Why does my 6 yr old have to fight every little thing?!?

Question

We don't give in ever to her tantrums. But she's been doing this since she was 4. She whines and cries over every darn thing. When she doesn't get her way that way she cries (mostly fake ones) or pitches a fit. Every thing is a battle. From eating to bedtime. I love her but I'm so glad she's in school all day! She gets punished when needed, she gets praised when needed, we don't give in to her when she's pulling her things.

Big example.......she's a picky eater. She always wants the same thing for breakfast. No biggie. I make it. This morning I fed her and then left the room to go the bathroom. Came back and she was done awfully fast. She's a slow eater. I peeked in the trash. She'd tossed it in there! Said she was hungry. Didn't want any other options. Wanted to eat exactly what she'd just thrown out! So why'd she throw it out. Arrrggghhh!

And we deal with this stuff quite often with her. Like she's trying to one up us when things don't go her way.

We are at our wits end.

Answer 1

hmm sounds like a pretty normal 6 yr old. It's a phase they go through.  Accept general whining etc but if she is deliberately naughty, you might try spanking her.

Answer 2

well have u spanked her yet??

she thinks its okay to act the way she does cause u havent showed her the difference between right and wrong

Answer 3

This is learned behavior, and since she has been doing it since she was 4, she most likely learned it at home.

Talk to her teachers to see how she is doing at school, if she is not acting this way, then it is a problem with the way you have been handling the situation.

Look at your own lives and see if you can draw a correlation between the two.  If you or your husband usually get what they want, and get it by whining about it.... then she may be picking it up there.  If there is a younger or older sibling....

My Dad's answer when I was growing up was, "If you want to cry, I'll give you something to cry about" which for us was a spanking.  If you are adamantly opposed to such punishment, then the 'something to cry about' might be taking away TV time, desert, or a toy.

Answer 4

Sounds a lot like my daughter lol

I have always been told this is the age where they are trying to gain some independence and testing rules and boundries to see just how far they can go.  I know exactly how frustrating it can be but believe me that it will soon get better.  My daughter was all about testing us and in a way using us to act out her ideas of what she thought was acceptable ways to act and talk, etc.  Just keep a firm hand and explain when you can that the behavior she is doing is not ok  and try to give her more independence where u can.  Like dressing herself , brushing her own hair, etc.  she will get some of the freedom she craves and you hopefully get a quite breakfast. lol  Good luck and stay strong

Answer 5

I would spank her bare bottom, and treat her like a baby by wearing nothing but a diaper from the time she comes home to the time she goes to school the next untill she learns how to behave.

Answer 6

It could be a ploy for attention. Does she do this for the men in her life too?

My daughter has no choice cause the only male in her life is her big brother, and he could get her to eat almost anything. But for me,,, nothing! she out grew this phase once I involved her in the shopping and she realized who bought the food. I did give her options with  things.

There are times when my girl would go to school hungry when she would do what your daughter did. I always snuck a granola bar she liked in her back pack for just an occasion.

Good luck!!