out of control four yr old...

I have a four year old daughter who is out of control. Me and my fiance have tried everything. He has two kids which his 12 year old daughter is constantly going back and forth with my daughter. My daughter wants to fight with everyone in the home. She doesn't mind at all. I have had to squat over her multiple times and hold my hand over her mouth because she will scream on top of her lungs. Could she be bipolar? It does run through my family. She will lie even lie about the littlest things, we had asked her if she had went into our room before and she said no when we knew she had. She knows the difference between lying and telling the truth, she just chooses to be bad everyday. We give her positive attitude and that still doesn't help. We try to spank her and she will at times laugh in our faces.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

The family history of bipolar illness does place her in an at-risk category, but really it is a moot point at her young age. You need help in managing the behavior. It is not prudent to cover her mouth or use physical discipline. Read Lynn Clark's book SOS Help for Parents and do what he guides you to do (see www.sosprograms.com).