Behavior

[Fofi]

My daughter (age 3) i began to work about 3 weeks ago and she has been throwing trantrums she does not want to stay with my father, her grandmother or anyone but me or her father, she gives anyone that takes her to school a hard time, she also started to act like a baby when my son was born four months ago.  She is hitting, bitting and spiting, i do npt know what do do anymore, she was such a sweet kid, now everything is a fight, i feel bad but i know that she is trying to get me to stay home, should i quit my job????

[vmvnpv]

She's getting attention.  Whether it's negative or positive she is still getting attention.  She used to be the only child for 3 years and now a baby has come along and taken a lot of that attention from her.  She sees you spending a lot more time with the baby and not with her.  It's hard for a 3 year old to understand and deal with the fact that babies require a lot of attention.  All they know is they want that attention too.

How do you stop her when she has a tantrum?  Do you use a time out method?  You could try that.  If you dote on her or even speak to her (whether you speak nicely or yell at her) that's negative reinforcement and kids don't care whether the attention is good or bad as long as they have it.  Maybe a time out, where mom isn't giving her any attention, will get her to stop.  Also, try to spend more one on one time with her.  Maybe find someone to take care of the baby and you take her to the park for half an hour.  That way she knows mom still loves her and wants to spend time with her.  It's hard to share your mom time with someone else.

[Fofi]

I try the time out thing, she has been acting like this since I returned to work, she was acting a little bad when the baby was born but nothing to this extreme, she is always crying and i feel really bad

[vmvnpv]

It could be separation anxiety.