My 7 year old has behavioral problems?

Question

I have a 7 yr old daughter that is great in school, she gets great reports and grades. It really bothers her if she knows someone (parents,grandparents,or teachers) is upset with her. She is not spoiled but we do let her express herself. Her father and I are together and there have been no disruption to her life so far that would cause her to act out! We eat dinner every night at the table together and talk about our day, even then she has to be told several times to sit straight and eat. She will complain about every and any thing, she wont stop doing something she knows is wrong until you stop her yourself or use a very stern tone. even then it takes a few times. Its like she tries to aggrivate. u tell her no and 2 min later she does it again.I feel i am yelling @ her every minute. she doesnt lack attention . I do not want her on medication but i also dont want to keep getting on her about this if it isnt her fault and she does have a problem that requires a professional

Answer 1

She's 7, this is what they do.  She's trying on new personalities to figure out who she is without you, and this week's personality is difficult.  Cognitively, they are just now developing a concept of consequences, and just beginning to understand that their actions have any effect on the world.  Keep firm and she'll work her way out of it.  It may also help to do what I did with my 7 year old: I told him that my favorite time of the day was when he got off the bus.  I then told him that in the past week, it hadn't been my favorite time, because I knew that he wouldn't listen to me and I'd have to punish him.  He knows that I hate to punish him, and he agreed that life is more fun when we all get along, and he can do the things that we have planned.  He's been getting better since then, and as long as I stay on him, and don't give second chances to listen, there is peace in my house.

Answer 2

she is just trying to get your attention. shes not misbehaving shes behaving as a child. You on the other hand are being overly critical and she needs a bit of room to be a kid. A child in an adult world (like the table with parents) will make her little fidgets and childlike behaviors seem wrong but really shes being a kid...try your best to ignore fidgeting and playing unless it truly is bad behavior.

Answer 3

Seven-year-olds learn all kinds of lovely (!) things from their schoolmates, including how to behave like brats.   My six-year-old was the sweetest, most well-behaved little girl in the world until she started school and learned how to be whiny and a complainer from her "best friend."    This is normal stuff, but it is very, very annoying.

Tell your daughter that in YOUR house, the rule is that everyone sits up nicely and eats their dinner in the evening, and that we do not complain about everything constantly.   I started a "cheerful mornings" chart for my daughter, because she was cranky and unbearable in the mornings, even after getting plenty of sleep.  She knows that she is expected to eat her breakfast, brush her teeth, get dressed, and get her hair done without any complaints.  If she does all this, she puts a sticker on her chart.  After 20 stickers, she gets a special surprise.  This is working beautifully so far!

Just keep emphasizing the way YOU would like her to behave, and she will go back to being the sweet little girl she really is.

Answer 4

She has to know that you mean business.  She may be testing to see how long it will take you to really react, or see what you'll do.

Be consistent.  Tell her once, then next time, don't threaten, just act.  Do the timeout, or whichever punishment you do.  Whatever you do, don't issue idle threats.  Again, if you're consistent, and she figures out that you mean business, you won't have to do it for too many times.

Answer 5

Its called pushing your buttons.  Kids do it.  To even mention medication under these circumstances is ridiculous.