her behaviour is wearing me down.
Carol
CG: Hi Carol, I can understand you are concerned about your 5 year old’s behaviour but please be reassured it is not unusual for a 5 year old to want to be a toddler again, which is what your daughter is trying to do. She will have started big school not long ago and as a big girl she no longer has a bottle. Children a lot older then 5 like to suck – hence thumb sucking etc. Also at her age she will be doing a lot of things for herself and while she likes this autonomy and independence she will also be harboring a feeling she would like to be two again and have all the attention that toddlers demand. I suggest you make light of her taking the bottle, let her have one suck if she wants, then say something like ‘I’m so glad you are a big girl now and can eat grown up food. That’s so much more interesting etc.’ Also make sure she is getting enough attention, and play a game with her in the hour after your toddler has gone to bed and before it is her bedtime. You may find reading my book Happy Kids helps, which contains lots of useful strategies for dealing with this type of behaviour.
Hi Cathy I just wanted to say thank you. I got your book and read it in a week. I have been using the techniques in the book and we haven’t had an incident since. It’s been wonderful. I really do appreciate it as she had been a nightmare to deal with for nearly 3 years. It was so distressing not knowing how to deal with it all but as I said she’s on the mend now. Thank
Carol
