Hi there

Please can you guys help me!!

I have 3 children whom I love so very much!

However we are really struggling with our eldest daughter who is 8 & I am kind of getting to the end of my tether, her attitude in my opinion is becoming awful, she is not a great sleeper (or should I say doesn't need much sleep) but this then accumulates & she becomes very tired & emotional

My hubby & I are unsure about which direction to take in getting through this new phase ~ its a bit like a pre-teenager with all the attitude & arguments etc but she is nowhere near that stage yet

any help would be great, suggestions, letting me know I'm not alone, books to read, ideas to try etc

many thanks in advance

Sarah
xxx

the thing with girls is they like to think they are grown up before they actually are, i know i work in a girls secondary school.

have you tried getting her involved in brownies or another activity such as dance class, or theatre? it gives them a bit of independence, plus can teach them a bit of respect for those around them, also run off a bit of energy.

does she have her own room? does she have a set time of going to bed,? even if she says she isnt tired it may be that going to bed at a set time and allowing her to read for half hour may bring on a sense of calm, it works with my youngest, who goes to bed at 730, but is allowed to read till 8, most of the time he is asleep by 745!

im not saying this will work, all kids are different, and like i said, girls get that independence early! good luck hun xx

Hi
My daughter is 13 now but has always been an independant madam - from talking to other mums it really does seem to be a girl thing! I'd definatly agree that a routine and set bedtime does help. At 8, my daughter was in bed for 8.00 but allowed to read for half an hour, it just helped calm her down for the night. Clubs/groups do help too as they get to do something of their own on their own and have to learn to interact with other girls. As for the attitude, i think its probably her age, those hormones do have bursts for a long time before puberty sets in! Just hang in there, it will get better, and easier. My daughter still has her moments and no doubt will have a few more, but I just try to pick my battles, remind whos the mother if her mouth gets too smart, and do my best to keep talking to her. My middle 2 boys are 11 and 8 and nothing lke their sister which just reinforces to me that it really is a girl thing!!