DD is a brat

megann831

I'm getting so frustrated and embarrassed with DD.  She is such a fun kid with us and her cousin, but she's so nasty to other kids.  When we see strangers somewhere alot of times she just sticks out her hand and says no for no reason at all.  I tell her really quick to stop and then she'll just give a dirty look.  Today we were at music and she had no problem with the kids she didn't know, then her friend came in and started jumping and dancing, and DD stuck out her hand and said no.  I asked her if she wanted to sign up for dance with her friend and she said yes, but then told me she doesn't like sharing.  Sometimes she'll start out nasty and then warm up to someone, or she'll be nice from the beginning, and she's so sweet, but I don't know what to do about her being nasty for no reason, especially since it happens so often with her 1, and only, friend, and I like getting together with the mom and the girls are so cute and have so much fun when DD isn't being a brat.  I'm having such a hard time knowing what to do because it's not that she is hitting or not sharing, although sometimes it's that, it's just that she's mean

angelamaster1986

Just sounds like you have a little girl on your hands. Just encourage her to play nice with others, maybe explain that children dont want to play with others who act mean, etc but shes growing into her own little person and theres nothing you can do but encourage good behavior.

abb08

This sounds pretty normal to me. DS doesn't do this (yet), but plenty of his friends do.  I don't take it personally if someone does it to DS, and I doubt your friends do either.  They are probably busy worrying about something obnoxious their own LO is doing.

dragon_chica

fredalina:

Oh, hon, she's not a brat; she's a 2 year old! Not only that, but a 2 year old with a new sibling she has to share with (even just mommy/daddy time). Sharing doesn't come naturally; it takes a ton of reenforcement. They usually don't "get" it until 3 and they don't usually do it willlingly most of the time until 4. Hang in there and talk about how it made that girl happy when she shared, or sad when she didn't.

Words right out of my mouth.  It's sad when toddlers get labeled "brats" because they really aren't.  They're behaving to the best of their abilities as a 2 y/o. 

Have you asked her why she says no?  Maybe she means something else but doesn't have the vocabulary for it?  Once you figure that out you can give her the tools to learn how to express herself in an appropriate manner.

garnet10

DD does this too. I usually tell her she can say no nicely. I don't want to teach her that she can't have boundaries, but she just just doesn't know how to tell people how to back off without being rude.