I’m starting a regular column on CafeMom.com called “Ask Dr. Meg” and I’m counting on YOU, followers and friends, to send me your questions.
I LOVE to help parents answer their toughest parenting questions. I’m starting a regular column on CafeMom.com called “Ask Dr. Meg” and I’m counting on YOU, followers and friends, to send me your questions. So, contact me via the blog, Facebook, Twitter or on my mom site at CafeMom.com–I’m here for you.
Krissy, one of my Twitter friends, sent me a question this week:
@MegMeeker Any suggestions on getting past the drama queen stage with a 4yo? Hope the 2yo doesn’t pick it up too.
Dear Krissy,
Four year old girls can be a bigger handful than 2 or 3 year old girls. Why? Because they’ve figured out that they are completely separate people from their Moms and that they can exert control over their environment (and this includes Mom, Dad and siblings.) One four year old I heard about recently threw temper tantrums easily, cried at the drop of a hat and whenever her mother told her that she couldn’t have her way, she became hysterical. In short, normal responses seemed completely exaggerated. Her mother was worried that something was really wrong with her.
Let’s tease a few things out here. First, girls have very different personalities and the truth is, some love attention. This isn’t because they’re needy, they are just very sensitive and expressive. Life gets to them a bit more.Combine this with the new sense of independence and demands on them to begin to behave like a more reasonable girls, not like out of control toddlers, and the perfect storm can erupt. Outwardly, 4 year old girls can appear as though they are over reacting to life itself.