A Five Year Old Monster :( (by sarah)
Yesterday Jean went back to school and was taken by one of the other parents to their younger child's birthday party. Jean was returned before the end of the party under the claim of being tired (having apparently almost fallen asleep in assembly). But then I am told she has been told off by some of the other parents at the party for being naughty and aggressive to the other children :/
I asked Jean about this and she said she had tried being nice but the younger kids had been naughty to her. I gave her a speech about younger children and told her to go to her room and think about her behaviour especially as she had not been that well behaved with Al's cousins kid who came to visit the day before. She mantains she wants the younger kids to come and play but as far as I can see is being awful to them. 🙁
Her behaviour has been bad the last few weeks - I thought part of it was excitement over the party and part boredom of being at home with adults and no kids. Now I am ashamed and embarrassed 🙁
A situation not helped by the fact that Barbara then shouted at the mum for not turning around in the right place in our garden. How are we supposed to have friendships if she does that? The less people who visit the worse I feel Jean's behaviour comes :/
I know she has basically only mixed with boys over the summer when she has mixed at all but really that and tiredness is not an excuess - especially when the tiredness is her own fault for refusing to go to sleep :/
Domestic, Events and Outings, Jean | sarah | 
Fri 3rd Sep 2010 6:53 am
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By Gavan, Fri 3rd Sep 2010 @ 11:40 am
It sounds like Jean has an idealised view of how other people should behave, and when they don't behave as she expects/wants, she tries to "correct" their behaviour.
I suspect that this means that she hasn't learnt the difference between parents (and, presumably, other adults) correcting their children's behaviour, and more balanced friendship scenarios, and is trying out the behaviour that she's been most exposed to.
I saw several instances at her party where she thought she was doing the right thing by punishing someone for doing something that she perceived as bad (taking her food, upsetting her, etc) which obviously came across to the other kid as being horrible.
Perhaps there's some way she can learn about accepting other people the way they are, especially younger children.
Poor Jean, she must be so confused.