Show A MA MJ Ask Mom Kids think they run the house a aR R t kathryn at ryn Jones ones Campus Editor F Dear Mom How v do I stop my 6 year old from being a selfish brat She thinks she runs the house Sincerely Fru Frustrated Dear Frustrated Some years ago I was with one of my daughters I at the most dreaded of all places to take a child the grocery store I want candy she screamed We Ve were at the checkout and plenty of people were doing just that that checking checking us out I was so embarrassed Should I give the to tomy my rotten child topping shopping her screeching in the process or should hould I use the Im deaf in inthe the ears trick You know the one If I pretend it isn't happening long enough the wailing will stop I decided on the first Weakness I suppose Sure enough my child stopped screaming and I could go through the checkout along with everyone else I might add in peace Back at home I thought What am I teaching my child And then it hit me I was teaching my child that in screaming she could get whatever she wanted I felt like a rotten mother Questions bumbled d in my brain like a blender full of ice What else could I have done Wait it out Scream back Spank her right then and there and allow everyone to believe I 1 was oh I cant can't even say it Take my child outside leaving my groceries for someone else to pick through and possibly possibly buy buy Cover my daughters daughter's mouth while I fished the groceries from the my other hand Excuse myself taking my cart and daughter with me meto meto meto to some excluded corner Never take my daughter shopping again Now there was the ticket The way I see it a a achild child is selfish at age six because they are six What's your excuse I 1 mean it If you look inside you will see pieces of yourself that are still selfish even today Perhaps you think you deserve a new mw car the car the old one well it just isn't good enough You deserve a new outfit once in awhile awhile maybe maybe e even once a month or more You deserve some time off someone to help you clean your house how house how are you ever going to get to it You deserve some time away from that selfish brat who thinks she runs the house The truth is your year 6 old is the boss there is no thinking about it She not only runs the house she does so with your permission Dont Don't give gi ve in Set some limits You dont don't get everything you want why should she When she does something good reward her Stickers work great and dont don't rot the teeth When she forgets make sure theres there's theresa a consequence Work these consequences out together before the episode occurs If she has to sit in a chair for six minutes minutes-I I always made the thc chair sitting sitting- equal to the age age so so be it If she has to go to her room a thousand times a day and that is the rule you set with her stick to it I 1 think the main thing here is to reward your daughter for the good times be consistent with the bad and never let her forget that you love her no matter what Because when it comes right down to it it- it theres there's a bit of the savage beast in all of us Have Hasa a burning question N tt lave I at i needs an answer nw To f f Then Ask Mona n y 1 0 v Email Q 1 o Kathryn at ryn J Jong at t mp L fL i fA 4 W W If 1 |