Question
HI there,
Need help with a particular scenario here. My almost 6 year old (6 in may) has started school about 5 weeks ago. She has been very tired, and emotional from being away all day (8:30am-3pm) every day. We have given her relief from chores for about 3 weeks (as she had been extremely anxious about school), requiring her to do some during the weekends. Recently have had her pick up her share of chores again (putting away dishes from the dishwasher, and tidying up her room).
I have noticed a very poor attitude towards doing what she's been told to do. If she is doing the chores, she would be slamming dishes in drawers, or purposeful dawdling and talking, or being mean to her brother, or quite deliberately ignoring. Lots of huffing and puffing, and a very pitiful attitude (as she she does not deserve to be doing anything).
In addition to this, her attitude to being told no is poor. She nags, pesters, pleads, argues or sulks (and sits there stewing) each time a limit is set, or she's told no, or told she must do something right away. I'm fine with a small dose of this, but not every single time all the time! She also whines and runs away if I dare to smile at her. When we move on to discipline - she'd act all "Woe is me, I'm the most pitiful person in the whole wide world". Can't win!!!
Both my husband and I feel very fed up with this, and I'm not sure how to rectify this very entitled princess attitude. It's a bit like a "the whole world owes me" attitude. We don't know what we have done to contribute to this. She's been so very unhappy over everything. What's your opinion and advice? Give it more time - she has just started school? Or some mild discipline?
