My Six Year Old Teenager?!

"Ugh what have you bought that for!?" exclaims my six year old daughter Brooke pointing at my three year old's pushchair in the playground the other day. "Because we are walking home today" I reply with a smile...I am then treated to my daughter running off to the other side of the playground shouting "I hate walking!".  So it's going to be one of those I think as I mentally psyche myself up to have the patience of a saint.  

We finally manage to leave the school and my eldest daughter scoots down the road as fast as she can to get away from me and my youngest.  Every time I suggest we cross over the road she refuses and I walk on (counting to ten) with a smile.  We finally cross the road but she will not cross next to me and then we turn a corner literally and metaphorically!  Brooke turns to me and says "Mummy you are the person I love most in this world".  Blimey where did that come from?  "I love you too darling" I say "More than the stars and the moon".  

Ok my patience was starting to wear thin despite my best efforts but I had held it together wearing a serene smile on my face and luckily for me I did as I was then treated to this declaration of love.  Still I am confused by my daughters outbursts and they have been happening rather a lot lately.  Take last Friday for instance..

My daughter's school reward children when they excel and every Friday one or two children from each class are chosen to receive a 'rainbow sticker' handed out by the head teacher.  This is a very proud moment for us parents and we had promised Brooke that when she got one we would treat her to a trip to a pizza restaurant.  So the school bell rang and out came Brooke wearing her rainbow sticker for all to see.  "Well done you are brilliant" I exclaimed! "So can we go tonight then?" was her response. "Um not tonight darling as you have a play date but we WILL go this weekend" I replied.   This was apparently not good enough..off she ran shouting over her shoulder about how much she hated me and how this was her worse day ever (we've heard that one before)!  After I had admitted a large sigh we went home and had her best friends over for the pre-arranged play date.  

So you have read about the most recent scenarios (two of many) and I am sure there will be many, many more.  I'm not sure how my daughter has become a teenager at the age of six but after Googling these exact words I find I am not the only one! Phew! I find it is a hard one to deal with but although she may act like a teenager she is not, and I must remember this (my daily mantra).  Being patient and taking the outbursts on the chin is definitely the best route in my case but sometimes this can be hard especially if your not having the best day yourself!  I hope this defiant moody behaviour will pass...although I doubt it...and I am sat here nervously pondering what she will be like when she is actually a teenager!  God help me!