Help Unrully and Attention Seeking 4 yr old?

Question

I am 20 yrs old, 4 months prego, babysitting my 2nd cousin who is 4 can't count past 4 and thats a chore to work with her on when she says her ABC's we get to maybe C then F, K, R, thats my ABC's next you sing with me. I'm getting frustrated because I know she knows more than what she is doing and it's not being shy cause she's far from that! Her mother left OH for TX dropped her off in IN with my Aunt till Aug. she does this c**p all the time, and her OH grandma and her mom have pretty much raised her to think its cute to act like a baby.

My questions are; what can I do to break her of this tried time out when she acts like a baby, tell her she's 4 and she needs to act like a big girl, ect. AND Is this stress bad for me and my baby? Should I be getting this stressed? Any advice plz?????

Answer 1

try ignoring her when she acts stupid and reward he (with verbal praise NOT toys or mcdonalds) when she acts like a 4 year old.  she is probably very stressed and confused right now since her mum isnt around.

Answer 2

I would back off on teaching her.  She'll learn eventually and you don't need the stress.  And a stressed out teacher doesn't connect with the student anyway.  You may think she's a big girl, but 4 is extremely young.  She was an infant only 4 years ago.  Settle down!  Just love her.  Her mom is always taking off as you say, you think she doesn't have issues or needs?  My grandma always told me that the child who acts like they need the most attention...needs the most attention.  There is a lot of resentment in the tone of your post and I would re-examine your approach and attitude to the child.

Answer 3

Well you have to assume the acting out is a big part of dealing with her mom not being consistent in her life. She may have alot of verbal skills but not enough to express what shes feeling so it comes out in her behavior. Try making being a "big girl" fun..."well we can do this, but its only for responsible big girls do you think you can do it?" Or reward her with praise every time she does something , no matter how small that shows progress. Its going to be hard to break her of this if there are still people over compensating by treating her like a baby so be as patient as you can, its not good for you to stress out so don't. Getting angry isn't going to change the situation, where you can..take a break...walk away from her outbursts and tell her you can play again when she learns how to behave. Remember shes only four and still so small, don't expect her to behave like an adult just yet. Good luck.

Answer 4

I have a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old who always try to act like one another....I find when I give them more responsibilities they are much better children to be around. Ask her rather than tell her things. Example lets fold clothes together so we can talk....ask her to do things like put her plate in the sink or dishwasher like everyone else does. Try including her more in adult chores like those and she may be more responsive to you trying to work with her on her numbers and ABC's. She acts like a baby because she knows that's how she gets the most attention, sounds to me she is starved for it. She has to relearn how to get attention from you. Be patient sounds like you are the only one who hasn't neglected her.