Four years is worse than two years… I can confirm that! The need for affirmation and control is ever-present. #notcapable
Anything could trigger a Third World War: the toast cut into triangles instead of squares, Cinderella’s glass instead of Olaf’s, melon-scented shampoo instead of blueberry-scented, spray-on sunscreen instead of lotion, a doggy pillow to sleep with instead of a hippo, a kiss on the forehead instead of on the cheek…. When will this end? It seems like I’m actually looking forward to the teenage years so I can argue about lighter topics like drugs, skipping school, STIs…
The most frustrating part of all this is when she goes to Dad’s house: she’s an angel! Sweet, kind, obedient—so much so that Dad doesn’t even believe me when I tell him she’s constantly driving me up the wall. In other people’s eyes, my daughter is perfect, but from my perspective, she’s the devil incarnate! She knows all my weaknesses and knows exactly how to exploit them. Sometimes I even start to think that I’m a bad parent and that I must be doing something wrong.
It seems like, to her, I’m the enemy she has to take down—the spider lurking in the corner of your room, the clay pigeon at the shooting range, the Joker Batman, your ex—anyway, I’m the one who needs to be taken out. Raising this child almost entirely on my own, I’m the only one she tests, the only one she pushes to the limit to see when Mom’s going to snap. I’ve tried everything to limit the damage: withdrawal, the shouting, discussion, bargaining, and several other tactics … Nothing works, EXCEPT: taking away the daily episode of the Paw Patrol (By the way, thank you for existing.) I don't know what the Paw Patrol It affects my child's brain, but it dampens any desire to rebel at the slightest hint of the threat. I can't wait for a 4e season before I run out of ammo!
What about you? What are your tips for dealing with your 4-year-old?
Marie-Êve Plamondon