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School-Aged Children
Just discovered this board!!
I've never noticed this board before, so glad I found it!
I'm 29 yrs old, I have an 8 yr old (soon to be 9) daughter who is starting 3rd grade next Wednesday. I'm expecting another little girl Oct 22nd. I'm hoping this board will be able to help me and give me some input on a lot of things to come my way in the future.
My first question for the board: Does anyone have any children with a 8/9 yr gap between them? How did your child react once the new baby arrived? My daughter is very excited, however over the past week while we were getting the nursery ready I noticed her acting out a little bit. She was using attitude, talking back, etc. She seems to think that she can do what she wants when she wants. I told her you are 8 yrs old, not 28! Her punishment was no TV in her bedroom for 1 week. Any other punishments that I could possibly give her besides that? I'm just stumped because her listening skills seem to be going down the drain now that it's getting closer for the baby to be here. Any help is appreciated, thanks!!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Just discovered this board!!
Welcome to the board!!
I think your punishment was appropriate. With your children being school age it will be easy for you to have special bonding time with the baby during school hours. So after school make sure you give your other children quality time so they don't feel left out.
That's great that they just added it!!!
Thanks for the input ladies. I do plan on including her with everything I do. She helped pick out clothes for the baby, some of the items on our registry. She's getting a "diva" makeover in her bedroom once the baby arrives. I keep telling her that she's going to be a "big helper" but all she keeps saying is that all the attention is going to be on the baby. I explained to her at first it may because I need to feed, diaper, and bathe the baby. I still need to feed, do homework, read, etc to her as well. Monday is "girls night" because my SO is in a pool league and I think going out weekly alone helps reduce stress and gives us alone time. It just seems like it's going to be really hard at first and maybe a little stressful.
Also she goes to be at 9am, do you think that this is late for a little girl? We live a somewhat hectic lifestyle. I work M-F 8-430pm, dinner's usually around 6/6:30, she dances twice a week, has homework, showers are at 7:30, etc.
Yay! I just found this board also!
I have 3 kids - 10, 6 and 3months. My oldest who is a boy has been AMAZING! He is so sweet with the baby and is always trying to get him to smile or laugh, my 6 yr old, a girl, is also very sweet, but i have to watch her b/c she can be a little rough. At first she was a little more needy, but now since school has started again is all about her own world!
There is an 8 year gap between DD#1 and DD#2 and a 11year gap between DD#1 and DD#3. What you are going through is very normal. Its rough on us though. It may get better, it could get worse but only for a period of time, if that helps. Hang in there and do what you are doing already. Sounds like you handled it fine. Try and use this time to really spend with her and explain things to her. Give her baby related tasks that she can handle, that will help her feel important too, but dont allow her to think that behaving poorly will be accepted.
I remember when DD#1 was 11 and I went to a jewerly store to pick out a necklace for her and my 4 yo was with us and all the ladies in the store oooed and aahhhed at my 4 yo. The 11yo got upset and walked out the store with tears in her eyes. When I found her and talked to her about it, she said that she felt bad because they were only paying attention to her sister and not her. I could understand that but had to tell her that she is in a different stage in her life where its past the baby stage and she no longer is going to get ooed and ahhed because most kids would find that to be babyish. After having a long talk. We never had that issue again and things did get better.
Be sure to praise her for good behavior and really discuss with her, her poor behavior.
StarAnnice - She sleeps from 9pm until 7am, that's 10 hours of sleep, you think she needs more? I was going to try 8:30 starting next week because she is going back to school but like I said sometimes we aren't done with things until 8pm.
Welcome ecu1995 - I'm finding my daughter a little more needy now and I'm hoping once school, dance and all the other activites that start next week she'll be occupied and less clingy.
Thanks again ladies for your input.
This sounds like something my daughter would do. I do plan on including her in daily tasks with myself and the baby, I have talked to her all this week about poor behavior and how it is frowned upon but I'm getting the "I'm trying my best" comment everytime. She's going to a water park on Monday with a friend and that will be the next thing that gets taken away. I'm just running out of punishments.