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How can I learn to cope with my husband's 8 year old niece?

* This is long ** How can I learn to cope with my husband's 8 year old niece?

My husband's niece is 8 years old and when she is in my presence she makes me nervous and makes my blood pressure rise. This is my husband's adopted brother's child, but she lives with her mother and brother. She spends 90-95% of the time at my inlaws house. They are older (62 and 67) so they let her get away with highway robbery. She runs through the house, dives off furniture, runs into the walls, climbs up the door frames. She does the same thing when she comes to our house. She puts her feet on the furniture and plays under the coffee table. When I say something to my husband he gets offended and claims she isn't doing anything wrong. She is TERRIBLE. All she has to do is blow a whistle and his parents are front and center. If she says she wants to go home, they take her home no matter what time it is. The same applies when she wants to come over. They tell her to do something and she will stare them right in their eyes until SHE is ready to make a move.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

My husband and his parents are infactuated with this child. They know she acts out but yet they want to justify it in some way. His parents feel sorry for her because neither of her parents really pay her any attention. My husband adores her and doesn’t want me or anybody else to say a word about her bad behavior. They spent three days with us a couple of months ago and I thought I was going to lose my mind. The entire time she did cartwheels through our house. My mother inlaw would tell her to stop every blue moon, but my husband just watched her. When he THOUGHT I was looking he would say something to her but two minutes later she was doing it again. One night we were playing cards and it was late. She kept asking if she could play. They told her no and told her to get into bed. She came back every 5 minutes, literally, and insisted that my mother inlaw come to bed. My mother inlaw told her no, and she started throwing a tantrum.

Anonymous said...

Wow, you were right that was long! lol. That kid need discipline from someone. An 8 year old should know better than to act like that, heck my 3 year old knows better. I'm gonna tell you what I would do in this situation. First off, at your house you are the boss. Next time she comes over tell her this is my home, these are my rules, then tell her whatever your rules are, no running, no feet on furniture etc. If your inlaws or hubby doesn't like it, tough. Tell them straight up, she needs to stop acting like a beast and if they're not gonna make her mind, you are. If she acts up make her butt sit in time out or spank her, your choice. Kids will walk all over you, if you let them and those people obviously do. If they get crappy with you, tell them she is out of control and something needs done about it now.