I am so beside myself.
This child, who is 7, is bright, funny and usually very well behaved and just a real joy.
Sometimes tho, she is only that way for school and church and then at home is a completely different story. The behavior comes and goes. The child has a lazy, selfish disrepectful streak a mile wide sometimes. She does not like to do chores or help, or do anything except what she wants. She has been this way since day one. It has always taken some prodding to motivate her to do anything (unless it's her idea) but it's usually not a big problem. But sometimes....!!!! When it gets bad, we take away her fun and it is nothing but school, cleaning her room, and homeowrk or reading. no TV. no bicycle. no nintendo. no computer. then she will be OK for a while. And then the defiance comes back.
She has been pushing the boundaries beyond the limits this week.
Yesterday....
My mom said it is time to come inside.
No, courtney says.
She ran & hid.
Mom had to chase her down with the paddle to get her inside.
Courtney ended up SLAPPING MY MOTHER!
and it does not end there!
later when Courtney was watching TV mom said, it is time to turn the TV off and come eat dinner.
No courtney says, i don't have an appetite
how many 7 year olds actually use that word?
So mom turns off the tv and closes the door. Fine she says, you may not be hungry but it is still time to turn off the TV. And that maybe if she wasn't hungry at dinner time then maybe she should not get a snack after school anymore.
Courtney pitches a hissy and mom leaves her there.
So mom is getting the other 2 settled at the table.
Then Courtney comes out and wants a drink RIGHT NOW
mom told her Wait.
about this time i get home from work. I walked up to the door to hear this commotion. I could hear Courtney screaming from the moment i got out of the car. the hissy escalated to a conniption by this time.
I walked in and told Courtney if she was thirsty, to go in the bathroom and use the cup for some water or to get water of the fridge, that she was big enough to do it herself since granny was busy and I just got home and had to go potty RIGHT NOW.
That wasn't good enough. She wanted OJ RIGHT NOW
So right then I told her GO TO THE TABLE AND WE WILL TALK WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE BATHROOM
*sigh*
since courtney could not do what she was told and would not put her bike away......no bike till monday
since courtney could not stop watching TV and do what she was told...no TV till monday. when I take away TV i also take away computer & nintendo. because she acts the same way with all of them.
then we went over some parts of the Bible that talk about how much disobeying your parents displeases God
Last night was AWANA night. she loves going to AWANA.
I was SO CLOSE to making her sit out and watch the kids do the fun stuff like GAME TIME and last night was store night, I almost did not let her do AWANA store either. she did miss assembly to have a session with her Daddy too.
*ugh*
there have been no major changes at home recently. nothing at school. i just don't know what is causing this. unless she is just at a point to test boundaries. in which case.....we just need to be firm. the boundaries are already established.
i just needed to let this out.