How to deal with a moody 5 year old?

Question

my 5 year old daughter is so moody its unbelievable, she can be fine and happy one minute then something minor can happen and she flips, strops shouting banging doors tears, she get so angry its not right! she says things like 'i know you don't love me anymore now' or ' ill just go away and get out of this house then shall i?' these are things we've never ever said to her!! she had her birthday party yesterday and threw a wobbly and wouldn't join in, i carried on having fun with her friends while her dad talked to her and 2 of her friends said oh she gets grumpy at school as well! i asked her today why she got so angry over something so small and she said she didn't know, so i asked her what she thought i should do when she got like that and she said 'just ignore me till i calm myself down' I really don't want my daughter to be angry for the sake of nothing especially if her school friends have noticed it, whats the best way to get her out of this habit?

Answer 1

duck tape..........and a darkk closet.

Answer 2

OMG - im with you on that one!

My 5 year son is like having a mixture of an an old man and a 15 year old! He is a very stroppy little man indeed, but can also be a little gem  - most of the time!

They sulk, get stressed, cross, angry, stroppy and very moody! and can say hurtful things - like us when we Have arguements with partners etc.. She doesn't mean it, she just at that age.

I think its the age - they want to be independant and explore new things on their own, but cant due to be so young still.

My son desperately wants to play out the front with friends but i wont allow it! he gets very upset about this.

Ignorance is the best way forward.

They do grow out of it - then you've got the 'teens' to look forward to!!!!!!!!!!!  

Answer 3

Give her a good smack everytime she misbehaves. She'll soon learn.

Answer 4

Ignore it! The best thing to do is just walk away. As long as she isn't in a situation where she could harm herself or anyone else (for example, throwing things), there is no reason to even acknowledge this behaviour.

At her age I would think it is an attention thing! Praise and make a huge fuss when she is joining in, being helpful, working hard or even smiling! As soon as she learns what behaviour will get her the attention she wants her behaviour will change.

It would also be worth talking to her school teacher as well. It is important that you are using the same behaviour management at home and at school.

Almost all children will go through this phase. It's all about testing boundaries. Be firm and consistent and it will soon change!

Answer 5

It sounds like there's something wrong you don't know about and shes calling for some to notice. Throwing tantrums and needing discipline is one thing but a child is that angry in general means shes probably really hurting inside. Dont ignore it, shes in obvious need of your help.

Answer 6

it sounds like theres something really bothering your daughter that you do not know about. some people, even adults, do not know how to control their emotions. theres probably somethign that has happened in your daughters life that has made her this way. my suggestion is if this continues and she wont open up to you, maybe try seeing a therepist to see if she can figure out why your daughter gets mad all of the time. going to see a therepist isnt a bad thing by any means. a lot of people go to therapy, im not suggesting anythign bad about your daughter in any way, shape, or form. but they could probably help you out with that.

Answer 7

There could be any number of reasons why she's so angry all the time, but I think she's right about the best way to deal with it. If you reward her tempers with a lot of attention and kindness,  she could end up forming a habit of using anger for comfort when she's feeling bad. At this early age she needs to learn that sometimes things annoy us but that throwing a wobbly won't help anything. Hopefully she'll grow out of it. Of course, it would be good to know why she's angry, and whether the amount of tantrums she throws are out of the ordinary. Talk to other mothers, it could well be that you hear lots of reassuring stories of their own children's similar behaviours. And maybe pay attention to what things trigger her anger, see if you can find a pattern that might explain it. Good luck!  

Answer 8

Perhaps she is bipolar or has a chemical imbalance causing these mood swings, because it's not normal for children that young to have severe mood swings unless they're mad about not getting her way, but she shouldn't be saying things like that... Maybe you should call a therapist.

Answer 9

A reason that kids are moody or misbehave is that they aren't getting enough sleep. At 5 years old, she should be getting about 11 hours of sleep. So if she gets up at 7am to go to school, she should be in bed the night before by 8pm. Part of that 11 hours can come from naps too.

Also, give her a healthy, okay way to relieve her anger. This will take practice and reminding. Here are some ideas. Go for a walk, leave the room, tear up or crumple a piece of paper, stomp your feet. Or come up with something that is okay for her to do. It's important not to make her suppress her anger.

My son is almost 5 and he has his fits and tantrums. What works for him is if I can head it off and diffuse his anger with humor. Good luck!