Ungrateful

How do you teach kids to be more grateful? My partner and I are just fighting a losing battle with SD at the moment. She is only 6, so I understand she is still young, she just seems to have become so ungrateful and rude all of a sudden. A few examples.. We took her to lapland at Christmas and the whole time we were there 'oh is that it? I'm only making one toy? What else is there to do? I'm bored. I don't even know why father Christmas invited me here. I'm just too good at it.' We booked a holiday with our friends and told her about it and her response was 'why? I've already been there' She asked for clothes and money for her birthday and then when she opened her presents she went 'more clothes? Seriously? Why have you bought me clothes' and when we reminded her she asked for clothes and money she went 'well where's my money?' 😳 At her birthday party, she took the candles off her cake and was throwing them in other kids' food and taking stuff off them. Shes got an iPad, phone and airpods at her mums and we told her she's very lucky to have those things because not alot of children her age do, and her was 'yeah well someone left the airpods at mummys and mummy said I could keep them so I did.' Did you or mummy ask the person who's they are if you could keep them? Well, no, because they were left at my house, so mummy just gave them me, and told me they're mine now.' And that's just a few of the examples in the past 2 weeks. Me and my partner do not behave like that, we use manners always, express gratitude, and explain that things cost money and that we are lucky to have the things that we do. I'm not sure whether it's an age thing, or whether she's picking it up from friends or her mums side but we are just at a loss of what to do. We seem to just spend every weekend reminding her to be kind and use manners and not be so entitled (we don't call her entitled btw I'm just describing the behaviour.) I just do not know what to do, her dad has said the way she is behaving he can see her turning into a bully or not having many friends at school which is really sad to be honest

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Oh my god. That sounds like if you don’t nip it in the bud soon she’s going to be trouble! Definitely sounds like it’s coming from mum though. If this was my child (taking away being step) I’d be making her do daily chores. So she can appreciate the hard work that goes into everything- no payment initially. Then if she wants something/ to do something then she’d have to do doing a larger job for me. I ain’t having no entitled child.

How is she behaved at school? Do they have the 6 golden rules at her school? I would try introducing them at home so there is clear expectations. They pretty much cover everything and are easy to remember. Give her a chart and everything she follows then give her a sticker and if she gets ten or twenty then she gets a treat for the week. They were made into books so you can have bedtime stories as a reminder too https://positivepressuk.co.uk/product/golden-rules-animal-stories-complete-series-pack-of-6/

@Hollie honestly, it's just a nightmare, and she's always been such a pleasant little girl. We have started getting her to do chores after she said to her dad 'you can just clean my room when I go home' she wasn't bothered about not getting spends as she tells us how much money she already has 🙄 but I like the idea of chores in exchange for doing nice things / days out etc! @Tink as far as we know, she seems to be well-behaved at school, I haven't seen the 6 golden rules so will definitely have a look at that! Love the idea of the bedtime story too Thank you both!

Fingers crossed it gets better for you! I’m going to introduce the 6 golden rules with my stepdaughter who is almost 7 as there’s a little bit of behaviour I think needs addressing. My mum taught for 30 years and she said that’s what they used and worked a charm so gonna give it a whirl. Hope it works for you! X

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