Annie,
My daughter and her husband divorced within the last year and a half, and we are currently having a real problem with my eight-year-old grandson. He's been whining a lot and also always has to be first or always win a game. If he's not first or does not win, he whines. He also spends a lot of time whining when he returns from a weekend with his father. My daughter is at her wit's end, and we would appreciate any insight you may have. Thanks.
~Nan
Dear Nan, Continue reading
Tagged as:
Discipline,
divorce,
sore losers,
whining
Dear Annie,
My 2 1/2-year-old son can be very mean to my husband and in-laws. He kicks and yells at them, telling them to go away and not to talk to him and that only Momma can do anything. He acts like this for a little while after I leave, then he gets over it. I’ve been telling him it’s not nice and he’s hurting feelings. If I see it, I put him in time-out as I know he understands what he is doing. My husband and in-laws do the same. The majority of this acting out is not in my presence, so I’m at a loss as to what I can do to help stop these actions. Any tips or tricks to help get him over this phase would be great.
~Leah
Dear Leah,
Tagged as:
motherhood,
tantrums,
Toddlers
Dear Annie,
My soon to be four-year-old daughter has started having horrible tantrums. This has never been an issue before. They are worse when she’s tired. She can’t seem to calm herself at all. Again, she’s always been a great self-soother. Over the summer we had a great deal of change in our lives (moving, grandma fell ill, I had to be away a lot) but that was several months ago. Is this a developmental thing or a hold-over from an over-stressed summer? How the heck do I deal with it? I don’t want to give in, but at the same time I worry about drawing too hard of a line.
~Lisa
Dear Lisa,
Tagged as:
behavior,
Discipline,
preschoolers,
tantrums,
tough times
Dear Annie,
Reminding my kids (6 and 8 years old) to help with chores, whether it’s cleaning up their rooms or helping with dinner, is a nightmare. They whine and "why" me to death. I hear myself saying things I swore I’d never say, like "Because I said so!" But bargaining for every tiny task is driving me crazy.
Sarah
Dear Sarah, Continue reading
Tagged as:
chores,
elementary school,
pre-teen,
teens,
whining