Blogging?

Blogging sounds so violent, I guess it's because it rhymes with flogging or the fact that it encourages you to share your inner most feelings with the world...brutal. There are some things that shouldn't be put into words (and for those things emoticons were invented) but for all the other things...there's a word or two for every situation.

What do you do when your 8yr old daughter displays the attitude and temperament of a teenager?

I decided to look to my parents for the answer.  I revisited my past...I thought hard, back to all those times when I declared life was unfair and I never got anything I wanted.  All those times I stomped up the stairs muttering under my breath and slammed the door, throwing myself on to the bed and sobbing into my pillow.  When I threatened to run away because my life sucked.  How did my parent's deal with this behaviour? Then it hit me...they completely ignored it.  They let me stomp and slam doors, whine and sulk and when I had calmed down it was all forgotten.  Never mentioned again.  No lectures, no apologies, nothing as if it had never happened.

I'm not sure I can do that.  Something needs to be said so here's what I did.  I waited until she had calmed down and then quietly and calmly but firmly told her..."that behaviour is unacceptable, you are a very lucky girl who has a family that loves you and you get nice things to play with." There, that did it.  She will be a better person now with my short sharp reminder of what I expect from her.

So as I smugly strolled into the kitchen revelling in my parenting success, I heard her telling her younger brother, "Mummy loves me better than you because when I'm horrid she tells me she loves me and will get me nice things,"

Oh well another day tomorrow...I'll come up with a plan B before then.